Minters

We went out from Hayling on Friday afternoon to fish the tide up. We didnt have high expectations as it was a neap tide but the wether was amazing and Ive never seen the sea so calm!

After catching a few mackerel plus a bonus bass and gurnard at the drop off we headed to Boulder to make the most of any tide run. We started with whole mackerel and whole squid but had our baits ripped to bits so we rapidly changed to small strips of mackerel  on size 4 barbless circle hooks and were immediately into bream from tiddlers to 1lb plus. We ended up with 20 plus bream. I out fished Gordon - the only difference in our rigs was that I was using floating luminous round bead in  my  set up - although who knows if that made any difference apart from increasing my confidence.

As we approached slack high tide Gordon kindly kept the strap conger amused by catching a couple while I sneaked a bass of just under 4lb.  
 

Plenty of species but no dogfish - which have been noticeable by their absence in most spots we have fished this year.

Gordon and I headed out from Hayling Island about 8.30 to fish the spring tide up.

We stopped off at the drop off for some mackerel but only managed a solitary scad before heading out to just south of Boulder bank.

It was a spring tide with a lot of weed coming through so not particularly comfortable fishing but we started with whole mackerel in the hope of some tope. Gordon lost something good when it snagged him but that was the only action on mackerel apart from a small strap.

I switched to whole squid and immediately had endless bites from small bream ( Gordon caught a couple on small strips of squid).

Just as the tide eased I had a smoothie of about 7lbs and had something reasonable slip the hook at slack high tide.

As the ebb tide started to run Gordon had a 6lb smoothie and I was bitten off ( whenever I fish for tope they are not there and as soon as I change gear I get bitten off!)

By about 1pm the wind really got up so we headed back to Sparkes.

A feature of our fishing this year has been the almost complete absence of doggies - I am not complaining! 

It was a fantastic day to be on the sea today with a clear blue sky and no wind.

Gordon and I  reached  the  whiting grounds north of Nab about 10.00 to fish the tide down.

Initially  we fished big baits - squid or half mackerel but they were just being destroyed by small fish.

 After the inevitable dogfish ( despite appearances Gordon didn't break its back) we changed tactics and scaled down. We immediately started catching Whiting - no great size , but we had over 20 with about 7 of takable size. I was fishing with hokeyes tipped with mackerel which worked best for us today.

We fished until about 2pm before heading back to Hayling Island.

With conditions like they  were today Id have been happy to have blanked!

My mate Gordon and I went out for the first time in over a month. We fished just north of Nab Tower in lovely calm conditions with a fairly strong tide. It was just great to be out again after so long

 We fished the last three hours of the flood - fishing mackerel and squid.  I know you guys like pictures of doggies so I dutifully  caught a few and Gordon caught a pw smoothound.

Gordon then helpfully kept the strap conger occupied on his side of the boat which allowed me to catch some nice whiting plus a couple of thornback rays and a small blonde ray ( all on mackerel).

We had lunch whilst the tide turned and then I had a pb blonde ray of 24.5 lb on whole squid.  We had hoped for a cod but its three years now since we had one in the boat - but we live in hope. We called it a day around 3pm and headed back to Hayling Island for a beer.

This is my boat - a Merry Fisher MF755 Marlin. I share it with my buddy Gordon .

We really like the boat - the only downsize is that it can be tricky to berth n the wind( although that is probably as much me as the boat!)