Saintly Fish

Hence the reason I joined this group and chucked it out on the forum that I am looking at buying a boat, so I am open to advice, I want something with a comfortable spacious wheelhouse (seating for others, cooker area, good storage etc etc) and enough deck area for 4-5 people, inboard engine. Certainly don't want a plodder so chip in with any suggestions. 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

Quartered up ling fillets and cut into bite sized pieces, dredged in flour with lots of salt and pepper and some paprika. Served with chorizo, fried potato cubes, red and yellow peppers and garlic, lots of lemon for me and a squirt of mayonnaise. 

@Caw722, welcome Paul. 
Pull up a bean bag and make yourself comfy!! 

Tight fisted _ _ nchor you fill in the blanks!!

Nice one! Lovely Bass! 

Tight fisted _ _ nchor you fill in the blanks!!

Hi Paul, 
Welcome!
 
this lot here will happily spend your boat budget for you they love boat shopping! - give us an idea what you are after and they will double the size and power for you!!

They are very good however for assisting in lifting a fish over the gunwhales when fishing alone! 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

They are proper bogas yeah. But it's hard to read them accurately when the short Solent chop is at play, so a digi scale gave a clearer indication. 

They are proper bogas yeah. But it's hard to read them accurately when the short Solent chop is at play, so a digi scale gave a clearer indication. 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

Thanks Daio, yes mate I went out alone today. 

You opted for Bristol instead. Obviously still suffering from intolerable feelings of inadequacy! 

nice one mate out solo was you 👍

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

..... I could have caught loads. 
But I wanted to get an early Solent unicorn. 
That didn't happen. But a second biggest bass of 8.37lb did happen and I'll take that all day. 
Had a couple more bream, a snake and an LSD (where have they been?). 
Went home and filleted the bass which will provide 3 people 2 good meals each. One in the form of a fish pie, the other to be determined!! 
 

 

 

 

I should've realised, a fellow gasman wouldn't make these school boy errors 😁

Great photos guys, great to see you on the fish 🙂 

Met at Tims boat for 7.30 and away by 7.45am
Met with Flat calm conditions - eerily quiet with no wave noise!

1st entrance for bait - targeting mackerel and Squid. We'd had 2 good sized (20cm) squid and 6 decent mackerel within the hour - so off to the mark earlier than usual.
We get to our mixed ground mark and drop the hook and start fishing - both on 2 rods - i'm on a 3 hook flapper with fresh squid strips for small stuff and one big rod with mackerel flapper for rays - Tim has gone with 2x big baits. 
Bream from the off for me - to the point i couldn't get my 2nd rod rigged and in for about 30 mins! and stayed like that all day - seriously constant.


also getting poor cod, mackerel and small straps on the rig too - at one point i had a triple shot - poor cod on the bottom hook, Bream on the middle hook, and a mackerel took the top hook on the way up - certainly livened things up!!

the big rod eventually got a look in, with a few bigger conger coming to the boat, then i sent a mackerel head down - usually deadly for a ray, huss or conger. wasn't long before something started to play with the bait - as I pulled into it I though I was snagged - but no, it was a fish, not much fight so i assumed Huss - but  to my surprise a lovely Undulate came to the surface - quickly netted and in. 


she went to 56cm - any one know the weight conversion for a ray? 
then followed more action from the bream, conger Eels, mackerel and Scad.
even had the smallest mackerel ive ever seen!

Tim had congers all morning - and then switched to the bream. i must have had in excess of 25 bream and Tim got into double figures too - they are ferocious eaters, stripping baits like piranhas and great fun on light gear!
the wind and tide couldn't make up their mind which was stronger so we called it at 3pm rather than swing around getting snagged and tangled. A great days fishing!
 

was lovely and calm this weekend - great that you did sunrise to sunset - that's a long day indeed!
well done on the smoothies - i love a good scrap with a feisty smoothie!
and good to get some bait for future trips too!