Tankybouy

Here is my explorer elite

Had a wrecking trip out of Weymouth cancelled for today and the forecast for Cardiff wasn't too bad, so decided to give it a go
The other 3 on the wrecking trip had made plans to go to work by the time I decided I'd take my boat out
So just myself for company today
Picked up some black lug and rag on way to Cardiff and caught the 9.30 lock out
Headed straight to the Cardiff North buoy and had the anchor down in the last of the flood tide before 10
Not a lot of tide, but plenty of dogs to start with a couple of straps to well into double figures
The wind held me side on until nearly an hour into the ebb and was getting steadily stronger and a bit uncomfortable
After a few more dogs and straps (and a classic slack liner that I had on for all of 5 secs, then lost) I pulled the pin and headed for a bit of calmer water just off Penarth
Dropped in 1/2 mile or so behind a couple of charters in around 35/40ft water without the swell of out wide, but with a bit of wind in the face
Threw a whole squid off the back on a downtider and while I was baiting up the uptider with blacks and rag, the downtider starts bouncing
Struck into it and on the way up could see the tell tale sign of a conger, spiralling line and coming up a fair bit off the back of the boat
Had a bit of a shock when this little fella broke the coffee coloured surface
3lb 8oz on the dot and very welcome
Stayed here until 2.45 with barely another bite, not even a dog over the gunnels
So with the rain worsening, I caught the 3.15 lock back in
The fish was full of prawn/shrimp when gutted
A short trip, but worthwhile
Dropped the fish into my Uncles on the way home, may have only been small but it was well appreciated
 

Popped down boat to make sure all ok post Covid/storms etc. 
was going to try to some fishing, locked out, sea was lumpy, rain was coming in sideways, choppy sea, went home. 
 
Naff weather, time to put feet up in warm instead 🤣🤣🤣
Ill try mid week and next Saturday as hopefully better weather.
 
Roll on summer, I’m fed up of winter fishing already 

Looks like some nice weather next week…. Whose out? 🙂 

Fished out of cardiff tonight glad I went after all lol managed 2 cod one estimated 7-8 as I wanted to release after a quick pic and the other weighed in at 14, thorn back and dogs where also caught what a cracking night weatherwise for fishing 🎣

Can't help I'm afraid. I only know where the dogfish are...  🐶🐟😉

Hard day weather wise even harder fishing, I ain’t one to judge any organisers it is what it was lol we all had the option to go to sea but personally if I was in charge I’d have pulled the plug on it yesterday but hey they do have a hard job and it is run for free labour by the organisers I can’t wait for next year hopefully more luck weather and fishing wise btw if anyone has a 9.25 Jeannau you have barnicles and weed on the underneath of your boat had a clear view of your bottom when you where next to us in the ranny 🤣

Sounds like a bit of a cluster all round. Glad you stayed safe @Tankybouy 👍

Yeah, the committee have taken a slating judging by some facebook posts I have been sent
They always had a policy of catering for the small boat when deciding if the comp should go ahead, don't think they did today
Heard there was a few dummies spat out at the weigh in as it was slightly extended, then closed with still dozens of boats stuck in or waiting outside the locks
 
 
 

This will be very brief
Caught the 7am lock out and joined the armada gathered around the end of Penarth pier to wait for the 8am starting hooter
That sounded and the wacky races started with boats going in all directions
We headed down around the Sully area and anchored about a mile uptide of Odyssey (looked like his boat, it had a pair of Yam 50's on the back I think)
First over the gunnels (or rather T barred off at the side) was a conger around 14/16lb mark, I then hooked a slug but didn't count the beards so don't know which one it was
I think that's Luke in the background
A few rays, dogs and more straps came off this mark, before we moved out into deeper water
Not for long as we couldn't hold anchor, so a short move up channel and it held fine
More dogs and rays here until slack low when we had a move up to Cardiff foreshore through a very unhappy Rannie with wind against tide
The strong Northerly had been with the tide until the turn and was doable, it was now against it and kept us side on and was beginning to be not doable for my elderly crew (av age 73)
Pulled the pin at 3.30 as there was a queue for the one lock that was open of around 30 boats
Couldn't open the others as they were silted up and didn't have enough water to be usable until around 4.30
In all fairness they've only had a bloody year to prepare
We got in the lock at around 5 with boats as far as I could see queued up behind us
Think I spotted Odyssey side on just out side the outer harbour at one point 🙄
Dropped the crew off and tied up on pontoon by 6
The weigh in deadline was 6.15 and this was all that was caught up to 6 oclock
The committee were very strict on times at the last comp, but with the fiasco of the locks, I don't know if there were any concessions
Did hear of an 18lb cod caught down Aberthaw way by a Cardiff charter (didn't see it, so can't be sure)
Hope you all had more luck than me and my crew 
 

Any cod on anyone's decks ?
We're wide off sully hospital and only conger and a rockling up to know
Looks like Odyssey has moved close in after being about a mile down channel of us 

Thanks Odyssey we are planning 1st 2nd and third place on the boat so your quids in 🤣🤣

Erm….
Try a garden shredder, much cheaper and less effort…
In the end I went for a meat grinder 
Check out this…..
 
https://vevor.co.uk/products/850w-commercial-meat-mincer-sausage-maker-stainless-steel-grinder-270-lbs-h?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMCKBhDAARIsAG-2Eu-w8hSmkojYhp9VpVxGuGtpc0tFOzhmoFxSukylFlhMNrtP31XTMq4aAoRCEALw_wcB
it’s what I use, it’s made about 100kg of chum with no issues so far 🙂 There is an advantage is that it doesn’t jam as much and it’s easier to clean 🙂 

I heard from a mate it was quiet out there….
Im pushing the committee to make the call as early as possible about the comp, I don’t want to up at 5 to make a call on the day…
I’ll keep you posted 

Another cod less trip out of cardiff, fished the last 2 hours of the flood this evening and 4 of the ebb with just one blonde few dogs and a strap eel, whilst pulling up the blonde it was a real struggle and not knowing what it was lol until a seal appeared with a good mouth hold on the tail lol the seal stayed around with us hitting dogfish on the way up and even taking our squid nice night on the water shame about the fishing let’s hope the wind and fishing improves for Sunday 

i haven't seen those since i was a boy i did not think thay made them any more

Spot on! 👍

I did pal will 👍

I did pal will 👍

Hi all got recommended this forum by a mate, keen angler but a complete dangler lol based on Swansea for the summer and Cardiff for the winter good looking forum and look forward tho the craic and information tight lines all

@Tankybouy

Well launched at mumbles today headed straight for the kenfig patches about 9 nm anchored right ontop  of the kennels never seen so many dogs.
After a couple of hours of feeding the dogs headed back to swansea seen a few dolphins so wasn't to bad 
Tried some banks halfway home and guess what we caught yep more doggies 🐕. By this point i was pretty broken mentally but thought you have bait you still have a chance so hit the old faithful strombus wreck in the bay but that depressed me more yep more doggies 🤣🤣 did manage 2 pouting and 1 eel about 12inches 🤣🤣.
So we just decided to have a race back to the slip always a laugh 😃. 
So if anyone wants to catch dogfish come to swansea we have millions 🤣🤣

Fished out of penarth today in the hope of a few cod unfortunately nothing on the cod front, had a few nice blondes straps and dogs, after an eventful day yesterday with fouling anchor on an old net of sort and countless amount of gear which we finally managed to get free hopes where for a change of luck today but wasn’t to be fishing wise 😩and at a point we couldn’t wait to get in lol but a check on tomorrow’s weather and looking a nice day temptations got the better of me and am gonna try again fingers crossed 🤞😁

Beats the blank 😝

Next decent sized dog I catch is going in the pot. If life throws you lemons make a fish curry