Malc

Nah, I gave up shooting 2 years ago, 2 CF and one rf rifles and a 3 1/2" chambered shotgun, that's when I kept the cabinet keys close by.

Another great day on the water and interesting about the reel seat, although I don't have that rod I might put some coasters in a tackle bag, you just never know. My wife is banned, far too good at fishing and she even got banned from shooting as she pasted 23 x 25 at her first time at the clays!

Prizes and launch times have been posted for our weekend away in the Mull of Galloway next month, bait is being sourced and I have to say I am getting excited about it. Last year it was cancelled due to bad weather and I was gutted so hopefully it won't be the same again. Prize table is as the picture below and lots of Garmin and other goodies for 1st to 3rd place. For me it's a long weekend away with good friends and a chance to get among fish we don't normally get out east, do you have an event or get together that you really look forward to?

I am making a play sink for my granddaughter as she loves playing with her toys and splashing about in water, I have a sink but need to blank off the waste. I presume that this is the correct one? https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-t23u-multifit-blanking-plug-white-40mm/96079#product_additional_details_container

Beautiful looking bream, well done on the huss too!

Meh, we're going to smash the next competition...😬

Apologies 2lb 6oz .. . Spot the difference 🤢

Sorry but I gave mine to the old fella across the road 😅

Quick update HERE

Preamble is HERE if you haven't read it, it will help give an overall picture. The only thing I didn't mention was it was a competition at the local marina and although we registered we didn't weigh in as we needed to get back in early as my friends needed to get back to walk (empty) the dogs. A noble thing as they couldn't get a dog walker. A good few hours later and my phone rings as me and my lovely lady wife are enjoying a cold beverage in a local hostelry, my mate is on the other end and in a quiet voice says "Bit of a nightmare mate..." Now my blood turns cold and thick thinking what has happened! "...we've dropped a bo!!ock mate!" Apparently the winning fish was 2lb 11oz codling 😭 We would have been 1st, 2nd and 3rd...

Crab moult happening and sandeel a plenty, we set off with high hopes for a few fish. Tried one big feature hoping for pollock as it does produce some slabs but we were getting 1-2 codling a drift in the 4-6lb mark, first was this. After a couple of hours we went to a rock mark but the drift here was pushing us off and onto sand but we hit shoals of codling, mostly 1lb and under but a few better fish to keep us amused. After a while we moved to a well known mark and I was in as soon as the lure hit the bottom and again it was hit and miss probably because the drift was so slow, wind against tide now, but we were still picking away. We had fish on 8" curltail, similar sized paddle tail, 4" sandeel slugs and even large daylights. 3 taken for the pot between us out of 30+ fish and hopefully old Arthur across road will be happy with his when I pass it over later. More pics but of scenery... Glad we didn't get that sky over us...happy days!

Cheesy grins all round, a great result and a return leg! Do away fish count double if its a draw?

Bottom dwellers do what bottom dwellers do!

Will do, there are reports of small codling just offshore over features so I would expect there to be better fish among them.

Wooo hooo! and the sandeel are in so hopefully we will get a fish or two 🤞

Apparently it's a life cycle, seal eats infected fish, 💩 drops to sea floor, crustaceans eat 💩 , fish eat crustaceans... A real 💩 fest! Less so in pollock but inshore kelp dwellers sometimes have them.

Not seen sandeel in rock pools but I felt sad watching a young herring doing circuits in one as it was so visible to any seabirds

Also they do eat bottom dwelling animals, which is why they can have a few worm in their belly areas at times, which is why I don't do raw mackerel.

Had them crawl up my legs when fishing from the kayak (legs akimbo with your feet over the side is comfortable and stable) and I have pictures on the PC but not here unfortunately.

My bad, I wasn't specific.

That's a bonny Spotty plaice!

I was given the dab by a guy bait fishing, pretty expensive dab as he was using peeler!

I had seen some terns working closer in recently and heard that codling have been stuffed with sandeel so I went to see if I could get some launce for bait at the end of south shields pier. Signs were good as a cormorant was gorging on them but I didn't even get a rattle, however I did get a nice bait size dab for the tope next month and only lost one set of sabikis.

Excellent news @Saintly Fish

Another thing I have found when using small, 4" or less, is unless you are using a long shank hook you miss a few more fish than normal. To counter this I am using either a bead or rig tubing so that the hook bend is about 2/3rds the way down the muppet and it seems to be working so far.