Malc

The day started well with a good drive to Littlehampton and an easy launch from the slipway as the tide was up enough to keep me on the concrete.
There had been patches of fog on the journey but nothing to worry about (why do some drivers insist on having their dazzling fog lights on whatever the weather?) but as I was launching a heavy fog descended, reducing vis' to about 50 metres. I decided to carry on and made a very slow and cautious trip down to the river mouth and out to sea.
Luckily, as is often the case this time of year the fog was sitting in a mile wide band along the coastline and once beyond that the vis' improved to the horizon. That made the descision as to where to go easier (though in hindsight maybe I should have gone West to the Selsey area as I heard of Blondes and Spurs being caught) and i pushed the throttle forward and cruised the 15 miles to the first wreck at a a very comfortable 22kts.
In total I tried 8 wrecks, 6 of which showed fish markers.
Unfortunately they appeared to be of Pout and Wrasse. 
I did get some success at one of the more distant wrecks and landed 4 fish, one of which was a clonker. The rest were 3lb-5lb.
So, overall a great day out some nice fish but, worth the fuel possibly not and more worryingly there seem to be far fewer Pollack on what I'd call banker wrecks than there were 5 years ago.
 

First trip out since mid November, just a short one over high. We went up channel a bit looking for a cod and failed miserably. Just half a dozen thornbacks and a strap. I blanked but my lad had a couple of thornies so was worth it just for that. Bit of swell at the start but flattened off a treat and with the sun out was a pleasant few hours out

Nice break in the weather so we hit it!
Left the marina at 7.45 heading for fresh bait first - not easy but found 3 mackerel to add to the frozen bait - although it took best part of an hour to find them!
Soon headed out to our 5mile mark over mixed ground. Dropped the hook in a light tide. 
we both fished 2 rods each - One rod with big mackerel baits for the rays, one with small hooks and squid strips for bream & Whiting. 
We had Bream from the off and constant all day - they were ravenous - hitting the baits hard and fast - even shredding the big fish baits - we must have had 50 to the boat between the 2 of us - taking 6 home for dinner and neighbours! great sport on light tackle!

 

even double shots of bream!


We also had pout on the smaller baits - but no whiting.
the big baits also did the trick when the bream allowed - we both had Huss, and Thornies - mine matched my PB at 14lb. 




I had also had congers and Tim had the only Dog of the day.  
felt like spring out there!
Lovely stuff!

Looking forward to fishing….
Boat is in yard but weather too crap to finish it off hopefully back in water for Easter and then off to play on the reefs for some pollack etc… maybe a good before the summer madness starts… 
until then…. Too much DIY, work travel and boat teaching to do….

Would be nice to have a bit of sport with some tope again. And now I've caught one, a large bass or two.......

I asked for that...
Looking forward to perhaps, but judging by your photo it better be a salad!

I asked for that...
Looking forward to perhaps, but judging by your photo it better be a salad!

I asked for that...
Looking forward to perhaps, but judging by your photo it better be a salad!

Sunshine and calm sea. 

geting out

I asked for that...
Looking forward to perhaps, but judging by your photo it better be a salad!

Christmas

well after about 5 weeks of wind we had a very small weather window - of only a few hours. 
Wind was set to die down Saturday morning to single figures and turn horrible again on Sunday morning so we made a plan.
6.45am at the boat and straight out squeaking under the bridge on the top of a 2.2m tide. 
Went in search of mackerel first and was met with more than forecast wind and very cold rain - hoping things would improve - we tried the first entrance, for a few drifts and got nothing, so headed up to the 2nd - where my sabikis found a few fresh mackerel to add to the frozen. 
soon steaming out to the 5 mile mark and got more than halfway when we took the decision to head back inshore= as we got out of the shelter of portland the latent swell from the prior week was big - about 1.5m - but with a cross chop it wouldn't have been comfortable. Swell from the SW, Tide from the NE, and wind chop from the NW - not a good combo.
we got to our inshore mark and while the swell was still there it wasn't anywhere near as bad - so anchored up - proceeded to catch Pout, Whiting, Thornies, Eels and i managed a nice smoothie. 


By lunchtime the swell had calmed down, the wind dropped and the sun was out so we pulled anchor and headed back to our intended 5mile mark. 
for about an hour it was glorious and almost warm. 

We boated more pout, whiting, eels and dogs, plus Bream and a lovely undulate.  steady fish all day. 


I took a bream home for tea and a whiting for freezer fillets. 

delicious - baked on a bed of Mediterranean veg - seasoned with mixed herbs, lemon and chilli
 
So glad to be out!
 

i got the same tea towel
 
wont cast very far - not very streamlined 😆

My friends are having a well deserved weekend away after dabs off the west coast and sent me a picture of the bait!

2 landed and one lost on the surface!

Handy for nobbling those pesky pests. Unfortunately the alarm gun can't fit a full cartridge, just the short blanks but guaranteed to cause underwear to be messed-up 

Hell yeah!
I have a run set up next to the wood shed made of loose bricks and one in the garden shed to stop any attempts to settle in our cosy accommodation. 

Hell yeah!
I have a run set up next to the wood shed made of loose bricks and one in the garden shed to stop any attempts to settle in our cosy accommodation. 

Handy for nobbling those pesky pests. Unfortunately the alarm gun can't fit a full cartridge, just the short blanks but guaranteed to cause underwear to be messed-up 

They certainly can.
I also have for sale some fenn Mk4 rat traps if anyone is interested?

Handy for nobbling those pesky pests. Unfortunately the alarm gun can't fit a full cartridge, just the short blanks but guaranteed to cause underwear to be messed-up 

They certainly can.
I also have for sale some fenn Mk4 rat traps if anyone is interested?

No, not sure. Not at home to check the jigs I have so it's an estimate from memory.

Yes, I'm sure that they would fit. If you only had a few 200gm jigs you could possibly remove some of the longitudinal section to accommodate the bigger jigs?

OK, thanks for checking. Appreciated. Looks like it might still fit smaller jigs though 👍