Geoff

There was loads buddy

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….

well boats been on the slip way up our club for just over a mounth now i only brought it in for what  needed doing  boat still there so removed the old cutless bearing as gone real bad it does not help with the real muddy water up hear  its like valve grinding paste thats another story fitted new cutless and realign engine back to the shaft thats all done noticed a little oil leak coming from the exhaust manifold so pulled that of to fit a new one but when i took it of the gasket looked ok so next i took the rocker box of to find all the valve sealed all sitting differnt on the vales so ordered new head gasket top end set pulled the head of and it looks like the gasket give way from a oil port to the outside edge of the gasket took all the valves out new valve stem seals and had the seat all the valves again with valve grinding paste  so put it all back together now just waiting on the big tides this weekend coming to see if its ok happy boating all 

Hit the wrecks out of Littlehampton - we must have had 30 Pollack 8-15lbs - my ten are attached below

Christmas

Bad taste! Geoff.

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!
 

Yeah you're correct Geoff. The milk chocolate ones are so much better! 👍🏻

Bad taste! Geoff.

That was of course a double welcome from me Bazz - it's an age thing. Geoff.🙂

That was of course a double welcome from me Bazz - it's an age thing. Geoff.🙂

Did you not get yours? I sent it to the address Jon gave me. Must admit, thought it odd it was an Essex address......

FTFY Jon. Geoff. 😉

No comment. Geoff. 🙂

No comment. Geoff. 🙂

that is why it is good to be on this site, there is a lote of help availerboul

Bah! Me too. Spent a few seasons trying to work it out. @Hoop once described it as "combat fishing", which sums it up nicely. Tides too fierce to anchor, and too fast to drift effectively most of the time. I had a few bass from the pinnacles and the ledge off Ventor but nothing worth the fuel to get round there. I tried SPJ off St Cat's point once and quickly got fed up of the jig kiting out past the stern.
If I was to make the effort to get there again I'd be tempted to drift the series of ledges & broken ground north west of St Cat's lighthouse in Chale Bay. They look to have potential but probably not worth the steam from Pompey/Solent area.
A tenner says JDP will be along soon telling us about how well it fished in the good old days before he was deported...
 

Since when has "spelling" bothered you Neil? As you know I gave up trying to help you ages ago. Geoff. 😉

Since when has "spelling" bothered you Neil? As you know I gave up trying to help you ages ago. Geoff. 😉

Howling wind but got baits down and managed four species between the three of us and instead of codling photos, have a North Sea doggie 😀 

7/10 Neil. I must admit that I was expecting a reply along those lines from somebody, but that is sooooo much better than your recent offerings in the humour section that I feel moved to congratulate you. Geoff.😉

7/10 Neil. I must admit that I was expecting a reply along those lines from somebody, but that is sooooo much better than your recent offerings in the humour section that I feel moved to congratulate you. Geoff.😉

The way that we eat mash is to bake/roast the mash in a tray in the oven after it has been mashed. this produces a lovely very slightly crispy golden top on the mash, we sometimes put a layer of grated cheese on top when it goes in the oven for baking for between 15-30 mins. Looks less bland than mash  and tastes much nicer IMHO. Geoff.