Josh

Whilst away in Turkey joining on any free wifi connections I was watching Sundays forecast holding nice on the iow grounds. so a day at home to turn the boat around Saturday and by 2am Sunday I was on the road towing to Chichester harbour (from Kent takes me about 2hr) so semi local …as all of us boat anglers know you don’t turn down good weather windows, they don’t come that often .. I could of done with the extra rest on the back of the delayed flights ect but the fishing instinct got the better of me. Blasting out the harbour  I noticed my tell tail wasn’t overly strong so I stopped and fiddled around with the hood off (as it was so calm I actually climbed in the transom area ) but couldn’t get to the hose clips.. ended up putting the hood back on then manually sliding a bit of 400lb mono up from the outside jiggled it and then it was clear and pushing out strong . Super pleased as I hate problems or potential problems as I’m sure we all do ha.  
Saw a big garfish swimming round the back of boat .
Anyway Carried on blasting to the overfalls to try drifting with dead launce (big bastads from the previous Cornwall trips ) for bass. First time for the overfalls for me always heard of horror stories so picking exceptional weather and a mid size tide I thought would be ideal for a first go. All be it not a single bass as a result quite a few pack tope biting us off some managing to come in I did lose a better tope (assumably)which gave me a great fight on my spinning rod .. but ultimately pulled the hook.Once drifting off of the overfalls I stuck the chum in and set up a shark rod on the hope of a early thresher but not to be and another tope hit those live baits. So nice to have plenty of mackerel especially this time of year good signs for coming months. After a few more hrs we shot in dropped anchor to see if we could nick a blonde ray but only managed a couple of small spotteds. All in all a very pleasant day on the water. Can’t wait to get back out 
 

 

 

 
 

Whilst away in Turkey joining on any free wifi connections I was watching Sundays forecast holding nice on the iow grounds. so a day at home to turn the boat around Saturday and by 2am Sunday I was on the road towing to Chichester harbour (from Kent takes me about 2hr) so semi local …as all of us boat anglers know you don’t turn down good weather windows, they don’t come that often .. I could of done with the extra rest on the back of the delayed flights ect but the fishing instinct got the better of me. Blasting out the harbour  I noticed my tell tail wasn’t overly strong so I stopped and fiddled around with the hood off (as it was so calm I actually climbed in the transom area ) but couldn’t get to the hose clips.. ended up putting the hood back on then manually sliding a bit of 400lb mono up from the outside jiggled it and then it was clear and pushing out strong . Super pleased as I hate problems or potential problems as I’m sure we all do ha.  
Saw a big garfish swimming round the back of boat .
Anyway Carried on blasting to the overfalls to try drifting with dead launce (big bastads from the previous Cornwall trips ) for bass. First time for the overfalls for me always heard of horror stories so picking exceptional weather and a mid size tide I thought would be ideal for a first go. All be it not a single bass as a result quite a few pack tope biting us off some managing to come in I did lose a better tope (assumably)which gave me a great fight on my spinning rod .. but ultimately pulled the hook.Once drifting off of the overfalls I stuck the chum in and set up a shark rod on the hope of a early thresher but not to be and another tope hit those live baits. So nice to have plenty of mackerel especially this time of year good signs for coming months. After a few more hrs we shot in dropped anchor to see if we could nick a blonde ray but only managed a couple of small spotteds. All in all a very pleasant day on the water. Can’t wait to get back out 
 

 

 

 
 

Lovely place, long way, rains a lot, nice views, a few barn doors…
@Josh has given the appetite to get  the chum out, gloves on and find a things with teeth.
Best of the bunch at 186, only managed one day of fishing due to weather.
Mako, Thresher, Conger, 6 Gill, Halibut to go before angling retirement! 
 

Took out a fellow pom today and his son who were keen on a bit of sharking. With plenty of bronze whalers and hammerheads about it didn't take may minutes to get hooked into the first shark. The first was a small whaler of of around 20kg, which was perfect as they wanted a small one to take home to eat. From then on another 8 sharks including a brief hook up on a small great white, which snipped though the mono rig intended for hammerheads.
Highlight was an hour battle with a very large whaler shark which put up a very good fight on a heavy Tiagra outfit. During the fight the constant high sticking had us cringing, why people seem to think a rod needs to go vertical on every pump is beyond me ( a pom thing) . At one point he managed to high stick a Stella outfit out of the rod holders above the bimini and send it into the sea. 
Headache, back ache and neck ache now, feel like Im getting to old for this style of angling, even though Im mostly just driving and tracing fish.

Headed back out to last week's mark to see if we could bag some more Spurdogs. 
We had a small weather window and around 10am it was almost a spring like day 12 degrees on the thermometer and the see totally flat. 
Spurs didn't read the script and didn't show but we had a nice by catch of Blonde rays, Smoothound and a very nice 40lb+ Tope which we managed to loose whilst trying to get it on board, weren't prepared for it so had to improvise the landing on rigs that weren't up to the task the end result was very predictably challenging and not entirely unexpected. The big ones are always a pain to land. 

Love the jeep
 
i have Jeep Grand Cherokee on a 08 3.0L crd ltd
 
ultimate towing weapon 
comfortable for long journeys ,
road tax is extortionate and fuel bill is moderate,, but beats killing the shit out of my previous Honda CR-V just wasn’t up to it.
 

Love the jeep
 
i have Jeep Grand Cherokee on a 08 3.0L crd ltd
 
ultimate towing weapon 
comfortable for long journeys ,
road tax is extortionate and fuel bill is moderate,, but beats killing the shit out of my previous Honda CR-V just wasn’t up to it.
 

Yes, Cheep Cherokee KJ 2004 2.8CRD LTD, we have had it since it was almost new, and it has given excellent service.
 
 

A few nice fish there mate well done.

Cheers guys @Andy135. @mike farrants @GPSguru

Cheers guys @Andy135. @mike farrants @GPSguru

Sunday morning bright and early @JonC travelled over from Essex to plunder the Solent with Thomas and I on Jersey Girl. Full of optimism for a great day's dangling we leave the marina at 8.30am and head south to the Fingers, just east of the Nab. A couple of other boats were already on the mark and a couple more turned up after us.
Although the wind-speed was only forecast to be 3-4mph, the wind over tide conditions had produced a nasty swelly chop that just wasn't pleasant, so we gave it an hour and headed in to the more sheltered water of the Solent. Several other boats had the same idea as us - we were all pulling anchor at the same time, so clearly no-one else was enjoying it much either.
We headed round to Browndown to fish the rough ground by the buoy.

Bites were frequent for the first 30 mins, with strap conger, dogfish and a solitary whiting to the boat, but they soon died off as the tide dropped to slack.

We re-anchored to get a better lie on the mark as the tide and wind had pushed us off, but this didn't produce any better results. A very average day I'm sorry to say, and definitely not worth the effort Jon made with his very early start.
#skippermusttryharder

Well done Josh, some super fish there.
I was going out with my mate today, and we had planned the 40 - 50 mile wrecks, but the wind turned easterly (not as forecast) so we gave it a miss.
I haven't been out since the 17th due to a poorly tow truck with intermittent electrical issues, but that is now almost solved, so I will be out there when the next suitable weather arrives.
 

awesome trip - some very nice fish there!
well done!

Very nice effort @Josh. Well done to you both!

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

@JonC 🤷‍♂️🤣🤣
@Saintly Fish🙏cheers mate
@suzook12 yes their stunning 
thanks guys💪

Hi all
been a while sorry been quiet 
I had been in awe of recent weather readings over the last couple weeks and was just too tempting for a trip out.
so I rallied up my troop which was my dad for this trip booked the b n b didn’t want to rough it this time . Specially with pops.
got down to the West Country in good time Friday night ready to fish Saturday.
so plan was with minimal to pretty much no wrecking done on my own boat I wanted to get out and try . I wanted to get to about 20 miles then start but the northerly was a little choppy so I held tighter for cover and said we will fish outwards and hope it flattens which it did.
so on to the first wreck I chose ling rigs baited with mackerel that I had brought down.
dad went on lures for pollack
1st drift a pout 
2nd drift moved over a tad.. dads rod lunges over and zoomed off good pollack to start the day well chuffed we were specially as we were overlooking these inshore wrecks.

so yeah let’s re run that drift 3rd drift in and I’m getting a few pecks I thought pout but then my rod tightens up then i thought oh shit snag
then it moved ! And started really kicking ect oh yes I said we got either a ling or a conger on here !
After a good account it surfaced so lightly hooked on to the boat and I was totally totally made up !
i thought maybe 20 lb looking but the Ruben heatens said 16’ n hlf … either way I was well buzzing specially so soon I’m the trip !
she was really fat too
Anyway as the weather improved we pushed around other wrecks with not a lot of joy I did
manage a half decent pollack and smaller fish some jumbo pout whiting and cuokoo  wrasse

and the dolphins showed up which is of course always a welcome sight 

until next time !
Josh

Just love the colours of that wrasse..... Sounds like a good day out, well done 👍

Oh yeah........and you're barred!! 😉