Got out 16th Feb like many others. Headed SW to the wrecks some 40 miles out, and appeared many had the same idea as majority of the well-known and well fished wrecks were all occupied. Carried on and along the way tried wrecks. Good to get an idea of which wrecks were filling up with the better sized fish and which were holding the small ones. Photo of Caroline with her first Pollack of the year from what will hopefully be a year of much wreck fishing, and hopefully fingers crossed the Cod will be back on the brittles.
Month: February 2016
Finally at Last we got out with a break in the windy weather. We decided to go out at 0500 on Neil’s boat (Jambo) and headed east. When we arrived on our mark the weather was perfect and we settled down for a good day’s fishing.!!!!
After a couple of hours when the tide turned the first Plaice come to the boat, then Neil got into something quite nice, on retrieving it towards the boat it was suddenly fighting harder, tearing line from the real and making unbelievable runs, Finally we caught site of what he had hooked!! Or not hooked!! A SEAL had taken the fish he was retrieving and was not going to give it up.
We managed to get it within 15 feet from the boat and finally Sally Seal won and swam off with Neil’s Catch. We estimated it must have been 25/30lb and considering he was fishing with 30lb line and a 10lb trace with a size 1 hook he did well to hold it for 15mins. No wonder the fishing was poor that day with her around!
It goes without saying we will not be fishing that mark again……
Sorry there has been so few reports this month – truth is very few people have manged a trip out because every weekend has been windy. The lucky folk are the ones who can snatch a day mid week if the weather shows a glimpse of kindness.
Steve is one of the lucky ones:
“I moved my new boat into Chichester Marina in September, just in time it seems for a 4 month runs of consistently rubbish weather….
Tuesday 16th Feb ended my landlubber status and my son, 12, and I finally got out beyond the winner bar.
Magical morning, clear skies,heavy frost on the boat and slipways, and an impression of an arctic ice breaker as we left the mooring. It’s a long trek from the marina to the Solent, but it does give time to set up and on an amazingly still, cold morning like Tuesday, the run out is pretty special.
Anyhow to the fishing. I ran to the outer Nab Rock mark first, arriving on low tide. I need to perfect my anchoring as I seemed to end up way off from where I intended, missing the ledge on the north eastern edge despite 3 attempts. 5 doggies and a big pout despite 6/0 hooks and huge squid/frozen lug baits. After 2 hours I decided to run across past the tower to have a look east of the Nab channel. Nice to see 4-5 private boats there already.
In 75 feet of water we set up one lug baited, one mackerel plus lug, and one huge dirty squid rig. The next 2 hours saw another 5 doggies, couple of undersized whiting, but to my sons delight 2 Thornbacks (both on the mackerel) and a strap conger (on lug, lip hooked fortunately). All great fun on 20lb class rigs and braid ( I will be investing in something a bit meatier however given the difficulty giving the bigger Thornback any welly as he hung In the tide).
By no means an amazing day, and either the Cod have gone or we just couldn’t locate or tempt them, but it certainly did the trick with my son given the constant action. Thanks to all here who contribute to this site which has been a great help in prepping for my introduction to the Solent.
I hope to have some more meaningful catch reports down the line. Hope to see some of you on the water this spring, 22ft Centre console, Blue Hull, white T-top, say hi.”