Sat Tope Trip

[Adam F]

Well, we took a chance and it didnt really pay off....the forecast gave SW 4-5 and as per usual the other weather sites all gave less - mostly 3's.

 

Steaming up the swash was fine, but the further we went west the bigger the sea got. We stopped off of the Anvil and a good 15' swell was present. White horses were begining to appear and the clouds grew even darker.

 

Even the bac-up mark of the Anvil tope grounds were too exposed. In the end we decided to have a fish for a few hours anyway and settled in on a TS mark just off the 20/20 banks.

 

First chuck for me and the rod hoops over - a decent fish making off with the bait...short lived though as whatever it was missed the hook and chomped straight through the whole mackerel - probably tope?

 

Due to the tiny tides I was fishing 12lb class rods and just 8oz of lead in full tide. Second chuck and a repeat of the first, but this time I hooked it. An amazing fight on 12lb class gear lasting over 20 mins had me thinking a huge blonde was the culprit - but no, a nice 38lb conger was though!!

 

That was it really - the normal dogs and a flurry of small pack tope to about 8lb and we headed in. Home and clean by 1.30pm

 

I believe Bob stayed out with Rich enjoying the run of pack tope...Im sure he will post what they had.

 

Adam

[munterhunter]

and settled in on a TS mark just off the 20/20 banks.? where be here then.

 

 

[Swainiac]

Well, we took a chance and it did pay off <g>. Met up with Bob F early o clock, at Baiter, had the truck parked, Splash out launched, and Bob's wagon secured by the time Gordon and Adam arrived with the good ship BW. As ever, BW was slipped into the water like a greased weasel, and we motored out of the Bay, heading west.

 

Stopping for mackeral, Bob and I seemed to hit them immediately, although Adam and Gordon seemed to struggle a little, anyhow, we soon took enough bait for the two boats for a days fishing. With 50 ragworm, one of Kams huge cuttle, and a small box of squid, we were prepared for the day. Shame that the weather didnt want to play, as grey clouds loomed amd the wind stiffened, so our intended mark had to be abandonned. A quick re think on plans, Adam and Bob decided on the 20 20 banks, so we settled in for a little action there. Slow on Splash out at first, but a few big hits, both of us getting bitten off........tope.....conger? Adam then came on and stated he had boated a good eel, so perhaps that's what was at work beneath us. A couple of doggies later, I changed tactics after Bob boated a Red Gurnard, so on went worm and squid on the dropper, leaving the 100lb trace and 4/0 circle streamer loaded with rag worm. Seemed to pay off, I had a snatching bite, a little a slow bream, left it then bang, another rattle, so my call on this was another gurnard. Fish on, semi spitirted fight to the surface, and I'd squeaked out a bonus Plaice, just over 3lb! With no tope showing, we decided to nip back inshore, to one of Bob's Ray/Bream marks, although the Ray have historically fed on the ebb, which wasnt for a few hours yet. Bream soon began to come to the boat, nothing huge, but fish all the same. Adam decided that without worm or squid, he and Gordon would try a little lure work, we lobbed them another carrier of mackeral, and they dissapeared for a short while, Bob and I taking bream steadilly. Adam re appeared, saying he and Gordon were calling it a day, Bob deciding on a mark he had in his little black book, courtesy of a training session last club meeting.

 

Not far from our original mark, we could have been in a totally different sea! Manic action to say the least, with Tope on three rods at one stage. Nothing huge, all under 10lbs the ones hooked, but the larger takes, leading to huge runs all resulted in dropped baits. I did mange to hook one beast, but the braid went, possibly on a rock under the boat. My braid caught Bob's line, and he had a massive run on too, resulting in another lost fish, and a small pack tope on his gear. Any suggestions here why the larger fish were finicky?

 

Four more Gurnard for me, three reds and a tub, a weaver, brought my final tally to mackeral, doggies, plaice, bream, red gurnard, tub gurnard, tope and a weever, which I was well chuffed with seeing as fishing was fairly hard going at the start of the session.

 

Plaice of 3lb for the book please Charlie, red G of 1lb 30z. Thanks to Bob for a memorable trip out, even on his wedding anniversary!!! OOOOPS! Thouroughly enjoyable.

 

Tight lines this week lads, Rich

 

 

[Bob F]

Have you ever left for a fishing trip early in the morning, tip toeing out of the bedroom to avoid waking the wife, and then just as you're closing the bedroom door you hear the heartstopping words, "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DEAR"

 

Holy Mackerel!! I'd only gone and forgotten our 22nd Wedding Anniversary.

 

A few grovelling apologies and thoughts of passing through my head, I left the house with my tail between my legs.

 

But what a terrific day it turned out to be, as elequently described by Rich.

 

Duncan, if you're reading this, the mark from my little black book was that great looking peak that showed on your Sonar recording.

 

For the record, we were fishing it between 2hrs and 5hrs after low water at Poole on small tides.

 

It was a real pleasure hooking into some real heavy weights, even though we didn't manage to boat any. Just feeling that power at the end of your line is awesome!

 

BF

[Maverick Martin]

Glad you guys had a good day

 

Dean and I were going to come out to play but friday night Dean went out to see the fireworks on one of those booze cruises. Well with a free bar you can guess what happened...yep Dean got steaming and missed our early am appointment so I decided to call it off. Bad call I guess, never mind there's always next week.

 

Martin

 

PS Bob happy anniversary to you and Karen by the way is she still your wife

[great white]

Sounds good guys

 

Has wet the appitite to get afloat again ASAP, after an almost fishless week in Wales.

 

You have my sympathy about your anniversary, I have been reminded a few times that Sam and I were with the trail away at Burnham for Wendy and My 23rd anniversary earlier this year .

 

That explains why you were not keen to accept an evening trip this week

 

Charlie

[Bob F]

Still married, and even been given a pass to take little Rob out to find the Tope again this afternoon.

 

BF

 

[Paul J]

Mines July 30th as well so i didn't get to fish until today

[Afishionado]

Mines July 30th as well so i didn't get to fish until today

Were you around the Ledge about 8:30/9 ish with a grey haired bloke on board (Paul D?) ?

 

Mad Mike

[Bob F]

Took little Rob out to the same mark yesterday. Set out at about 2:45 and arrived on the mark at 3:15.

 

Drifted the mark for mackerel and we were immediately into them. Literally a couple of minutes and we have more than enough bait, including some nice live joey's.

 

Anchored up and within 5 mins Robert was into his first fish. A very small pack tope, but a nice gentle start for him, I thought. But that was it, really. Had another couple of small pack tope, but none of the beast bites that we had had the previous day (think we may have got there a bit too late).

 

Then just as we were about to leave, Robert was into something a little heavier. Turned out to be a nice 7lb small-eyed ray. So that's another species for this mark.

 

BF

[Paul D]

Nice report Rich and I am beginning to wish I had taken a note of the numbers for the mark when Bob did the chart plotter demo

 

I still have yet to catch a decent sized tope, so that will be my next target. ( apart from more bass fishing this week hopefully

 

 

[Swainiac]

Bob, good to see another species from the mark, I was chatting to a friend today, and he assures me that the tope stop after the first searing run, like a pike, to turn the bait in its mouth, then start again. At this point, the strike is apparently made to set the hook. Not being a guru on Tope, I cannot comment on this, although food for thought.......I'm still to bag a tope over twenty!!!!

 

Rich.

 

PS. Glad to see youre still married <ggggg>

[Sam]

not all tope make a run most of the tope i have caught never seem to make that powerful run just gulp down the bait.

 

when i had my biggest tope it swam towards the boat giving the impression it was small then saw the sun and went screaming off.

 

sam

[great white]

Rich

 

Your description of tope runs is the way they tend to go in shallower water. the tendancy is now to hit them early.

 

Although a few get away this stops a lot of deep hooking which will damage the fish.

 

We try and handle them with care, tag them and watch them swim off after recovery time head to tide.

 

Balanced tackle is better than ultra heavy or ultra light tackle, they can show their power and speed without damage or exhaustion.

 

Paul we must try and get out again after the big boys before they depart, next set of small tides perhaps?

 

Charlie

[Swainiac]

Charlie, I was using 15lb class gear, with a biting leader like you showed me, a 6/0 stainless hook, 100lb rolling trace, 50lb rubbing leader to 15lb braid. The runs were quite incredible, even the small pack tope that we landed, which were no more than ten pounds, but very fat! gave searing initial first runs. Bigger more powerfull runs came from bites which seemed more positive, but without seeing the fish, I cant estimate weights. Baits were medium sized mackeral, either fillet, or head section or tail section, again, like you showed me. I cant seem to fathom out how I was missing bites repeatedly.

 

I'd love a chance to give that mark another crack before they go, but judging by the species that are coming from it, I have an inkling that it may produce cod this winter, and be an all round good fish holding mark.

 

If you do have a space on GW for an evening tope run, I'd be happy for some more tuition!! See you thursday.

 

Rich

[shytalk]

stainless hooks ! tut tut!!!!!!

[Swainiac]

What should I be using peter?

 

Rich

[shytalk]

anything that will rot out if left in a fish

[Swainiac]

What would you recommend changing to, bearing in mind hook strength?

[Adam F]

A 6/0 or 7/0 bronzed o'shaunessey with the barb crunched flat. These will rust out within a few days.

 

Recently I have also been using the Varivas Big Mouths in 6/0 for the tope. Again, barb crunched, makes T barrring off a hell of a lot easier and it much better for the fine sporting fish.

[john c]

Hi all

 

Regarding the rotting of hooks. I know when I put my gear back in the garage "unwashed" after a week the hooks are covered in rust, but that is because they are exposed to oxygen with the presence of salt. Do they actually rust when in a fish under the water or is it just us trying to justify something that is not a particularly nice aspect of the sport. I know when conducting a science experiment at school we placed a nail in some salt water solution. Half the nail in and half out of the water. The corrosion mainly occured at the interface between the water and the air.

 

I ask this as I dive a lot and see ship wrecks dating from the 1st World war on the sea bed, covered in sea water. They are a bit rusty but in quite good condition, considering the length of time they have been there.

 

Perhaps I will put a hook in a bucket of sea water to see if it actually does rust away as quickly as believed. Then a stage further would be to try different patterns and makes to see which are the quickest to degrade.

 

I may even start to fish with heavier gear as I always feel guilty when the line breaks to think that the huge fish that I have just hooked is now free but with 30 yds of braid attached to it and perhaps a bit of wire for good measure.

 

Does anybody know which hooks are good rotters. It may save me the trouble.

 

Regards

John C

[Coddy]

Hi John

 

I thought it was all to do with the juices that the fish give off in its gut that does the most corrosion.

 

Coddy

[Afishionado]

Oh dear here we go again with chemistry

 

Cast Iron and wrought iron do not corrode much in sea water.

 

Niether does steel and high carbon steel if the salt water is STATIC. This is because the oxidisation takes place at the interface of the iron composit and the water. Once a static layer of de-oxidised water and salts is established this surface film tends to protect the interior of the metal from futher oxidisation. So Bucket experiments don't work.

 

However in moving water the interface is constantly exposed to fresh solutions of salts and oxygen and therefore corrodes away very quickly.

 

On that note Stainless A2 and A4 steel is only effective underwater when it is EXPOSED to fresh supplies (A FLOW) of salt water. It corrodes for a past time when in a situation that excludes water FLOW. ie Inside a rudder stock bearing or similar

 

Mad Mike

[great white]

Rich I also use the larger size uptide hooks for tope and other larger fish

 

I have changed from mustad vikings to the sharper Viravas big mouth exra

 

they are strong , sharp and only have small barbs so I no longer flatten the barbs down.

 

Caught some good rays eels and tope on them and never broken one.

They can get a bit knackered on the T bar if the eel starts spinning as you are lifting it

 

I will see if we can get you and Paul out before the fish depart

Charlie

[Swainiac]

Mikey..............ure not so mad after all! Interesting thread this has turned out to be. All tope traces ammended accordingly!

Thanks Charlie, I did enjoy the evening trips last year, alas no big fish for me though! Will look forward to it.

 

Rich