Off Shore visit to the Banks.

[Mal Thomas]

Early starts are getting harder as I get older, on the boat for 6.30am with a good weather window for the day and small tides. The birds were working off the NCI station, so I had a quick detour to pick up some hopefully easy fresh bait. I tracked them down and a Bass, only for a brand new set of feathers bottom knot failure, lost slow jig and Bass, Ouch.

Bait acquired in short time and then decisions to make, spurred on by fresh baits, I decided to go off shore in 100ft of water. With slow flows I anchored it well and was in prime position

and excited for what was instore. A big Blonde was my target, I managed to hook one and got it close to the boat and on the surface for yet another tackle failure. The fish was just a double.

I had a Shark rig out all day just in case I had a visitor of the big toothy variety, no luck, but nice to see the big reel out.

The bites were not developing as I expected with a good bait trail of fresh Mackerel, what's going on, everything is perfect but no fish. Then a few small bass to 4lb on the baits and a small spotted ray. No Congers pestering me, only a few dogfish and the bait was lasting far too long with 3 rods out and know need to get the frozen out, slow, slow and even slower.

I dropped another 75 ft of rope back to change my area to just behind another bank, a few bites but no fish. What is going on, Am I imagining it or I have I experienced slow Augusts before?

I could have caught Bass all day and likely filled my freezer with Mackerel but that is not my Quarry, I would rather have one big specimen that I have planned and fished for. 

Unfortunately I did spot two Trawlers working, one off shore covering outside the lines the other Trawler normally works and further in but now in Christchurch bay SM75 working the Sole areas and dodging the netters gear close in, dam that boat it is so disheartening. A lovely day at sea with no incidents and a beautiful day, just a disappointing result. 

[jerry.shutter]

Mal it is very disappointing and quite soul destroying, things have definately slowed down this season for the bottom species especially, Bass, Bream have held there head up and a few Plaice, Tope, oh and the wrecking hasn't been bad so it's not all doom and gloom. Its just your favourites the Rays which seem to of been thin on the ground.

I am sure the water temperature must be a lot of the reason we are seeing changes but i still dislike the trawlers as much as you!!!!!!! Especially as i was planning a Sole trip when the right weather happens.

[great white]

Nice factual report, thanks Mal.

 

I was out yesterday. Started with a couple of hours in the harbour, but the weed and boat traffic was bad.

 

Moved outside, into a sheltered area

A few bits and bobs but it was quiet.

 

Moved further out, featherd a bit, but dropped the only mackerel hooked.

Sort of weighed up the day. Great  to be on my boat, but very slow fishing.

 

Cannot win them all.

Charlie

[Maverick Martin]

Good effort Mal but maybe the tides were to small?

[Greg]

It’s global.

Down here in Barbados the restaurants have a shortage of Barracuda. This has not been heard of before!!!


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[Wight Magic]

Name dropper 🤣

[Colin-58]

Fishing near two trawlers mal doesn't sound like it's likely to be a prolific day🙁 it needs at least an eight mile ban on them around the bay in my opinion.           Colin.

[Steve S]

Sorry to hear that you trip didn't go better Mal.

 

I went inshore on Wednesday. Started for Solent gilts, no joy. With a load of rag headed off the beaches for plaice. There were quite a few around, lots of small ones and some mid size, the small bream were a pain some of the time. What I did catch however was loads and loads of mackerel of all sizes, best session for mackerel for a couple of years. I've enough now to last the rest of the year for bait and  plenty for eating.

 

 

[Mal Thomas]

There was also a huge green modern Tug / Trawler looking boat out there, he was waiting for the Rnli at one point, then restarted trawling something behind him 100yrds or so I heard on the radio, I couldn't tell what he was doing, it may be a modern form of dredging hopefully rather than fishing. If he was fishing were in real trouble. From the front it looked like a Jeremy Clarkson posh tractor, I can't recall seeing it before. He was working South side of the Fairway Buoy close to the Needles approaches. He left for Saint Catherine's point later in the afternoon South of the Island.

[Mal Thomas]

I think he had 006 on his cabin.