TomBettle Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Chris and I decided to head out way offshore to some wrecks at about 30 miles due South of Weymouth. This was to be a hit and miss exercise as the Winter Pollock don't normally show to the South until late March and are normally 30 miles West in January, but due to the big flood tide we thought it better to cross it than punch into it. A little chilly when we left Weymouth, but glorious by about 10:00 with a gentle ocean swell and hardly any other chop at all. The flood tide proved ominous with 4 or 5 small (year round resident) Pollock in the 4lb to 7lb mark coming. Only one fish taken on a storm lure and the rest taken on smallish jelly worms. As slack water arrived we took off the flying collars and fished squid and mackeral baits were blown at about 0.2 knots in the wind across the wreck and were straight in to monster pouting. Chris hooked a Pout on a whole mackeral frame which was snatched at by something with very large teeth (deep regular gashes down it's flanks), but the hook didn't make contact and then and the merest hint of tide Chis was in to something that puled back. 200 feet of water later a Pollock just short of 15lb lay in the net. Back on went the jelly worms and the next hour and half saw us land a further nine fish in the 12lb to 15 lb bracket. Pictured is the very first of the better fish. When we arrived back into port, Pat Carlin was waiting for us as Chris had some timber for his new boat. He said that a number of the charter boats had had the first couple of trips to the wrecks with almost zero success so we felt quite pleased to have had a number of good fish on the boat. Now, after my fish smoking adventures, does anyone know a good smoked Pollock recipe? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 2, 2006 Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Well done Tom - dont you just love it when you try something different and it works! - Also a long way to go to blank.... Something I may do in BW this winter when not a lot else happening - we did a few long hauls back in the summer, but hadnt thought of winter Pollock - I feel a trip coming on - maybe we could swap number for smoking recipies!!! The pollock would be good to practise on, but personaly taste wise I like it either in a fish pie or thai fish cakes. Ring me if you want any info on how to smoke it -07957 829902. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2006 Well done Tom - dont you just love it when you try something different and it works! - Also a long way to go to blank.... Something I may do in BW this winter when not a lot else happening - we did a few long hauls back in the summer, but hadnt thought of winter Pollock - I feel a trip coming on - maybe we could swap number for smoking recipies!!! The pollock would be good to practise on, but personaly taste wise I like it either in a fish pie or thai fish cakes. Ring me if you want any info on how to smoke it -07957 829902. Adam I have to admit, fish pie is great with Pollock and I have a very nice recipe, but I have to get this smoking malarky cracked and there seems to be a few simple "brining" ideas on the net which I may try. No worries with numbers, I'll get a few for you next time I am in Weymouth (all on the boat!). In honesty, "Go West". Head for HMS Delite and any of the wrecks in a line West of there. Where we fished was pretty much South and certainly half way to Alderney. I'll jot a series of numbers down for you next time. The problem with my mate Chris, he hates Bass (!!! !!!) and loves Pollock and likes to take some for the pot so invariably we do an 80 mile day when he is onboard. Still, it paid off today. I won't be at this coming meeting as I am at the boat show, but will try and get some numbers to you before Feb if I can. If we are catching now, by then there should be plenty of fish about. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Y Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Tom What number stand will Southern Motor Boats be on at the boat show so that we can come up and say "hello". Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Tom What number stand will Southern Motor Boats be on at the boat show so that we can come up and say "hello". Mike Hi Mike I can't actually remember my own stand number, but you can't miss us. Have just checked and apparently we are on S2489. We are next door to Sunseeker in the main power boat hall and we have a large stand with a total of 12 boats (including 2 on the water). Most of the boats are cruisers, but all are welcome to come and look around them! All the best Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Tom.....have you taken Ling over that mark historically? My money would be on a Ling grabbing your smaller fish. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Tom.....have you taken Ling over that mark historically? My money would be on a Ling grabbing your smaller fish. Rich The main Ling wreck is a little further west and we certainly haven't Ling over it on our boat, although may have done so in the past on Tiger Lily without realising which wreck we were over. It could have been a Lng tat took the Pout although the Pout was certainly 2.5lb so a biggy. The teeth marks were very distinct. On one side the bite was more like it had been very strongly "mouthed" removing most of the skin and a little bit of butchery" however on the other side were three deep (to the bone) and very clear tooth marks across the flank. Each was spaced about 1cm or so apart and were about 3cm long. The sort of cut you may make with a knife to release odour. May well have been a conger as we were hardly moving in th breeze at slack water. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hi Tom When the new boat is up and running I would like to join you on a run out to those wrecks, two's company and all that. Please record your best fish, and Chris's if he has joined They are very good fish and on Par with the best for 2005 well done Not usual to see teeth marks in a bait that has been "congered" they usually apear more crushed and chewed I would think that ling may be a good bet, but there are still a few tope about in the winter. Have a good show Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hi Tom When the new boat is up and running I would like to join you on a run out to those wrecks, two's company and all that. Please record your best fish, and Chris's if he has joined They are very good fish and on Par with the best for 2005 well done Not usual to see teeth marks in a bait that has been "congered" they usually apear more crushed and chewed I would think that ling may be a good bet, but there are still a few tope about in the winter. Have a good show Charlie Hi Charlie You would be more than welcome to come along! Most of the Weymouth wrecks we fish are usually due south or to the west so I would suggest you had a stop over with us in Weymouth as it woul be a hell of a steam from Poole unless you fancied meeting mid channel en route to Alderney for example... For that matter any of the PBSBAC would be welcome to tag along if they are safe / able to make the journey. There are many good closer wrecks, but Chris is one for believing we have to steam to the furthest marks to catc fish!!!! I would imagine we drive over the top of some good fishing on the way. We fish exactly the same wrecks as most of the charter boats as it is these guys that have kindly given us their numbers. As it is their livelyhood and they have built their knowledge over years I would not be happy to publish the details on here, but would be happy to share them one to one with club members. Nearly all of them are shown on your plotters although they are often a few clicks out on position and so the skippers numbers are more useful. In addition, the skippers all know which fish are producing and will real off the wrecks to try. The "codes" they give are not necessarily the actual wrecks name. I mentioned sharing some numbers with Adam. They are stored on our plotter so next time I am down to the boat I shall pick a few favourites for those that would like them. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Watchful Eye Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Tom Don't you ever talk a load of Pollox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 Tom Don't you ever talk a load of Pollox? Regularly Thank you! I am well known for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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