Mike Fox Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Seems that there has been a number of posts suggesting that meckerel are in short supply this year! I have seen posts elsewhere suggesting that the Danes have a target of 100,000 tonnes of sandeels this year - suggesting a potential cause for their decline. Any other suggestions? We only managed 3 mackerel all of last weekend, and with a comp coming up for Sunday, I just wondered if anyone could suggest a good place to acquire some fresh mackerel for bait in the Poole area? Also saw some people float fishing with live mackerel last week. Did wonder what depth to try? Suggestions welcome. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Hi Mike Stacks of mackerel (when I last tried) round behind Portland Bill, but may be a tad far in the wind assisted vessel I noticed they were very hard to catch when I went out from Christchurch with the boys on Aquafresh, however they did come on with the start of the flood tide and we caught plenty then. If you are float fishing with them set the depth at about half a metre above the mean average sea bed depth. You may loose the odd set of gear over the rocky pinnacles, but if you use a lightish hook length it will normally only be this you loose. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 I've been setting them at around 3 metres from the bottom, with bass' good eye sight, it will have no trouble seeing the mackeral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMac Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 I agree with Tom. I reckon that big bass are lazy and wont chase a bait very far, and 3 metres might be too far, so the closer you can work your bait to the place where the bass are lying in wait the better chance you have of catching the better fish. I like to fish my livelies on the float as near the bottom as I think I can get away with, and constantly move the stop knot to take into account the rising or falling tide. If you dont lose 1 or 2 hooklinks during the day,IMHO you aint fishing in the right zone. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 whats the advantages of float fishing? As i havnt bass fished b4, my plan was just to drop a maccy to the bottom with a lead and just drag it along............ive much 2 learn..... Also when free lining.......will the maccy bait dive right to the bottom with no weight attached to the line? Or is it best to have a small weight attached? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 I agree with Tom. I reckon that big bass are lazy and wont chase a bait very far, and 3 metres might be too far, so the closer you can work your bait to the place where the bass are lying in wait the better chance you have of catching the better fish. I like to fish my livelies on the float as near the bottom as I think I can get away with, and constantly move the stop knot to take into account the rising or falling tide. If you dont lose 1 or 2 hooklinks during the day,IMHO you aint fishing in the right zone. Al Al I am glad you agree with me. I am, of course, an expert in this technique.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Big Gay bear, on speaking to commercial Bass boys, they think the larger fish are lazy, and tend to feed off mean peak of tide, smaller Bass outnumber these larger fish, the demogarphic pyramid will show this on any sustainable fishery, so it follows that the smaller fish will nab the bait first. I have tried freelining livies, but have had better success with a small weight to get them close to the seabed., but at the end of the day, my own personal theory is if a fish wants your bait, whatever size it is, it will nab it. I stick to this, and it hasnt failed me yet!! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 whats the advantages of float fishing? As i havnt bass fished b4, my plan was just to drop a maccy to the bottom with a lead and just drag it along............ive much 2 learn..... Also when free lining.......will the maccy bait dive right to the bottom with no weight attached to the line? Or is it best to have a small weight attached? For a start your Gnasher isn't a suitable boat! Cos you'll need a bigger boat to carry the 2 tonnes of lead weights you gonna take with you The "holding area" is very snaggy. If you leave it at the bottom dragging, youy'll lose it within seconds. "Admin edit" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 [ For a start your Gnasher isn't a suitable boat! Cos you'll need a bigger boat to carry the 2 tonnes of lead weights you gonna take with you The "holding area" is very snaggy. If you leave it at the bottom dragging, youy'll lose it within seconds. Oh you mean the one up towards Cobbs Quay.... "Admin edit" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 hehe, even i know what hes talking about Tom........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 I think the whole of the WWW probably does too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMac Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 The trouble with a freelined bait is your never really sure where abouts in the water column your livebait is. Now I know that bass leave the bottom to feed on occassions, but on the inshore marks that most of us fish for bass, most, if not all, will be close to the bottom and you will fare much better and suffer less tackle loses by fishing a float rig effectively. The small bass will always out number the bigger bass and therefore get caught more if you just fish willy nilly, but if you try to put your bait within feet of where the bigger fish actually wait for a bait to go past their nose you can increase your chances of a bigger fish significantly. That place is on the bottom or sheltering out of the tide behind a rock or something of that sort, so that it moves only a minimal amount of distance to take the maximum amount of food. By fishing effectively you can reduce the number of smaller bass and increase the number of better fish. Having said all that.................... what the ^*%$ do I know Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 Spot on Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Fox Posted June 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 Thanks chaps.... So to summarise... fish West of club waters to find the mackerel or off Christchurch, use the mackerel near Poole Bridge with a weighted float (use up to 2 tons of lead to be sure), just off the bottom, where the fish won't bother to swim more than 3 metres for a bait....unless I got something wrong.... I'm worried now there won't be room to fish there in the species comp this weekend. Mike PS Sounds like I'll be scratching around for bait again then.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 So to summarise... fish West of club waters to find the mackerel or off Christchurch, use the mackerel near Poole Bridge with a weighted float (use up to 2 tons of lead to be sure), just off the bottom, where the fish won't bother to swim more than 3 metres for a bait....unless I got something wrong.... You got it Mike You already seem a master at the techinique.... ....whatever technicque it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 Guys excellent topic but could we not be mark specific (all edited I think). We have a members chit chat area for such items Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 Wasn't I being cryptic enough or was it spotted by Kam's slightly less than subtle description...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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