Nippers Open.

[Swainiac]

To say that the seven P's wont let you down, was an understatement yesterday!! Having fished weymouth the last three outings, and cleaned up in the species comp bagging 100% fish every trip, Mark and I decided to launch from Weymouth and fish 'till 1500, then make the run back to Moonbase Alpha for the weigh in, if indeed we had a weigher

 

Our day started early, particularly early for our Buddy Boat, Terry and his crew on Sea Mistress. With his boat already in Poole, Terry only had the arduous drive up from Kent with his motley crew....not dragging a ton and a half of Quicksilver around the M25. I called him a s soon as I left home, and he was ust leaving Rownahms services...so we quickly oined up, and sped down to Marks, to be met by the glorious Dotty with bacon sarnies and a hot cup of splosh, (that is going to cost you dearly Mark!!). Boats hitched, and I took John from Terrys crew to sign in, while the others nipped down to Weymouth and launched the boats. Signed in, all we had to do now was wait for Al, who had decided on a lie in

Al arrives, bleary eyed, and we get our B.A.S.S. registration card, for that whopper we were going to net later!!

 

Met up with respective boats, and off we jolly well go, first stop was the Hood, for livebaits, and the chance of some Gars and Scad. All we had was Pollock after Pollock, one small Gar, no snakes like the previous two trips, and no jumbo Scad. With an hour wasted here, next stop was a drift for Flatties, trying to sneak out a Brill or a Turby, fish we have bagged on our last two trips, "That shouldn't be difficult now should it?" WRONG!! No flatties for us today. Off to the Race for a Bass or six.....ah...we have to catch bait still!! Edge of the Race, feathers down, and Mark is hauling up the macky in true Mackeral Meiseter fashion, while I quietly sneak on a fillet and drift for a stray Bass, which was duly bagged, weighed, photographed and released.

 

With time now running out, our last effort was a 100% Bully, so we found our chosen mark, in a good depth, and anchored up, in what was becomung a lively sea to put it mildly!! Doggy after Doggy, wind drops, tide doesnt, wind picks up, tides still running, bacon sarnies made and scoffed, baits changed, BullHuss on!!! As bait was becoming scarce, it was my fourth fish on this fillet, luckily the bully didnt mind. In a lively sea, she went between 9lb and 12lb, so I knew I was close to 100%, the marker we had set ourselves for a weigher. Into the livewell, and that fish, my friends came twenty minutes before our designated lines up time, a little like my flounder last year Bob!!! One more huge bite for me, and a good fish was dropped halfway way up, Possibly a strap conger, but my money was on another Bullhuss the way it was going. Time out, so we up anchor, and steam back to the reletive calmer waters of the outer harbour. Onto the quay beside Topcat, and out I jump with my spoils. Into the back of Percy, and then the long sunday drive back to Poole for the weigh in, luckily, the Huss remeined alive, she went 9lb 4oz on club scales, and swam off when released, so I was a happy bunny.

 

I had managed a fish for the prize table, but so had Mark, lessons to be learned here, as with plenty of other entrants, a 50% fish is still a weigher, even if it IS a Doggie!!

 

A super Icom Handheld for the boat, great day out, and a near 100%er released again, another good day out for the Lardy Boys!!!

 

Rich

[Gnasher]

oi oi fellas......a cracking result.......it looks like the info u gained for that 'secret' bully mark really paid off.......

 

Dan

[Mike Fox]

Well done the entire crew of Nipper.

 

A great bull huss Rich, well deserved. George was well impressed....where's that mark again?

 

Mike

[Adam F]

BW's Day:

 

With the success of previous years in which both James and I have figured well, we were both confident and looking forward to the comp. A little thing like a F5/6 NW wasnt going to put us off our Plan A either!

 

The first boat away from the slip - a little keen as we forgot to pick up our cuttle from KAM (DOH!) and warp factor ramming speed across the clam bay and around to Durlston where the sea remain settled - this all changed soon through as we rounded the headland and the big atlantic swell began to roll in.

 

We decided to stop at St Albans and take a view as the sea was v.lively and banged the hook in 200' water. 1st chuck for me and I landed a lovely 3lb 15oz spopped ray - not a ad specimen, but decided to throw back as was so confident of a better fish later in the day. A 7lb thornback next cast followed by a 7/8lb bullhuss and a surprise 7lb smoothhound - all in about 45 mins!!

 

Anyway, we now decided to play the trump card and head offshore to get some big eels. Out at the wreck Fair Lady had already beat us to it and the 15-20' swell and white horses suggested we shouldnt be their!!

 

We anchored bang on to start with and eels came instantly, but as the tide built we swang off and started catching doggies. As the sea was so lively re-achoring safetly wasnt an option, so off to anchor wreck - plan B. James soon banged a 23lb eels onto the deck, but the pout seemed so active....it was also getting rougher so the last hour was spent back in the deep hole where I squeeked another spotted ray and a small eel out before we headed for home at 4pm.

 

An enjoyable day regardless - Many, many thanks to Paul J and the comittee who worked hard not only on the day in the months before hand to create another faultless event - and also the sponsors, a superb prize table even if I didnt get near it!!

[JIMBOB]

Well the fishing did seem a bit below par probably down to the small tides and monster swell rolling in, it was hard keeping a bait on the bottom. Also could the lack of "proper" fish be down to the early date this year? with water temps being still so high the crabs in the harbour must of been having a feast!

 

The Lymington cod comp off the needles didn't fair much better than us, from what I hear only 3 cod were weighed in biggest going 14 1/2 lbs.

 

I must say well done to all the effort everyone who organised the comp put in and to all the prize winners and to Adam, who did a super job of putting us bang on the wreck we fished in such big seas!, super bit of skippering mate

 

James

[great white]

After a long time away from the rods while putting the new boat together we gratefully accepted Gary's offer to crew on Prodigy

 

We were really looking forward to getting afloat again especially on a boat so simular to my new one. we intended to spend the day catching a few fish and looking at how Gary had built the boat in case we had missed anything on ours

 

A suitable plan was put together all we needed was acceptable weather.

 

after months in hibernation hours were spent preparing and checking the kit, looking into books and logs at possible wrecks and discussing our plan.

even as the weather deteriated we were keen to strick to plan A.

 

I must admit that the boys and I were bending the skippers arm a bit to ensure that we tried to get on the eels.

 

The Boys and kit were dropped off early at Cobbs and I shot over to Baiter to join the line of Anglers to pay our dues and register. I parked on the quay and put on the waterproofs just as the boat passed under the bridge. A quick jump onboard and we were off, into the main channel and 20plus knots out of the harbour. Sweet

 

 

at 0835 still doing 20 knots we approached the target wreck, more concerned about hitting the mark than the weather at that stage. Prodigy had the numbers but had not been on this wreck before.

we slowed right down as the waypoint approached and Bingo straight on the rusty bit. Magic

we had a few drifts and lost a bit of kit but unfortunatly the shipping forecast was more accurate than we hoped and the sea state was not looking good to anchor.

 

It was time for sense to prevail and a ten knot trip back into much more sheltered water in Poole Bay.

Lots of 45% dogfish came and went, as did a running fish that snapped Dan up on his lighter rod as it screamed off accross the tide, but even they stopped

 

We decided to give the Ragworm a go and move into the Harbour, eventually slipping into Holes bay for the last 90 mins, I tweaked a 2lb wrasse out as the bridge was lifting which entertained all onboard.

 

as we sat in the bay Dan chopped up two boxes of thawed squid and fed them in as groundbait, which may account for a brief flurry of school bass that led to Gary landing the Bass Trophy fish of 1lb 12oz, Nice one Skipper

 

while it was not the fish we had hoped for it put the boat on the prize list and saved the day.

 

Great to be out afloat again , especially on Gary's lovely boat with him and the boys. shame about the weather and the fishing

 

In hindsight we should have listened to the shipping forecast and put more effort into a standby plan.

 

Still all the effort by the Competition sub-committee had paid dividends with everything going like clock work, a huge well done to all concerened and a giant Thank You to the event Sponsors, Bass and PBSBAC

 

CU all next year

 

 

I expect the plan will be very simular

 

Charlie