Gnasher Posted May 26, 2007 Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 (edited) with the alarm set for 4.15am, i find myself awake and getting the gear ready at 3.45am for some stupid reason, but it ment that at least i would have time to now meet Dom and hitch the boat and be off before 4.30am. A stop at the 24h garage for some fuel, and we find us chatting to a friend of ours pi$$ed out her face after a night clubbing in bmth. It just seems weird that im going fishing before she was even home form her night out! Anyway, the boat is in Mudeford slip early, and the car is driven to my secret free carparking spot, but we get back to the harbour as the sun is lifting, we now see that the wind is much stronger than we thought, with foam being kicked up in the harbour. A nice easy launch and were heading out of the run before we head round the groyne in lumpy conditions, followed by the decision to spend an hour trolling, but the bass wernt playing ball, with the only action comming was from Dom but he pulled out of the fish! Plan 2- Motor to Boscombe, as the waves break over the top of the boat and attempt to drift for a plaice- disaster- the area is thick with small bream and we cant keep the bait in for more than 30 seconds with out the tips rattling away! We then decide to get some bait and filled the bucket with maccy from a spot close by! Plan 3- We move a couple of miles somewhere south and anchor for a skate! We get there and it is bordering unfishable with breakers everywhere, but luckily there was a yaucht anchored up with fisherman on board 150m away which made it feel safer! (it died right back after an hour and was calm(ish) by about 8am) Baits for the skate were fresh maccy fillets on mine, with Dom using double squid on one and whole maccy deadbait on the other! I feed the kennel with my prime fillets, whilst Dom has a bream a cast on 6/0 pennaled double squid baits! Not one fish bigger than a pound either. The first decent bite came to a whole maccy bait wthat sees Dom hooked into a decent fish, before his trace is bitten clean through! The early tope must be around! Its quiet for an hour before Dom is hooked into something better! A good scrap sees him bring a small but welcome Smalleyed Ray aboard! Neo then comes along to see how we have been getting on, before anchoring close by, followed by AWOL passing at close range. Another hour pass, with plenty more maccy, LSD and bream before we decide to up anchore and head for another mark a mile and a half or so further out. Pulling along side Neo, i let him know that were going to try and get a conger, and he soon follows! We put the anchor down in the new zone, before circling the area to get right on the mark (a mark ive never fished before). Heavy traces go down with a maccy chunck fished on a single 6/0 hook were my line of attack. Dom drops down a big rod, followed by a light bream rod with squid, and its the bream rod that twitches first, not a bream, but an angry conger ripping off his light line before dropping the hook. Neo anchored 50yards away at the new mark is also into a good fish, but we watch from the distance as he loses it near the surface! A couple of dogs to us both before my rod twitches, i then give some line as i feel it an eel backing up on its self. Bang! The rods hooped over, and im now struggling with an angry eel! 30 minutes in all before the beast surfaces but no chance of it getting in the net, before crash diving from the surface to the bottom on 5 occasions! We eventually haul it aboard, and its huge! Im $hlt scared of these things anyway, after seeing one chew Paul D's water butt and then clamping its jaws around his foot! We eventually get it weighed and at 52lb, its a huge inshore fish, especially from a small boat! At 7 foot long and huge girth, we both new it was 50 straight away. I cant even hold it properly and you can see by my expression on the pic, that there is a huge weight in my arms, but please excuse the poor pic as i didnt want to get to close to its jaws/gills, so i bottled it by holding it like a pansie . Fish back, and im chuffed to bits! No sooner had i had a drink, then the same rod it twitching! Another angry eel is on, this time, i manage to get it in in short time, and as it feels abit smaller. Soon in the net and i manage to hold it up for the camera and get a better snap! Its a much smaller fish at just over 25lb, but its still a decent fish all the same! Time to head in, i follow PJ up the run, sneaking up on hm, although he didn't notice, and meeting up with Alun J for a chat at the slip! All in all, a top days fishing and as a sport fisherman, angry conger dont come any more sporting! Dan Edited May 27, 2007 by Gnasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted May 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 (edited) Doms little Smalleyed Ray Edited May 29, 2007 by Gnasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted May 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 (edited) 25lb conger- very long, little girth Edited June 1, 2007 by Gnasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted May 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 (edited) the beast that wouldnt fit in the net- 52lb, Poor pic, but a huge inshore fish- Huge head and shoulders and massive girth and 7ft long! thanks for making the pic brighter Duncan! Edited June 1, 2007 by Gnasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swainiac Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Which one is the ugly brute?? Nice fish m8. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun j. Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Well Done !!! D & D. ........You could be in with a shout for the May fish there ?? What determination......to set out so early, esp. with that wind. I was up about 6.30 and decided a later start more suited! I had expected to quickly bag up on mackerel for bait......... but struggled at all my regular spots near the Ledge; so I had to rely on the small box of squid I had in reserve. With the wind still howling, I went inshore for a peaceful sit in the sun. Loads of bites but must have been the tiniest bream; just one 2 lb.er for the box and a couple of lively smoothounds getting close to double figures [ fun on light bream tackle!]. Lunchtime chat with PJ [plugging nearby] about tactics to try as the tide turned and wind eased. He set off to the Rough, I went some way out on the Ledge [ but not to the car park near the end].........and straight into action! Big [ almost massive] LSD [ overlooked to weigh them]; then 'Bang', into something big that let go [feeling bassy!!]. Next drop, and I 'm into one on heavier tackle. Not up to the calibre of Dan's ........ but an angry Conger...20 + ... but it's not coming on board to get weighed. Neo arrived to join in the action......so , of course, it all goes quiet !! At least the mackerel started to show, in a steady stream of 1s and 2s., in between the smallish bream, lsd, wrasse etc. No bass for me [ very slow tide ??] Now look at the weather........will I be able to get out ? .. or be forced to catch up with chores?? Alun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Nice one Dan an excellent inshore eel from a small boat Great to catch them and put them back, but don't they get excitable when in the daylight Incidently it is bigger than the trophy winning fish from 2006 and stands a good chance for the fish of the month at 130% SPECIMEN WELL DONE Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Great fish Dan. I lost a really good fish just before you landed that eel - Had one rod out with a live joey and 17lb trace ( hoping for a bass ) and one for the eels with a 150lb mono trace. Guess which one the eel took ! Had the eel on for around 5 mins but then the trace didnt hold when the eel spun Still had an enjoyable day nonetheless. Fishing XRay caught a 2lb 7oz bream ( female full of eggs ). Mackeral were showing all over. My friend from work on his first boat trip enjoyed himself with the constant bream and doggy action ! I forgot how well those eels fight - definitely going back for more again ! Coming back through the run there was a speedboat which I pointed out to my friend as it was smoking a lot - only to realise that this one was smoking a little excessively....... as we neared the boat we could see, and smell, that this engine was a little hot ( broken impellor ) - so we towed them back up the harbour. Would be interesting to see if the engine had survived. PS: I want my hook back from that eel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnasher Posted May 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Paul, thats was a good bream for that area, we couldn't get them over a pound. I also landed a doggie that coughed up a chewed up 8oz bream which proves how greedy they are, and how many small bream are around now! Dom also landed a huge cuttle which attached itself to his maccy fillet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 Good report Dan and what a cracking fish...well done. Also good to see a report being more none descript in with positions, nicely done Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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