JIMBOB

Sounds like I missed some good fishing out there, well done to all those who caught there were some nice fish there, Martin your getting a bit consistent in these comps ,I better pull my finger out and start fishing them again I was on dry land having a family day on Sunday thinking of you guys out there . Back to work this week after 6 weeks off. I need to start earning some money again so I can afford to go fishing! James

Thanks guys ,don't know if I'm out tomorrow due to an imminent hangover might try for a late start and just fish my old stomping grounds of good old Xray James

Happy birhday Rich, how was it over the pond? James

I'm out but not fishing the comp, but I will book in if I manage to wet a line. I'm taking some friends out mackerel fishing, there going to be 5 aboard the raider!!!. Alun I might well drop in for a trigger and send my crew down with baited feathers if the mackerel arent playing ball .(they were hard work the other day) and Ive heard reports from the charter fleet that there thinning out James

Dawn Raider will be joining the flotilla, weather permiting. James

Happy Birthday Dan ,youve got a birthday Pm James

Finally Dawn Raider was back in the water. My cast came of Tuesday morning, then after a quick bit of physio I drove round like a mad man trying to get things sorted for my planned kimmeridge trip. But it wasn't to be, as my warning lights for brake pads came up on the car . I didn't want to ground them down any more with all those ups and downs in the hills around kimmeridge. So it was plan B. Christchurch. With a late launch saw us just catching enough bait for the night ahead, the plan was conger on the slack, then a late night move to see if we could find one of those elusive monster bass that are about (someone had a 15lber last week!) managed to sneak in a couple of drifts for bass before dark, which produced 3 on the first drift! was this to set the pace for the night?........................................ well not on the conger mark! it was a bit slow to start with but after an hour the first bites started and after a couple of lost fish we finally both managed to land eels not huge fish,marks went about 30lb mine 20lb, interestingly they were not! taking mackerel both fish fell to pout heads, so with the tide building and the prospect of a large conger in a large tide not being that appealing we upped anchor at midnight and went in search of that monster bass................................................................. All was quite quiet to start with and we both dosed off then sceeeeeeechhh from the reel saw me fumbling for my spinning rod in the dark it was solid and the line was grating on the other rods and heading in front of the boat! after heaving in for ages what seemed like a lump of weed, I gave up and put the rod back down to sort out in the morning.I lay back down then screeeeeeeeehh again ,so I grabbed it again and this time it I realised it was a fish and not weed!! and was now more awake, in the torch light at the net we both called Double, but on the boat she went 8lbs 10 oz After that it all went a bit mad and we must off hit a huge shoal of bass and in a mad flurry saw a succession of bass over the gunnel's including 4 over 6lb but not that elusive monster Then at first light my bass rod bent double and roared of line. I held on as I couldn't stop it at first I thought I had hooked a raft of weed or stay tree! until it kicked.............. was it the beast? it then kited in a big D and started going up tide!!! .........as it neared the boat we were both trying to stretch our vision to see what it was on the line as she stayed deep near the boat then up popped a thornback ray a good fish to at 11lb, rays dont half go on light tackle!!. saw Aquafresh blast past us at warp factor ,any good chaps? we were back in for lunch time. out again soon James

Well if tomorrow am goes OK at the hospital, I'm out for the rest of the week! going for an allnighter at kimmeridge then a bit of bassing Thursday James

Alun looked good from where I was sitting, she handled that snotty sea well going over the front of the ledge. Nice little pull up cuddy too to keep the rain off, bit windy out there though James

looks a bit lumpy guys 4 or 5 increasing 6 maybe 7! Im glad im sitting this one out James

I'll be sitting this one out

Well done guys Ill see you out there, probably in September. James

Thanks Guys for your replies. He now owns a boat, a 14ft Dory with a 40 mariner on the back! He got it last night, cost

Its all about hours on the "bank" keep at it , next time you might just get one! Great report. James

30 trawlers all trawling the same patch of ocean, to me that just sums up the fishing industry . No fishery can take that pressure They just take and take until there's none left! As for sea watch, Its good to see that a mainstream channel is highlighting the plight of our oceans for all to see. Those same funny cod were on Fword later, there going to cost 1/3 more than wild. James

Thanks Adam that's the type of thing. Alun I didn't mean your Orkney for

Hi All I got a friend who's after a small (14'/16') fishing boat, open plan type (a bit like alun J's Orkney).Or a small Dory anything really, But for under

thanks for your kind words guys. Day 1 has been hard going , we take so much for granted. I was in and out of wheelchairs and crutches for over a year 14 years ago after a nasty motorbike crash but you soon forget how hard it makes the little things. Today Ive been on my own so I made myself a cup of tea..."easy I thought"....until I had to get the cup of tea to the chair on crutches.......................... not an easy task James

Minus Dawn Raider good luck. Hope those fish are biting James

Gutted my ankles bugg%@*! Cant put any weight on it and for how I did It...........I did it getting out of my van! Its a fairly high van (Iveco Daily) but only about a foot drop just my foot landed wrong and turned my ankle the wrong way tearing my ligaments and snapping a bone! It happened at a builders yard in Southampton and I spent the day in A & E. As I build ponds for a living I'm going to be of work for a while and as for fishing ...............Gutted Should be back in action for the November open James

I'm emigrating to Denmark!

I didn't think tonight was looking to bad either (I just got back in). But it was Pants!!! There must be a bit of wind in the channel because there was a fair swell rolling in from the SW, with a fresh F4 NWesterly chopping it up. Down to 8 knots on the front of the ledge would have taken over an hour to get to the Island!! only 1 bass for my efforts also Im haveing a bad run latly been out about 10 time in the last 2 weeks plenty of fish but biggest only 5lb 10 oz!!!! Im going to go back to bottom fishing soon! James

Paul Yep your right! Can't do the 4th!! but tomorrow is a possibility! James