Graham Nash

Thats the model I looked at, but the 65 (also from Marine Superstore). Ive already got relief shading on my phone and tablet, but maybe next year Ill upgrade for it to be on the combo too. How do you find the side scan?

Thanks Jerry, looking at his (very impressive) website, I'm guessing my little tub probably isn't Seatronix target market 😉. Ive just looked into the model i mentioned, it would seem the pictures were deceiving and the navionics + isn't what produces the relief shading type of screen, shown on the advert. That's the "extra" navionics platinum (or something like that). It also doesn't come with appropriate transducer .... so would probably end up double my budget and more than the boat is worth!. I told you I was useless.

Guys n girls. I have an old Raymarine Dragnfly4 on my boat that has done me proud for the last 8 or 9 years. BUT, it has lost its track lines and waypoint marker facility. Theres still a few old ones there, but I cant work out how to put new ones in, or how to get the track lines back). Anyway, I think its time for something new. I've got a budget of £500 or £600 been looking at the lowrance and garmins. The Garmin SV Echomap UHD2 touch looks to be a bit nicer than I'm used to, and presently showing as down from £830 - £590 at Marine Superstore with delivery tomorrow! It looks like it has Navionics+ that seems to be something like the relief shading Im using on my phone and it has "side scan". Do those of you with sidescan actually use it? The other thing to say is ..... if it is anything other than a TV or satellite, I'm technically useless! Will I be able to use it?

Don't change the anchor set up, change the cable ties. I was out a couple of weeks ago and didn't have any ties so I used some 100lb line. It worked fine. Ive now got ties on it again.

its 5.15 and im just leaving for weymouth. Do we drift Lulworth banks or anchor?

I wanted to go hunting for something bigger tomorrow but the tide is rubbish for getting out of Ridge at anything like a sensible time, so I'm loaded up on the trailer all ready for a trip to Weymouth instead. Ill be looking at the Shambles to start. Is there anything I should know about them? I can see there's The Bill and St Albans Head within reach, but they worry me with their races and of course Lulworth Banks.

So after years of using this set up and reading the comments above about the rope getting twisted around my anchor line, (which had never happened to me), I had it happen on Wednesday and it was a bit of a pain in the proverbial! When I backed up to see where the buoy was, I noticed it was twisted round the anchor line about 5 or 6 times. I have since removed the rope between the buoy and the ring.

I've just arranged with my neighbour and his son to be out from Ridge on Wednesday. Low water is around 6.30am so we'll be putting the boat in at about 9. , high water is around 11. I'm open to recommendations with a youngster on board where we are likely to catch a fish. I was thinking of heading to Dolphin sands or the patch. Ill not be heading to Peverel with a youngster on board (especially his first ever boat trip).

nice Turbot Nigel.

I agree about Covid and our politicians Greg. But I wasn't asking him to do anything other that come out and have a good day. If he didn't want to, that's absolutely fine, but the excitement and texts in the days before, then waiting until 12.40 in the morning (about 6 hours before we were due to go, and obviously too late for me to arrange an alternative) showed a complete lack of responsibility or respect. Maybe I'm just old school? Anyway, my post was really about the sea weed, it made the harbour completely unfishable. The grandson preferring to spend the day in bed is his business.

How did it go? I hope you didnt follow Martin, because it sounds like he went to all the blank marks

and breathe 🙂

good plan.

I arranged with my oldest grandson to have a bit of a "bonding trip" today. He's 20 years old, doesn't work, doesn't have any intention of working and doesn't see why he should work! So grandad offered him a day out fishing free of charge! Thursday was chosen as the day (not that it makes any difference to him, but that was the day he chose). I rearranged my diary and ordered the bait. Its been arranged a week or so, with excited texts going back and forward all week. Good (small) tides so should get us out into deeper water. Plan was to get the boat in early, motor down to the quay, he'd jump out and pick up the bait from Mike at Poole Sea Angling and we'd be out of the harbour by about 7.30. 12.40AM this morning I get a text, "don't worry about fishing grandad, I just remembered I'm going to Bournemouth this morning! PAA! So plan completely changed. My normal crew were all at work, and the one who wasn't at work had broken his ankle last weekend! After exhausting all (2 or 3) friends I have, I ended up putting the boat in the water on my own towards the end of the tide, (at Ridge Wharfe slipway that can be a scary exercise) and decided to stay in the harbour for a few hours. I think I must have beaten the club record for seaweed. Every cast resulted in a huge lump of the stuff covering the weight and the hook. A couple of moves just brought me more weed. I had a couple of possible nibbles, but no fish! After my worm supply was exhausted I gave up and had a very slow motor back through the harbour towards Wareham. I had a red and white lure trailing behind me at 3 knots and had 3 small bass take it. I'm not sure of the legality of lure fishing in the harbour at this time of year, but I wasn't intending on keeping anything (to be honest, I wasn't actually expecting to catch anything after the trip I'd had). Anyone wanna adopt a 20 year old grandson?

Unfortunately I had today off and had a short trip out (ended up on my own) and moved all my work to tomorrow. Good luck getting out (one way or another).

And the beauty is, Ginger nuts taste ok on the way back out too. .

Well done for getting out. I still get a little green around the gills if i've not been out in a while or if there are any lumps in the water.

Its definitely not the Cod father

I've just had a chat with a new/returning member from Fordingbridge. Nigel and his son Harry. Theyre off fishing on Silver Spray tomorrow but they do have their own boat as well. Join in Nigel, don't be shy and we look forward to plenty of pictures, reports, questions and input. Graham

Ahhh. I just back up a bit before motoring off.

I must be honest, Ive never tried a shorter rope and I dont have any "triangle"? This ring just travels down the anchor line until its immediately above the anchor, then it lifts the anchor and I carry on running until we feel the chain travel through the ring. Once the chain has gone through the ring, its someone elses job to handball it back in 😉 I like the length of line because we can drop the anchor into the water with the buoy on the deck, then just chuck the buoy in once the anchor is on the seabed. I can reverse a bit to get it to the right side of the boat for retrieval. Ill have to look at others set ups next time i see anyone.

Alan had some Southern IFCA ones at the meeting last month. Im not sure if he can get more? I have PBSBAC stickers that were passed to me by Brian. Ill bring a few to the meeting

Unfortunately I didn't, and I've just seen what the specimen weight is 🤔 !! Lesson learned i suppose!

We made our way to the 6 mile banks and found congers, dogs, gurnard and a solitary toothy one of 13lb. I lost a heavy ray at the boat. The water was mirror flat!

Im looking at getting out tomorrow. Im expecting to be somewhere around the Dolphin sands area. Is anyone else about?