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Bob F

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Posts posted by Bob F

  12. Set up for wreck finding?

    in Boat Talk

    Posted

    Adam,

     

    Like others have said, it's most probably your numbers. If you are sure about the Coordinate system (Degrees, Minutes, decimals or Degrees Minutes seconds) and the Datum (usually WSG84 or OSG36), then you should find the wreck if it's a reasonable size. Your plotter should see it easily enough even if not on zoom.

     

    Tip: if the last three digits of either the Lat or Long start with a number greater than 599, the numbers must be decimal, rather than seconds. For example. N 50.29.730 must be a decimal number (you can't go above 60 secs if the numbers were in seconds)

     

    Tip: You can use your GPS to do the datum conversion for you. If you are not sure which datum the numbers represent, enter the waypoint twice. First, set your GPS datum to WSG84, enter the number as a waypoint and save as "wrk1-84. Then set your GPS datum to OSG36, enter the same number again, and save as a slightly different name (like wrk1-36). Now you can search for the wreck at both waypoints. It will not matter which datum your GPS is set to when you are searching for the wreck because the GPS will convert your numbers to the datum you are using at that time; the wreck should be at one of the two waypoints. If you find the wreck at wrk1-36 you will know that the numbers you were given were in OSG36 format.

     

    Tip: You can do the same for the Coordinate system. If you don't know if the numbers are in decimal or seconds, enter them twice; once with the coordinate system set to decimals (usually denoted as just degrees-minutes), and then set the cooridinate system to degrees-minutes-secs and enter the same number again.

     

    So, if I have numbers for a mark and don't know which datum or coordinate system they used, I will enter the same numbers 4 times:

     

    1 - WSG84 Degree-minutes-Decimal

    2 - OSG36 Degree-minutes-Decimal

    3 - WSG84 Degree-minutes-secs

    4 - OSG36 Degree-minutes-secs

     

    Remember, most numbers will have been taken prior to EGNOS (WAAS) being available, so they will have a error of 15 meters on average, so you will need to do a bit of searching.

     

    It works for me anyway.

  17. Red Letter Morning

    in Catch Reports

    Posted

    Managed to get out very early this morning (still dark).

     

    It was a bit lumpy but fought my way out to the Betsy and anchored up on slack water. 10 mins later and the first eel was on. 30 mins later and the 55lb beast was at the side of the boat and T-bar'd off. Down went the cuttle bait again (thanks Kam) and 10 mins later another eel is on. This one is a massive beast. 45 mins later, and after severel titanic lunges to the depths, I manage to get the mass of thrashing foam and black muscle to the surface. It's huge. Couldn't get the eel into the boat and had to let her go. Who knows how big she was, but in length she was at least 7ft.

     

    The tide started running so up'd the anchor and had an experiemental drift of the wreck using the new shads I'd bought. Blow me down, on the first drift I'm hit by a massive take and line screams off my reel. Somehow managed to keep control and stopped the fish diving into the wreck. A terrific battle ensued but it looks like its my day. 15 mins later I've netted by first double figure bass. Scales bounced between 16lb and 22lb. so I guess I'll have to call it 16lb. I give it a Rex Hunt kiss and see her safely back into the water.

     

    I line up Splash-Out for another drift and down goes the shad again. The new Eagle colour plotter is supurb and starts to show the beginning of the wreck with a mass of fish just above it. I reel up the shad slightly to miss the wreck and hopefully pass through the middle of the shoal. Bang!! Another huge take. A much different fight this time. More dogged and very heavy. Could it be my first cod of the season??? The fight is getting harder and I'm struggling to keep control with the Giller Thriller rod. I'm being out-gunned. Somehow I manage to get the fish to the surface. It's a huge Cod. I'm now wishing I'd brought the bigger landing net. I let the fish's tail drift back into the net but the huge head will not go in!! Through a combination of lifting the rod and net at the same time, the cod is pulled into the boat. My scales only go upto 45lb and they bottomed out, but taking the lowest weight she scales 36lb. Another personal best!! What a morning.

     

    By now the sea is getting very lumpy, so decided to move inshore. On the way in I passed over Dolphin Sands and saw a very intersting bank on the sounder, so decided to give it a quick try. Looks like a great Blonde Ray mark. Down goes a squid bait. Severel missed bites later I have a fish on and kiting in the tide. It can only be a big ray. The tide is running strong and it's a real struggle to gain line. I'm not sure I'm going to get this one in. Inch by inch I manage to bring the fish up and eventually the fish surfaces about 40m meters from the boat. It's a very big ray, so has to be a Blonde. Slowly, and with my heart in my mouth I manage to ease the fish to the boat. Again, the net is not big enough and I have to lean over the side and make a grab for the tail. I drop the rod in the boat and grab the ray with the other hand and haul her into the boat. I can't beleive it!! It's another huge fish which again can't be weighed on my scales. I'm not going to kill her so I lay out a tape measure beside her and take a couple of photos. Hopefully we can estimate the weight from this.

     

    The weather is really taking a turn for the worst now, and I'm being roughly shook by the waves..."Bob, Bob, it's 10 O'Clock!!! Wake up you lazy git. The dish washer has flooded, and the bathroom door doesn't open, and you promised to take me to B&Q to choose the new wallpaper!!!"

     

    Ah sod it!!! And I still had a personal best Turbot to catch... mad.gif

     

    BF

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