Adam F

Jimbo - do you remember the storm we fished through in Tara 3 years ago, in the Solent? The rods in the holders and the ariels were buzzing with live charge! Very scary as the thunder clapped right over head! Your advice is correct I think, lower all rods and ariels and turn off electrics that are not needed and if possible shelter under a headland or cliff. I do remember being told that yachts at sea regulary get struck without any damage, do they have lighting conductors and a safe place to earth?

They were like this on Thurs and Fri eve as well - we had them under the boat a few times and they wernt chasing fry - they may however have been chased from underneath by predators - the bass we took on livebaits proved our point. Their were also far too many fish to be chasing fry, they looked more like they were being balled up....

Cheers Charlie, Popped down to Xchurch - Ribs Marine, Mariner dealer - bought 3 -

Will I find these at chandlers, or do I need a proper prop place? It is just such a hastle to drive all the way down to Poole for a poxy little washer! Is there any DIY short term solutions?

Behind the bolt that holds the prop on the spline is a winged washer that bends in against the flats of the nut and locks it in position. The current one has perished and my spares are all used up - where can I get some replacements and what are they called - closer to home (ringwood) the better. Ta Adam

Ill have a few! Just the tickets they is! x4 for me please.

It was more like hard plastic / rubber, hence the reason so hard, and it was about 18" short, so alot of stretching needed - god knows how it came off! 3 blokes, a box of stella (bribes!) a massive ratchet strap, a big tree, some WD40, several big persuaders, a big hammer and lots of sweating and grunting did the job! Got there though!

I had thought about this, and to be fair should have left it attached as it was this morning - BUT, I disconnected it as I couldnt pull it round, hoping that I would get slack. Now Im not sure I will even be able to attach the loose end again.

The rubber D fender has fallen off the front of BW. It is anchored at each side of the engine well on the stern and wraps around the boat covering the join of hull to topside and then comes back to the stern. It is fiited under tension to stop it falling off, but I think too much throttle and a big wave maybe to blame. any roads, it is off and I cant get it back on. As it goes on under tension when I fit it I an about 1' short of the anchor point. Gordon is coming over later to add some muscle to it and we propose to lubricate the strip with washing up liquid - but I am baffled how we will get the tention and fit it at the same time. Anyone had any experiance here, or know any ingenious way of making this bitch of a job very easy....??

Cheers Al - great report Not embaressed at all, in fact went back out on Monday evening armed with carp rods and floats!! It was a great trip, on a lovely boat in good company with a few fish to boot, and as you say it gives a whole new light on sport fishing for bass, they pull OK on 12lb class gear, but this is THE way to catch them and as you say not always the most productive method, but certianly the most fun. Whilst we were having a bit of friendly banter on here about daybreak duels etc, it was only a bit of fun, and I was genuinely intregued about a new method. You loose little (or no gear in my case ) and can still effectivly fish the same mark, plus you can fsh one hell of a lot ligher and enjoy the fight more. ....now searching for some catfish floats!! Once again, many thanks and look forward to doing it again shortly! Adam PS: Really enjoyed the teriakkye bass - see the reciepes section

Kam, You still have the boat then - are you still selling her?

Oh, and when / if you finally do get it apart, apply some candle wax to the joints to prevent further problems....

Surely the heat would cause the joint to expand? Having a derogatory effect?

Charlie, A direct pull with a very slight rotation method is needed. Get a person on each and with a firm direct pull, then get a third person to gently grasp the ferrule / joint and rotate it slightly - this usually works. If you are on your own, sit down, put the rod under your kness to grip and open your legs to pull apart, then use your hands to rotate the blank, both insde your legs and outside - this also works. Hope you can understand my explination?>...

Nice one Mike, seems you managed the best of a poor day weather wise, and some nice fish to boot!

Been having a sort out of my gear today and have decided to clear out some of the tackle I hardly ever use. I therefore have for sale: 1 x 7'8" Penn Formula 10kg Boat Rod This is the one with the gold whippings, gold lined rings and the gold annodised reel seat and butt cap on a metallic black balnk. It has a tippy action with plenty of low down power reserves. I used it for deep water cod and conger. Condition reflects 2 seasons use a few small marks to the varnish. Cost

Well said Rupe.

No, not missing the point - the float is used to hold the bait at a set depth, or slightly over depth, you then trot the bait over the mark feeling the bottom with your rod and hand - I stand to very very much corrected and will happilly eat humble pie when Al teaches me. However, until then a small light lead that isnt quite enough to hold bottom on a portland rig does it for me, I can still trot the bait, but just LOVE it when the bass hit, and IMO the fight is better as you are unhindered with floats etc on the line. If float fishing for bass is akin to stret pegging on a river, then fishing the lead is like rolling a bunch of swan shot for barbel.....

I wouldnt want to be out - 4/5 gusting 6, NNE tis the forecast, off the land but will still be bumpy.

Mike F is right - 4/5 NNE occasionally 6 on exposed headlands tis the metoffice f/cast. If you do get out - yes Mike, as close to the bottom as you dare, hence the rotton bottom. Good luck!

Mike, Macky are plentiful at the mo - usual spots. Would say that the whitehouse grounds may fish better than the dolphin banks from previous experiance - but why not keep some of the macky alive and drift peveril ledge for a big spikey??!!

....True, point taken ...thats why I stick to the good ol' fashioned lead set up!

Is it really worth the faffing around to save 2/3 quid? I thought the beauty of the float was that you rarely loose any gear, and anyway even if you do the float stays floating - just motor over and pick it up?.... Dont be so tight!

A change of crew for me this time - Sam was to replace the resident onboard chef and anchor monkey, Gordon. With me taking a 1/2 day, the plan was to get out earlyish and fish a bit of the ebb, but being in London all morning it seemed to take an age to get out to sea - pick sam up, come back for the boat, fuel and food, traffic, lanching, parking etc..... We finally exited the Run at 4pm. A stiff NE was blowing, but our fears of a lumpy sea were put at rest as the land provided good protection and we buzzed out to the mark at 20 knots nice and smooth. We had live eels today, so no need to bother catching joeys - we began our first drift immediatly - the only problem being the massive spring tide and the wind in the same direction - we maxed out at 5.5 knots on the drift!!!! After a few failed attempts, we scuttled off to another more sheltered mark for bacon rolls to wait for the flood tide. We had trolled a good mile, without a hint of a take, and I had just remarked the same thing to Sam when off goes my rod - a reasonable fish, but some 100 yards downtide - I play him all the way to the boat before he spits the hook!! Back on the first mark, the flood is just starting and we have a few macky as well now. The first few drifts are a little slow, sub 1 knot - but as it builds the spikeys come on the feed! They all seemed a better stamp of fish tonight compared to recent weeks, with the average about 5lb. My first went 6.5lb, the others all circa 5lb. Sam hooked a couple of good-uns, he was now getting to grip with the method, but they both threw the hooks. I then hooked into a much better fish that hugged the bottom hard and fought well - when it surfaced I was pretty confident I had my 1st double of the season - a HUGE head and a belly to match complimented a big frame - on the scales in the waves it bounced between 9lb and 10.5lb, so we settled on the most steady weight at 9lb 8oz - still a result! Sam waited until the last drift before braking his duck - but he seemed to have got the knack, we will try again next week. Finally, these fish all came on the lead - once again proving my theroy that it outfishes the float when done correctly - the guys in the boat next to us fished floats all eve without a fish - when they finally changed to the lead, they started to catch. Thats it - I've laid down the gauntlett to be proven wrong by Al and Rupe...and Im intreguied! All the fish bar one 5lber, went back to fight another day

Their has!!! Trouble is most of the ones I have heard are far too obscene to put on the forum!!