Adam F

Planning to head out thurs - bassing most likey. Have a few irons in the fire re. crew - but nowt confirmed yet. Post here if you fancy a trip out. Adam

Just to add a few more details to Gordon's earlier quick post and to detail BW's day alongside Martin and Dean on Maverick. Decided on an early start as low tide dictated, so after hauling out of bed at the ungodly hour of 4am, we were in the water ready for the off at 5.30am - blood red sun just creaping up over the IOW, a silkly smooth sea and full of expectation! The plan we to head mid-channel - quite a feat I feel in a 16' boat, but we did it twice last year and provided you are well prepared and do alot of research it can be done - safetly and succesfully. With the aim of an economical cruise, we settled in at 4000 RPM, giving a comfortable 18-19 knots with the ebb time on out chuff and soon were out of sight of land. The trip out always drags as were are keen to dangle our rubbery things in the shippings lanes, and the 1 hour 20 mins seemed to take forever as the navigator ticked the numbers off..... 1st stop was a wreck, and 1st drop, 5 winds off the bottom a crash diver hits the shad - result, and a good start. Gordon then takes another, but they are small summer fish and not what we came for, so another 4 miles and we arrive at the target. Its a slow start again, and even the superb 4" baby joeys are failing to produce......Maverick then shows up and proceeds to show how its done with 7 nice cod to just over 15lb - we just looked on - stunned! Slack tide, and a new wreck mark produced just pout, so off to another mark for the start of the flood. The wind has now gusted up, and I comment to Gordon that we may be cut short and have a bumpy ride home at this rate - it was a good F5 for a while , but then as soon as it started, it stopped and became F2 First drift and wollop! Cod on!!, same 2nd drift, and 3rd and 4th.....etc!! This is what we came for, and for the rest of the afternoon we proceeded to catch fish on almost every drift bar the odd one. It was 2pm and we were leaving at 3 - so only a few drifts left. We had travelled way past the main mark as Gordon played his cod - I continued to work my shad, but was chatting away, then a fish hit my lure so hard I almost lost the rod! The fight was awesome on 12lb class gear - taking 30 yards in its first run! . A full 20 mins later and having drifted 1 mile off the mark, a huge white shape apperaed 30' down - its a beast we shouted....before Gordon slipped the net under a lovely, fit 20lb 6oz summer cod! RESULT, and the end of a superb day. We left at 3pm, with the fish box full, both of us shattered and a long run home. Back on the quay for 4.30pm and met in the water by Alun J with 2 cold stellas!! what a bloke! A great trip, that goe down as one of the ones to remember. Forgot the camera, so you are all spared the pics of me grinning with the cod, the flat calm seas and the sunny conditions! Adam

Mike, Club waters are St Catherines point to Portland Bill, and any water due south of these, so restrition on distance - its a good fair ruling I think and includes a lifetime of superb fishing water. Good luck on the other side. PS - must be a drag drifting a wreck, having to tack back around at the end of each drift!! (tounge firmly in cheek!) Adam

I had bass last night too!! New recipie..... Scale, head and tail the bass and gut it - nice and clean. 3 deep slashes to the spine on each side and dry the fish. In a blender - handfull of walnuts, smaller handful of pine nuts, 3 garlic cloves, decent pinch or 3 of basil, salt and pepper - blend all up and mix with extra virgin olive oil to make a pesto. Smear this all over the bass and in the cavity and slashes. In the oven covered in foil for 20 mins on a medium heat (keeps it moist) and then 10/15 mins on full whack to crisp it up. Tastes amazing!! Served with roasted medateranian veg and buttered new potatoes!!! MMmmmmmm!!

Just 1 tank - 25 ltrs. I struggle for space with 3 tanks and the livebait well (and of course weight) Lets keep an eye on the weather and it obviously needs to be pretty flat (for me anyway!) Speak at end of week. Adam

I see Raider UK have now mixed the Quicksilver range to come up with this: http://www.raiderboats.co.uk/models.php?boatsid=5 The smaller one (495) also looks like a small Quicksilver copy.... Will it work??!?!?!

Anyone fancy joining me (and carrying my spare fuel!) for a trip mid channel on Sunday - weather permitting. We did the Rips last year and it was a good trip, so keen to try again? Adam

Use the place I got mine from - they deliver for not too much.... Failing that Im in Bristol next Tues, so could collect. Let me know Adam

Great trip Al, We saw you on Sun morn not hanging around and watched until you were a spec on the horizon, thought you had somehting special up your sleeve and glad it paid off! We also had a good morning, the fishing was electric until everyone got out of bed and scared the bass off - 3.30am was well worth getting up for!

I also find it frustrating Charlie - and having discussed it with James today,he also feels the same. We have less entering now than when I joined and the club is 30% bigger One idea we had, and may need discussing at the next comittee meeting is to mix the format between species and specimen on the monthly comps. I personally felt a little frustrated fishing the comp today for small but numbers of fish, when the conditions were perfect for big fish hunting - just an idea. Adam

Went out Friday eve after work for first shot at the bass this year. Gordon fishing the float, me on the lead, plan was to test the two methods against each other. 2nd drift we both hook up, Gordon lands his, I loose mine. 3d drift I snag his brother, 2 peas in a pod at 5lb a piece. We struggled like hell for joeys, or any macky for that matter! Twas only a short trip, but final tally was just 2 bass, 1 each, 4 fish lost each - not conclusive on the test, but a nice eve to be out. Pushing my luck it cost me a chinese t/a tonight to pay for my tokens! Out again today with Rach on board - macky aplenty - joeys as well! Short snorkell at 10am on the slack - good fun! Total taly - 5 bass, best 5lb (again!) and 5 fish lost all in 5 drifts. Phew!!!... Comp tomorrow.... Adam

Reg, Baiter Park Public slip is near enough to sandbanks for you. It is also good enough for you to launch.

Will keep a look out Coddy. I presume it was insured? Stolen boats like this must be hard to move on? Surely not like a car where you can disguise it easily. I guess you could split it up and mix and match the parts and accesories.....warrior also have the serial number in three places on the boat - all very hard to find. Adam

Mine were swimming anti-clockwise tonight.....

I see all of the threads below giving the new site sponsors....cant we have the links on the forum page, as well as the main site page. Personally I rarely look at the main site, just dip in and out of the forum. Yesterday I had to hunt down the Amazon link - just a thought?>...

Charlie, Did you get my PM - I have already sent through the catches? Adam, sorry, Tin Tin

Absolute quality!! I will suggest that Paul D cuts the three reports into one long story and then posts them perminently on the forum / front page. Here's to the next trip!.....now where did I put that blanket? Tin Tin

Nice one Dave, Read the review in BFM a few months back and wondered what they were like - a new conecpt is always interesting. Would you consdier the 230 if you were buying a 23 foot ish boat? Adam PS: If any of the members woud like to try this out, I am happy to organise a day down there?

Great news - will do (although not for a while, only just renewed...) Adam

Most GPS navigators have a trip function on them. Use as you would in a car - obviously they also take into account any driting, but they give a pretty good approximation.

Turn left out of lymington river and head along the coast for about 2 miles, look for the wooden stakes - this is sowley. Fish in about 25' of water on the drop off. Squid has been top bait last few years, and outfished crab. For hardbacks, just smash the shell slightly and bind them on with bait elastic.

You have a PM Charlie. Adam PS: species caught over the 3 days: Mackerel, garfish, gurnard, pollock, ling, cod, bass, turbot, brill, tope, weaver, launce....not bad!

....he has a way with words!! Superb reading and just as I remebered it, was one of the funniest trips Ive had for ages! Growler came from the noise emmited by Crazy after a few ales and once he had hit the bunks - it took 2 hours for me to go to sleep to first night - the growling even muted out the generator running on the boat moored next to us!!

Simon, I reckon that the 4400 would be ideal for bream. Im not that familier with the sizes of these reels, but I do know the bigger ones are massive, if only for bream then the 4400 should be ideal... Adam