great white

Dawn Raider

Raiding a Wreck today

Charlie

Hi All,

What a great day.

After a day bouncing around without many fish yesterday, the plan was ether a haul out to the Rips to look for pollack or a trip west to a wreck for the Eels.

The Weather and tides were so good for an Eel trip that Humphreys arm was easily twisted into that decision. so with Dawn Raider in Hot pursuit off we went.

By the time most of you were finishing your first coffee at work we were anchoring the wreck, but the position was not to our liking so in came the anchor to be moved 50 metres South. [ The hydraulic hauler certainly helps].

By the time James had his anchor in, we had an eel on the way up and in less than an hour we had 10 on the boat.

As the tide slackened we were pushed south of the wreck to wait for the flood tide.

After moving for the flood the action really started and the size of the fish improved with several over the 30lb mark being lifted in to be weighed.

We were fishing one rod each to avoid tangles, and a couple of times had treble hook ups with the other rod out of action due to re-baiting re-tackling or having just landed a fish.

It was hectic on Dawn Raider and impresive to watch the lads in action with plenty of double hook ups, and at one time they were both playing fish with one rod and the other rods in James very smart rod holders going mental as another pair of fish waited for some attention.

In the end we had a total of 40 eels. before we had a couple of slow drifts over the wreck then a move inshore to try for other species. The best Conger onboard today was 46lb.

But it was definatly a Conger Day as we saw James catch another in there as well, with a few Dogs and what may have been a Huss.

Great day and nice to be able to offer James and Adam a guide in such lovely weather to a wreck that fished so well.

I expect we had over 1000lb of fish onboard today and all went back, most without coming out of the water.

I am going to have a sit down with a beer to sooth the bits that ache tonight.

tight lines

Charlie

Hi Alun

I am out tomorrow with the kids so if we catch or hear of anything being caught I will post tommorow evening.

Charlie

Nice looking boat and I really liked the advert format.

If you click on the pictures you can drag the corners to enlarge and get a better view

Charlie

Have a great Birthday

Hope you get what you wished for

Charlie

Hi Alun

Not sure I would be to keen to be out fishing in a small boat in that forecast.

Having just spent two days Instructing Powerboat level two in the Harbour [and getting a fair amount of salt water over by floatation suit in the process] I am very aware how bad the forecast was.

And how rough the harbour was in the Main and North channels.

We would not have gone out except that we had 4 RIBs, all with full safety equipment, We were in VHF contact and with an Instructor on each boat.

Even then we cancelled boatwork at 1130 this morning in driving hailstones and heavy gusts of wind.

As we said last meeting it is the skippers discision to go to sea, but considering you were probably the only boat around, and the forecast was so poor was it the right one?

Nice fish Alun and I await a fish report so that I can add them to the book.

but was the risk to high?

A concerned Charlie

Nice to hear there is a window

I have a few days off so hope to get to a wreck again with the boys

May even get a trip with ow much and go a bit further out

Tight lines all

Charlie

Brave Man

I hope it keeps midges away from the orifice it may finish up in.

Duncan

You may be right about the fuel economy but the cruising speed would make your trips from Rockley to weymouth or the solent a long day.

Charlie

Nice to see that persistance pays off after your very quiet trip earlier in the week

Can I ask someone to send me a catch report of who caught what, and I will add them to the book.

Nice one

Charlie

Blimey I was going to join in, but the depths that these post have gone into meant I don't have time to read them at work.

I will try and get the kids off my PC at home and have a look.

Charlie

Dry Powder is the one to have on the boat it will put out all fires.

They make a mess but who cares.

Having seen how fast a GRP boat burns a good fire extinguisher is a must. Imagine what would happen if a fire starts while you are at sea.

Charlie

I am not sure how tongue in cheek the bream comments were.

If you try bream tactics on wrecks at this time of year you will catch lots , but they will be pout not bream I think.

Last year I took Sam to the "start" and it was taking less than 2 seconds from the weight hitting bottom to the first pout bite on baited feathers

Tight lines on Sat, I await reports

Charlie

Hi Colin,

I am afraid that is why so many boats are out at this time of the year

Fish are hard to find.

As we discussed on Monday the Rays and Conger are probably the best target species, but some good flounders were recorded last Feb.

Better luck on your next trip,

Charlie

I have used it a lot for reef congers and even when wreck fishing when they are reluctant to feed, I usually drop it to the bottom in a weighted bag on a spare rod then invert the bag to leave the chopped fish on the seabed.

I have used Aluns method of almost chumming for bass, and as he says they do tend to come in well stuffed with chunks, especially heads

Charlie

last but not least

another 1

another shot from yesterday

Charlie

Hi a photo from yesterdays conger bash

Daniel and I both into eels

Sam in charge of the camera.

Charlie

In the Navy we were always told to coil a rope down clockwise

But that was three strand and not octoplait

Charlie

I think the damn stupid fish have lost their map, and are now using some small back alley

and not Bob's Cod highway.

I gave up on them yesterday and resorted to a winter conger trip insted.

Charlie

Kam

The card that you filled in when you bought the unit would have gone to the coastguard.

If in doubt call the coastguard on the phone and ask them to check their Data-Base

The second point, if you do not link the set to your GPS it will ask you to enter the position when you turn the set on, and when you send a call through DSC.

Charlie

A distress signal is sent by pressing the Red Button once then pressing and holding the red button for 5 seconds.

This sends a burst message on Channel 70 to all boats with DSC in the area within the range of the distressed boats VHF [Which is dependant on the ariel height]

The signal is picked up and aknowledged by the Coastguard, this aknowledgment is also recieved by all boats fitted with DSC VHF in their area.

All distress messages sent this way are then backed up on the VHF by voice messages on Channel 16. [Mayday message]

So while the bursts on Channel 70 may be digital and messages can be sent using the Alpha Numerick keypads, the majority of casualty working would still be done on the standard VHF.

The advantage of using the DSC distress signal is that when the red button operates the boats identification No [MMSI] and its position is transmitted to the coastguard and other boats in the area.

When sets are purchased they are registered with the coastguard so their Data Base holds the relavant info.

Above is a brief summary of my very recent GMDSS VHF course [sat 29th], that may be of interest.

If there are enough Members interested the Club may be able to set up a VHF Course

Please let me know

Charlie

I to seem to have a load of gear, plenty of it bought "For the kids dear" which explains why I have duplicates of a lot of gear.

My two favorites without doubt are

Team Diawa Uptider matched with ABU 7000c

This is good for all sorts of boat fishing from inshore to reef conger/tope and has caught many good fish

NorthWestern Carbon Kevlar 30lb class roller tip with Shimano TLD 15 or TLD20 and 30lb braid line

Happy to tackle anything that swims in Club Waters with this one, long flexible rod with a bit of guts when required

Would not throw the rest away though

Charlie

I have to agree with Sam

Tope Conger and Smoothounds

They give a great fight and are fairly easy to locate given the right weather in their season.

No tope on the survey so I have not voted

Charlie