Gnasher

with the alarm set for 4.15am, i find myself awake and getting the gear ready at 3.45am for some stupid reason, but it ment that at least i would have time to now meet Dom and hitch the boat and be off before 4.30am. A stop at the 24h garage for some fuel, and we find us chatting to a friend of ours pi$$ed out her face after a night clubbing in bmth. It just seems weird that im going fishing before she was even home form her night out! Anyway, the boat is in Mudeford slip early, and the car is driven to my secret free carparking spot, but we get back to the harbour as the sun is lifting, we now see that the wind is much stronger than we thought, with foam being kicked up in the harbour. A nice easy launch and were heading out of the run before we head round the groyne in lumpy conditions, followed by the decision to spend an hour trolling, but the bass wernt playing ball, with the only action comming was from Dom but he pulled out of the fish! Plan 2- Motor to Boscombe, as the waves break over the top of the boat and attempt to drift for a plaice- disaster- the area is thick with small bream and we cant keep the bait in for more than 30 seconds with out the tips rattling away! We then decide to get some bait and filled the bucket with maccy from a spot close by! Plan 3- We move a couple of miles somewhere south and anchor for a skate! We get there and it is bordering unfishable with breakers everywhere, but luckily there was a yaucht anchored up with fisherman on board 150m away which made it feel safer! (it died right back after an hour and was calm(ish) by about 8am) Baits for the skate were fresh maccy fillets on mine, with Dom using double squid on one and whole maccy deadbait on the other! I feed the kennel with my prime fillets, whilst Dom has a bream a cast on 6/0 pennaled double squid baits! Not one fish bigger than a pound either. The first decent bite came to a whole maccy bait wthat sees Dom hooked into a decent fish, before his trace is bitten clean through! The early tope must be around! Its quiet for an hour before Dom is hooked into something better! A good scrap sees him bring a small but welcome Smalleyed Ray aboard! Neo then comes along to see how we have been getting on, before anchoring close by, followed by AWOL passing at close range. Another hour pass, with plenty more maccy, LSD and bream before we decide to up anchore and head for another mark a mile and a half or so further out. Pulling along side Neo, i let him know that were going to try and get a conger, and he soon follows! We put the anchor down in the new zone, before circling the area to get right on the mark (a mark ive never fished before). Heavy traces go down with a maccy chunck fished on a single 6/0 hook were my line of attack. Dom drops down a big rod, followed by a light bream rod with squid, and its the bream rod that twitches first, not a bream, but an angry conger ripping off his light line before dropping the hook. Neo anchored 50yards away at the new mark is also into a good fish, but we watch from the distance as he loses it near the surface! A couple of dogs to us both before my rod twitches, i then give some line as i feel it an eel backing up on its self. Bang! The rods hooped over, and im now struggling with an angry eel! 30 minutes in all before the beast surfaces but no chance of it getting in the net, before crash diving from the surface to the bottom on 5 occasions! We eventually haul it aboard, and its huge! Im $hlt scared of these things anyway, after seeing one chew Paul D's water butt and then clamping its jaws around his foot! We eventually get it weighed and at 52lb, its a huge inshore fish, especially from a small boat! At 7 foot long and huge girth, we both new it was 50 straight away. I cant even hold it properly and you can see by my expression on the pic, that there is a huge weight in my arms, but please excuse the poor pic as i didnt want to get to close to its jaws/gills, so i bottled it by holding it like a pansie . Fish back, and im chuffed to bits! No sooner had i had a drink, then the same rod it twitching! Another angry eel is on, this time, i manage to get it in in short time, and as it feels abit smaller. Soon in the net and i manage to hold it up for the camera and get a better snap! Its a much smaller fish at just over 25lb, but its still a decent fish all the same! Time to head in, i follow PJ up the run, sneaking up on hm, although he didn't notice, and meeting up with Alun J for a chat at the slip! All in all, a top days fishing and as a sport fisherman, angry conger dont come any more sporting! Dan

Dave, im round the corner from you, if you ever want to check my anchor set up, let me know. Or even better, bring your boat out Sat and buddy us? Dan

PD, not quite sure where were heading now, as i have no time to collect crab, but defo getting out somewhere! I may be getting out of Mudeford instead, but i will let you know! 3 boats maybe? Dat Dam Boat Gastronaught? Neo? Any other takers? Windguru looks good!

Caught last night (Tuesday) Defo not one of the biggest fish ive landed, but still a lean mean fighting machine! Landed on the usual super light gear (2lb line, tiny hook, minute pieces of bread, under a pole float) Dan p.s. i was happy with the self take pic aswel. Balanced the camera on a step

Dom, we can launch about 5am and catch some mullet if you like while we wait for the bar to flood.

with all those smoothies around, i may be tempted to go for them on sat around sowley. Thats only if its to rough for the 9 miles banks for the blondes, and i think it will be. Anyone wanna bring their boat and buddy up? Paul D?

what were the bass taking? were you finding maccy or in numbers or were they on lures?

well done matey. Was it on the numbers i gave you or did you try another mark? They can be pretty hit and miss, but with some scent in the water, they are normally obliging. a 2.5lb fish is a beauty . Good angling! You were a lucky chappy attempting the ledge without having the anchor tripped and not losing it !

how good is the fishing around Betsey Ann? Is it a decent bet for anchoring up for an eel?

Ive used Towsure- very good. Not tried trailertek, but sounds good.

a couple of marks are in your message box mate.

I wouldn't want to fish in this http://video.aol.co.uk/video-funny/1885948

congrats big fella

Welcome to the club mate the ledge is about half way between hengisbury head groyne and the needles Look for about 30ft of water and you will be on top of the ledge. worm baits for bream and wrass (decent cuckoo wrass can also be caught), whole squid for doggies, huss and bass. Squid strips for bream and doggies. Live baits for bass. Whole maccy for big bass or big night time conger. (a bit early for some of the mentiones species, but its a basic summer guide, but the bream, wrass, doggies and Huss will be there in numbers) (numbers not to hand, i will PM you some before wed, unless someone else does it, but please don't print them on the open forum Dan

I have Sat 26th free. lets pencil it in.

i heard it was Paul D with an 8lb 7oz giant.......

i will be out with Roger Bayzand, i will wait another month though as i want the sea temp to warm slightly.

not sure yet Tom. It was gonna be a boat feature after them with Dave, but the plan is now to stalk them along the shore, so not sure who is comming down!

for some reason ive gained a bit of a rep outside the club as a bit of a mullet guru, and i've just been contacted by the lads from S.A about doing a feature! They are very interested in the ultra light gear approach and seem interested in how they can be hooked and landed on 2lb line, 18 hooks and punched bread under a pole float! The feature could go one of two ways- 10 fish afternoon target from venue A, or a 7lb fish from venue B, but its only in early days of planning! It should be interesting!

i clicked on the downloads section on the bar at the top of the page, as ive never seen this heading up before, but it says acsess denied! Anyone else use this area? Or are we all barred? What downloads? Dan

my cheque has been posted..... not sure if its been received, so i'm checking my status!

Terry doing hos Russel Brand impression

thanks for that Paul. Im not planning to go for them until the back end of the month as i have got some leave owed, but with shed loads of crabs peeling at the moment, it was the smoothies that got me thinking. I will let you know when i am going

I bought my boat from SS, and as you would expect with him, its covered in stainless....and hes done a great job with it as it all looks great!

i'd rather drift the bridge on on a blow up lilo than get on that thing