A day on the inshore wrecks

[GPSguru]

 

Well, today didn’t quite turn out as planned !

We launched at 9:00am and once out of the navigation channel the sea was glassy, but had a short 3 sec swell coming from 2 different directions, which has the combined effect of leaving some quite large troughs. One of the those seas that looks like 30knts, but 20knt is at least comfortable !

I pushed on out to a line of 12 mile wrecks. We tried 5 of them and didn’t get a sniff, not even a tap. Given that these wrecks were barren, at about lunch time we decided to come back in to a 9 mile wreck that always produces a fish or two, instead of pushing out further to the 20 – 30 mile wrecks,  and we were not disappointed.

This is a wreck that I fish a lot so I know the layout quite well. Straight away we were into Pout and I don’t know how many we had but I lost count at 40. At least the gulls were getting a good feed, as pout suffer from barotrauma and rarely swim off when they go back.

We could see shoals of ‘something’ on the sounder so the wife wanted to try a string of tinsels to see if it was early Mackerel, or late Whiting. TBH, I suspect it was mini whiting or Sprat’s.

The tinsels were a massive hit with the pout and she was bringing them up in two’s and three’s, with often a very small whiting on the string.

The stamp of the pout was about 1.5lb with the occasional bigger fish. Using SPJ I had one of probably 3lb ish. Every method I used produced Pout …… RedGills, SPJ, and Shads

The Tinsels did however make an interesting catch. Quite a rare species and only the second one I have ever had on the boat. This is normally an inshore mud dwelling fish and not something you expect to find on a wreck 9 miles out.

 

 A Red Band fish ............

 

 

 

The wrecks are still in late winter / early spring mode, but you have to keep trying because the Pollock, Cod, and Bass can very suddenly appear.

A trip of 32Nm, but it was a very pleasant day in the warm sunshine

Edited April 21, 2021 by GPSguru

[Andy135]

A red band fish! Who knew?! I've heard of them being caught along Plymouth Breakwater but not as far east as your way. Good catch.

Sounds like a decent, busy session. Just goes to show how local knowledge counts for everything. Well done. 👍

[jonnyswamp]

Still a pleasant day to be out and you had SOME fish

As I won't be going abroad this summer, I'm seriously thinking about steaming down and around to your neck of the woods for a couple of weeks in the summer

Are there any visitors moorings in Dartmouth/Torbay area that would be available for 2 weeks, or are they all short term 

Really fancy a fortnight down there

[Andy135]

4 minutes ago, jonnyswamp said:

Still a pleasant day to be out and you had SOME fish

As I won't be going abroad this summer, I'm seriously thinking about steaming down and around to your neck of the woods for a couple of weeks in the summer

Are there any visitors moorings in Dartmouth/Torbay area that would be available for 2 weeks, or are they all short term 

Really fancy a fortnight down there

Dart Haven has some visitor moorings. All short term and not bookable in advance but they will all be walk ashore plus Dart Haven has good facilities. It's on the Kingswear side of the river but the Lower Ferries get you to the Dartmouth side every 10 mins or so.

Noss on Dart a bit further upriver also has similar visitor moorings. It's quieter up there but you'd have to take the water taxi to get into Dartmouth for a meal, or walk downriver from Noss to the Higher Ferry to get over to Dartmouth.

I'd avoid Dart Harbour authority visitor moorings as they can raft up, meaning you would have a faff if you wanted to depart early for a session and were on the inside of the raft, plus some of their moorings aren't walk-ashore.

Not sure about Paignton/Torbay marinas but I'd guess they are all non-bookable short term too.

If you did go to Dartmouth.... I'd be tempted to take mine down for a couple of nights too. 

[Odyssey]

Are you trailering? It’s a hell of a trek around lands end and back up the other side? 
 

West Wales is good, Lundy is day trip away, Padstow for a weekend and inshore reefs as well as smalls locally for the lures 🙂 

[Saintly Fish]

3 minutes ago, Andy135 said:

If you did go to Dartmouth.... I'd be tempted to take mine down for a couple of nights too. 

Nothing like put the poor guy off!!

[Andy135]

Just now, Saintly Fish said:

Nothing like put the poor guy off!!

🤣🤣🖕

[Saintly Fish]

I think anywhere at these times needs to be booked. The amount of boat owners who are not going on holiday but staying on their boats for staycations is immense. The marinas round our way are fully booked pretty much all through the summer already.  

[Saintly Fish]

3 minutes ago, Andy135 said:

🤣🤣🖕

#stalker

[jonnyswamp]

2 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

Are you trailering? It’s a hell of a trek around lands end and back up the other side? 
 

West Wales is good, Lundy is day trip away, Padstow for a weekend and inshore reefs as well as smalls locally for the lures 🙂 

Not trailering no, would sail down

Have also given Milford more than a passing thought too, some cracking reef fishing down there

Would have to be somewhere i can book in advance, don't want to leave it to chance

I've got the number for Dart Marina, will give them a call tomorrow and see what they have

[GPSguru]

28 minutes ago, jonnyswamp said:

Still a pleasant day to be out and you had SOME fish

As I won't be going abroad this summer, I'm seriously thinking about steaming down and around to your neck of the woods for a couple of weeks in the summer

Are there any visitors moorings in Dartmouth/Torbay area that would be available for 2 weeks, or are they all short term 

Really fancy a fortnight down there

Yes, there are visitor moorings in Salcombe, Dartmouth, Brixham, Torquay, & Teignmouth.

mostly the charge by the night per metre.

There are 2 marinas in Dartmouth, noss and darthaven.

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by GPSguru

[Saintly Fish]

1 minute ago, GPSguru said:

Yes, there are visitor moorings in Salcombe, Dartmouth, Brixham, Torquay, & Teignmouth.

mostly the charge by the night per metre.

I was going to suggest Brixham. 
Looks like a Devin boat meet on the cards too🤔

[jonnyswamp]

2 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

I was going to suggest Brixham. 
Looks like a Devin boat meet on the cards too🤔

Only a thought at the minute, but will definitely go somewhere

[Geoff]

Where on earth  is Devin? 

[GPSguru]

1 hour ago, jonnyswamp said:

Not trailering no, would sail down

Have also given Milford more than a passing thought too, some cracking reef fishing down there

Would have to be somewhere i can book in advance, don't want to leave it to chance

I've got the number for Dart Marina, will give them a call tomorrow and see what they have

If you were coming this way then  take a good look at what Fowey and Falmouth have to offer. The fishing is generally excellent there and there are plenty of sheltered marks.

Edited April 21, 2021 by GPSguru

[Saintly Fish]

4 minutes ago, jonnyswamp said:

Only a thought at the minute, but will definitely go somewhere

Don’t panic...... 

[jonnyswamp]

52 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

Don’t panic...... 

OK 👍

[Odyssey]

16 hours ago, jonnyswamp said:

Not trailering no, would sail down

Have also given Milford more than a passing thought too, some cracking reef fishing down there

Would have to be somewhere i can book in advance, don't want to leave it to chance

I've got the number for Dart Marina, will give them a call tomorrow and see what they have

Milford will most likely have room, ring a day or two before (especially if down over bank holidays). 
 

24/7 fuel and good pubs in marina :)!