First sharking trip

[Tony smith]

Started with having half a day off work on the Friday to go down and get the boat on the blocks ready for cleaning the bottom. 
and by god did she need it. 
Met James at Hardway who gave me a hand with the cleaning it’s bloody hard work jet washing very low down or I’m getting to old for all this 😫
We got up Saturday at 4am it was over to the fuel dock and then we were Needles bound. 
It was a bit overcast but looking like it was going to be a nice day.
Sea was smooth boat went like a dream, we was hitting 21 knots at one point.
Got it down to a steady 16 knots everything felt different, I went to adjust the trim tabs and nearly went under water on one side haha. 😂
Spotted the gulls working stopped a couple of times but No mackerel. 
We headed out about six miles out from the Needled to start our drift to St Catherine’s Point. 
Chum bags out weather was perfect.

We had four shark rods out and two on feathers be great to get some live baits out there.

We were half way to St Catherine’s point and James had two mackerel.
We had two rods on live mackerel and two on dead hope this will change things.
The chum bags was doing there thing a slick of oil leaving the boat.

Spoke to Saintly Fish on the VHF radio which was nice who was fishing just a few miles from us.

The tide turned about a mile from St Catherine’s Point then we were heading back to the Needles.

Its a good feeling when your shark fishing thinking at any one moment all hell could break loose.

We had the float at different depth and about 100 yards from the boat.

Looks like we are going to blank.😫

Just going past the Needles a yacht was heading straight at us I shouted can you give us a bit of room. He shouted back I can’t steer it.

 I grabbed  my rods started reeling in like mad but he went right over my two rods.

both floats broke off lost one lot of tackle 

I shouted to him all this sea and you have to get this close. (wankers)

He didn’t give a shit I started the boat and picked up my floats 

We packed up at that point and headed for Yarmouth for the night 

I was so pissed off I thought about driving alongside the yacht and launching two bags of chum on his deck 🤪

Yarmouth is a real nice place to stop over 

Harbour master there sorted a mooring 

for us push the boat in for us really great.

It was a walk around the small town and fish & chips for dinner with a few beers 😀

Great nights sleep.

Up early ready for the next fishing adventure 

It was Over to the fuel dock

Wind was blowing a bit 

Got out from Yarmouth and realised that the sharking was off for today far too windy 

Headed back home in a force 4-5 sea 

we decided to tuck in at Totland Bay IOW as this would be the only sheltered place to fish.

Not a place we have fished before 

We anchored up James had another mackerel he was the mackerel specialist this trip haha.

Then James was into a nice Bass about 3 1/2 pound I had a dogfish at the same time.

I then had a nice Bass about 4lb 

Jame had a very nice spotted Ray about 3lb 

Then James was into something big 

All the time he was playing the fish he was saying I wish I had used wire on the trace instead of 20lb fluorocarbon  

He had it on 5-10 mins then snap he was right he should of used wire. 🙁

I would say it was a big Blonde Ray 

We were fishing over sand we would give it another go there great little spot 300 yards from the beach.

The weather got better and we had a bit of fun.

It was so busy there with boats and Jet ski’s 

We headed home with a Bass dinner each

Boat all went well had a great time

Its a bit early for sharking but watch this space we will get there one day.

If you’re not in it you can’t win it

sorry it’s a bit long 

Tony / James 

 (Dream On)

 

 

 

 

 

[Andy135]

Cracking write up! Well done the pair of you. Some good fish on day 2.

Shame about the sharking and what a shitty yacht! No consideration for other sea users at all. Grrrr!

Still a bit early but good on you for getting out there 👍

[Saintly Fish]

Nice one Tony, well done for making the effort to go Pompey to needles. 
Yarmouth is our favourite place to weekend. It’s not great for leaving early though if rafted 4 deep!

[JDP]

Good to see a few pic's from my old stomping grounds. 

Some of my mates did well on mackerel out of Bembridge on the weekend, won't be long un till a few sharks turn up.