Solo Saturday

[Josh]

So single handed trip this time.

heading west ! Two clear days of weather I just could not pass up even at the difficulties of being single handed with what might crop up..

day 1,

No hook ups other than

loads of 6inch mackerel constantly pretty much whenever I tried.

(always nice when this happens)

Stunning weather and displays of tuna literally every 30minutes  or so but not fields of them just one full breach but there obviously was numbers you could tell.

Managed to catch a good breach shot.

I had one do this between my floats and no takes .

….

day 2 ;

Arrival harbour 6.30am

bacon buttys on

exit harbour 7am

Day due for the same weather but it wasn’t. Was quite a northerly chop going fortunately I was in pretty close which helped but it weren’t ideal… anyway

 

no birds

no bait fish 

not one tuna bust sight

this was looking like a different place to yesterday…

so I carried on eventually found the mackerel and tons of it all small.

after about 4 hrs of getting pushed offshore I saw the birds working In close again and thought I’ll go in for another 2 hrs drift back again from there… so I’m not too far off to finish.

 

well I arrived at the birds put one bait out sent it back on the ballon.

put my second one down bent down to pick  something up got up and the float was gone !

F*****!!!

Wer on and at a rate of knots !!ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A run that was frightening literally makes u question wether this is for fun !

Engine on and into battle getting stuck in with a lot more confidence in my ability now .. although it was bloody hard work driving the boat and fishing this way. I had to be on the wheel continuously. Or it would of been gone !

anyway I had it on the leader but (lesson learnt ) my traces are still way too long pulling his head up without ditching the rod was almost impossible this was about an hour in. Then the fight was very nearly over as that extra long trace wrapped round one eyes and I actually said ‘that’s a lost fish’

somehow I managed to unwrap it with the prop going how I didn’t loose it I don’t know!

anyway so another 40 mins the fish changed tactics now and was gunning for depth trying to keep me straight so I kept driving forward and around to avoid this .

it was helping but getting hard and tiring obviously …. Every time I wanted to get stuck into the rod I need to go back to the wheel to manoeuvre…

so back on the leader gloves on same thing I can either stay looking at the fish 10foot under or Unclip and go for it.

so I did and YES I got her up monumental size what a sight ! I stuck the gaff in and felt a wave of relief but to be fair the only negative was that he shook his head so much so that he actually slipped off the gaff turned and popped the hook himself .

 

i was gutted from a glory photo point of view but I knew i caught this fish unlike last year. Not a bad job on my own i thought … I wouldn’t recommend it though no matter how many people do it.

Sorry I haven’t got more photos you’ll have to use imagination and take my word for it this time !

back to Kent!

 

Josh

[Andy135]

Top work that man 💪! Very good work! A single handed capture - kudos to you. The weather this weekend was properly mint, so well done for making the most of it.

 

 

 

PS. Next time you're short-handed... message me, yeah? 😉🤣

[Josh]

Thanks Andy 

yeah why not mate ,I will do 

Most of all safety, your clipping in to serious fish one wrong move and it’s all over. 
 

what amazing fishing we have here..

 

on another note that might be worth a seperate post ,,, have you guys heard about ‘somehting about banning porbeagle fishing ‘

Not official but doesn’t sound nice…I mean obviously we would just say we are fishing for something else but how long before they say you then can’t fish for that ..

[Saintly Fish]

Good report @Josh, sounds like fun. But, we have a rule here, no photo = no catch. Sorry better luck next time 🤣

Great breach shot btw! 

[Andy135]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

on another note that might be worth a seperate post ,,, have you guys heard about ‘somehting about banning porbeagle fishing ‘

Not official but doesn’t sound nice…I mean obviously we would just say we are fishing for something else but how long before they say you then can’t fish for that ..

No, not heard anything along those lines. Who & where are they discussing this?

[Dicky]

Well done again mate, cracking fish. There seem to be more tuna around now than there was all summer. The tagging skippers catches were getting better and better just as the program was coming to an end.

With regards to the banning of beagle fishing is this in general or just when they are breeding as i know there has been pressure to stop fishing for them when in pup for a while. 

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Saintly Fish said:

Good report @Josh, sounds like fun. But, we have a rule here, no photo = no catch. Sorry better luck next time 🤣

Great breach shot btw! 

Mate , I kno this is the world we live in and believe me I was telling my mate and he was like what’s the matter and I said I still feel short of it. But reality is I couldn’t of got much face bombing on my own I just wanted picture of it while it had fully surfaced and gave up! Oh well keeps us coming back right!

[Josh]

52 minutes ago, Dicky said:

Well done again mate, cracking fish. There seem to be more tuna around now than there was all summer. The tagging skippers catches were getting better and better just as the program was coming to an end.

With regards to the banning of beagle fishing is this in general or just when they are breeding as i know there has been pressure to stop fishing for them when in pup for a while. 

Re::porgies

I’m not sure to be fair in the details of that but hopefully neither right.

 

re: tuna

yeah I’d say so everything was later … and I’d probably say that the skippers were learning more n more on the job as they went which picked up catch rate ..

their also fight times are down sometimes to 5minutes,

those massive spreader bars put enormous drag on the fish .. I suppose from a protective program point of view it has its place .

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Andy135 said:

No, not heard anything along those lines. Who & where are they discussing this?

I saw it posted all over the shark fishing forums on Facebook but to be fair it was glancing look as I was boating , just saw negative looked away … the post was abo it how to stop it to be fair 

[Josh]

Just now, JonC said:

I suggest you get yourself back out there and get another one with a photo.🤣

I like your style 👊😎

[Josh]

[Saintly Fish]

17 minutes ago, Josh said:

Mate , I kno this is the world we live in and believe me I was telling my mate and he was like what’s the matter and I said I still feel short of it. But reality is I couldn’t of got much face bombing on my own I just wanted picture of it while it had fully surfaced and gave up! Oh well keeps us coming back right!

I'm sure the image of the fish by the boat is etched into your mind? 
So, with this, could you not do a sketch ??

[Josh]

6 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

I'm sure the image of the fish by the boat is etched into your mind? 
So, with this, could you not do a sketch ??

🤪🤪🤪

[Saintly Fish]

4 minutes ago, Josh said:

🤪🤪🤪

I'll take that as a no then! 

[Josh]

21 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

I'll take that as a no then! 

Lol , I think I’ll take my chances at trying to catch another , rather that let you guys maul my drawing efforts😝

[Saintly Fish]

11 minutes ago, Josh said:

you guys maul my drawing efforts😝

Like we would...... really!! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[GPSguru]

5 hours ago, Josh said:

on another note that might be worth a seperate post ,,, have you guys heard about ‘somehting about banning porbeagle fishing ‘

Not official but doesn’t sound nice…I mean obviously we would just say we are fishing for something else but how long before they say you then can’t fish for

Yes, but it is a long way off yet. I was talking to the chairman of the ATA ( Angling Trades Association) who is also tied up with CEFAS. Also they are concerned about the pollock stocks and may bring in similar rules like we have for the Bass. 

[Odyssey]

Epic! Glad you got one 🙂 

I’ll drop a PM about the sharks and stuff…. This is a public forum and I’m concious that no ammo is goven out to stalkers 😬😬😬

[GPSguru]

On 11/20/2021 at 11:16 PM, Josh said:

although it was bloody hard work driving the boat and fishing this way.

A centre consol boat is a lot easier !

[Odyssey]

Angling trust are on the case now, they are putting together some information to lobby the government too…. 
 

Im not sure what we as individuals can do but I’ll do some digging and see what I find 

[Josh]

On 11/24/2021 at 12:03 AM, GPSguru said:

A centre consol boat is a lot easier !

I bet !

[Josh]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:00 AM, Odyssey said:

Angling trust are on the case now, they are putting together some information to lobby the government too…. 
 

Im not sure what we as individuals can do but I’ll do some digging and see what I find 

Yeah mate we need to group together on this, if we are serious about not loosing some of the best fishing we have over here 

[Odyssey]

4 minutes ago, Josh said:

Yeah mate we need to group together on this, if we are serious about not loosing some of the best fishing we have over here 

I’ll ask around see what can do. I’m sure I could get a few Welsh skippers on board (there’s only 4 of us left who target sharks now… a few part timers who do odd trip but Celtic deeps going to be quiet in 2022…)

Edited November 25, 2021 by Odyssey

[JDP]

Pretty sad to loose a tired fish with a gaff shot in it. Maybe think about doing this style of fishing with another person onboard for the welfare of the fish until you become experienced enough to target them solo. The truth can be harsh but this kind of report doesn't favour regulations to be changed.

Edited November 25, 2021 by JDP

[GPSguru]

45 minutes ago, JDP said:

Pretty sad to loose a tired fish with a gaff shot in it. Maybe think about doing this style of fishing with another person onboard for the welfare of the fish until you become experienced enough to target them solo. The truth can be harsh but this kind of report doesn't favour regulations to be changed.

The fish wasn't gaffed, probably a ‘loose’ description by Josh.

The proper name of the tool we use is a lip hook. It looks like a gaff, but is carefully inserted under the chin from the lower gill flap, or in the mouth and out of the chin gill flap. It is a safe and recognised way of holding the fish at the side of the boat for recovery whilst motoring forward at 3  - 4 knts to ensure oxygenated water is flowing over the gills.

Mine is made from 12mm stainless with a T bar handle so it can be roped if required. For the rope I use a long 24mm soft  multiplatt. i know that Josh uses the same tool.

 

Edited November 26, 2021 by GPSguru