Wednesday 24th May

[GPSguru]

Again, just the wife and I, and a day where we were unsure what to do. I was not keen to fish the local wrecks (for obvious reasons), so decided that we could do with some Mackerel for making chum, and if the Mackerel were not there in numbers, then a trip out to 15 miles off Berry head to the Meatboat wreck would probably work as a plan B.

After the wife's reel seat broke when she hooked a ray on the skerries, I have treated her to a new Kenzaki super braid (12 - 20) and a Fin-nor MA12 reel, and this combo needed to be christened !

Launched at 08:30 and first stop was the Orestone and Hopes Nose. I did my usual trick of a trundle around at about 6 kts until I found some sign of life on the sounder. Then I switch the sounder over to 'livescope' and hit the Mackerel with deadly accuracy, in terms of depth and which side of the boat to fish.

I found a drift where we were constantly catching, and the size of the mackerel was good, with mostly mediums, and medium large. The wife was using a string of 5 snowbiki's on size 6 hooks, and I was using a string of 3 Hokkai's on size 1/0 hooks.

By about 11:00 am we had a good number of Mackerel, so I decided to head over to a huge mussel farm that is located quite close to us in an area known as the Livermead Roads. The mussel farm is owned by a guy I know well, who also owns the oyster farm in the estuary where I launch. Last year his lower mussels on the strings were devastated by Bream, it took him a while to work it out, but the local divers were happy to go down and find the answer. I set up an excellent drift that took us along the edge of the mussel strings, using the size 6 tinsels baited with a sliver of squid. After 2 log drifts, it was obvious that the bream had gone on holiday, so we returned to slaughtering the Mackerel shoals.

All too soon it was 12 midday and time to head in for the afternoon school run. Just as I left the back of the Orestone we were joined by a huge pod of junior dolphins who stayed with us for 4 miles at a speed of almost 18 kts, often banging into the boat, and coming clean out of the water along side.

It was a very nice day to be out there, wall to wall sunshine and a completely flat sea.

Just one pic that says it all, I had half emptied it before I remembered to take the picture, so in all we had a little over 200 Mackerel, which fills the Igloo box to the brim.

Most of these will be made into chum for next month's shark fishing, but we had Mack for evening meal, and a few of the lager fish have been filleted for consumption over the next couple of days.

Edited May 24, 2023 by GPSguru

[Saintly Fish]

Well done for getting over the natural nerves, and for paying your mate the best tribute possible. Catching fish!! 

[Andy135]

Agree with @Saintly Fish, a good session and a fitting way to pay your respects.