A day onboard True Blue - Why are there so many fish ?

[tommy a]

We had a day out on True Blue Sunday just gone - out of Poole with a skipper Ive never met before - good avice from Drew because he was absolutely superb.

Arrived at the boat for 7.00am to have a quick chat about boat safety and life jackets - thats the first time that a skipper has ever bothered about safety and what happens if the unthinkable does go wrong !!!

Anyway after that he showed everyone on board what tackle we were using and off we went - two hours out on a flat sea and we were fishing for the cod on the rocky bottom. I had the first fish of the day within 5minutes - a nice size of about 6lb and thats how the day continued - we ended up with over 70 cod between the boat with quite a few being put back for being too small ( like 4lb ) and as the tide turned the sizes grew and the last hour I think everyone on board had a double figure cod - certainly my first ever !!!

Steve is a fantastic skipper - he spent the whole day talking and advising on what we were doing wrong and when you have novices on the boat with a 3not tide his advise is needed and very helpful to stop all the tangles that we had in the first 20mins. He also dedicated a lot of time to the 2 youngsters on board - he didnt just leave them he helped and he helped and their faces were a picture when landing cod that they could hardly hold up !!!!

He convinced me and two others to move to braid - bloody brilliant - I was a braid virgin but no more.

Anyway if anyone wants to try a boat that has massive deck space, a skipper that will always help you but at the same time expect you to learn and start helping yourself, then Steve Porter is your man and True Blue from Poole is the boat.

Absolutely fantastic.

Finally Im intrigued to know why the cod are everywhere this year - it seems last year and this summer are some of the best fishing ever and I thought the stocks were shot to bits - anyone any ideas on the cod explosion and whether it will last ?

[Drew]

Hi All/Tommy,

I'm glad that you enjoyed your day out with Steve on "True Blue" and sorry that I couldn't be with you. As you know I responded to a call for help from Darrelc to make up numbers on his charter.

My first impression of Steve since first meeting him many many years ago, was "What a wonderful father he would be to a small boy" An Action Man, Helicopter Pilot, Pilot, Offshore Yacht Master, Charter Boat Owner Etc Etc Etc. I could go on all day talking about him and his exploits.

I'm off to Alderney on the 6th June with him for four days and out again on the 27th with some friends from London.

As far as the Cod goes I have no explanation, last year was identical, they arrived towards the end of May and remained until July/August.

I hope to meet up with you and your dad one of these days in the not too distant future.

Regards

Drew

[tommy a]

Drew - yeah will be good to meet up eventually - if you get any urge to go on a mid week trip let me and dad know with a few days notice and we'll try and get there.

Cheers

[pingu]

sounds a cracking trip tommy

wish they would come nearer the shore though

dave

[TURBOTAKER]

Very nice trip!!! Welldone to the anglers and skipper!!! I honestly think that alot of fish arent coming as close to shore as they used to,ive been out on boats catching lots of fish about 500yrds off shore and the anglers on the shore werent catching at all

[Gremlin]

It's terrific that folks are discovering that there are fish out there in mid-Channel.

Wreck and Outer Bank fishing is not as good as it used to be, but will fill your boots given a good skip and good weather and tide.
But it will cost you an average £55 - £80.
Perhaps the spin-off of a couple of months cod fillets in the freezer is justification, given that MPs are flush enough to use OUR money for 'floating duck islands'.

Last time I fished out of Lymington with a well-known wreck skipper, I told him what he could do with my 114lbs of pollack fillets (although I delivered them to a local 'rest home', not mine).
Much better to have moved on when we had enough for personal consumption.

I have no desire or motivation to seek 100 or more cod a day, given that our commercials, cannot catch them for 10 months of the year ... quota system, I believe.
(Not that I have any sympathy with their law-breakers)

It doesn't help the fact that inshore (6miles) fishing is great for smuts and doggies and in some winters we get whiting and the 'odd cod'.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Cracking trip mate and well done

[tommy a]

You are right mate - no need to stay on a mark for the whole day as far as Im concerned just to fill yer boots - Dad and I brought home 9 fish between us returning a fair few that were about 5lb and giving a couple to the skipper. In general the boat and fishermen on it returned anything that wasnt over 6lb so there are a lot of chaps out there who have a good idea bout stocks and conservation.

What the trip has done for me is that its highlighted that a charter skipper is worth his weight in gold if hes a good'un and in return his reputation will only get better - really makes it worth while doing your research on a boat and skipper before handing over the hard earned dosh ! Not only that but the fact that I have several fillets of cod in the freezer means theres no real need to be out after the species again this summer - so am now looking at other types of fishing for good sport.

Like you said - no need to go overboard just to say youve had 100+ fish - put them back and look forward to another good summer next year I reckon !

[KKK]

My theroy on why not that many fish come to shore anglers but tend to remain out at sea is that the sewatge pipe outlets have been movved further out to sea to help with blue flags hence the worm etc now have their worm beds further out to compensate the movement of the outlets

[Gremlin]

... hence the worm etc now have their worm beds further out to compensate the movement of the outlets

Direct me to your crap, please.