Pollack in small tides ?

[tommy a]

Just wandered how much the tides effect the fishing for the winter pollack off the boats ? I was under the impression that the bigger tides are best and the charter boats Ive used certainly have the bigger tides for their trips BUT they are also boooked every weekend and so they cant always be fishing big tides - like this weekend for example when the tides are getting smaller !

If Gemini and others are out on Sat and the tide from then through until Monday will only change marginally surely Mondays tide will be good to fish ? I only ask because I might get out for a few hours on Monday if work permits - surely tides dont make a massive difference on the wrecks 10 - 20 miles out at this time of year when the pollack are supposed to be around - or do they ?

[John Marshall]

Originally Posted by tommy a

If Gemini and others are out on Sat and the tide from then through until Monday will only change marginally surely Mondays tide will be good to fish ? I only ask because I might get out for a few hours on Monday if work permits - surely tides dont make a massive difference on the wrecks 10 - 20 miles out at this time of year when the pollack are supposed to be around - or do they ?

OH YES THEY DO, big tides = fast drifts = less fish.
if you watch salmon or trout going up a river they will rest behind a rock before jumping a weir, the rock breaks the current.

Wrecks do the same, at full bore of tide the fish stay close to the wreck
conserving energy.

[paul p]

Great stuff john, thats one for the note book. I see your bit of a fly man john, as well as a top skipper and boat angler. John what would the best part of the tide to fish a wreck be, dead low are on the fill. Paul

[John Marshall]

Originally Posted by stud

Great stuff john, thats one for the note book. I see your bit of a fly man john, as well as a top skipper and boat angler. John what would the best part of the tide to fish a wreck be, dead low are on the fill. Paul

Hi all,
Paul gave up fluff chucking in the 80s, much prefer boat fishing and for the record I'm crew not skipper, although I do get to drive her.

As for tides, small tides can be great, bigger tides will only fish either side of slack water, this is my opinion for this area, slack water is best used at anchor
for conger and a bonus ling, or as we sometimes do, fish a bait bouncing the bottom just off the wreck, has produced some nice bullhuss.

John.

[paul p]

John as you know lol catching a salmon takes reading the river, i like the term fluff chucking lol, but i do both works out as boat for us starts may/june, salmon/grilse late summer/oct. Same river wild brownies 1st march/oct and shore sep/dec. Sorry about skipper john but ment the bit about the angler though. Many thanks for info john. Tight lines

[KKK]

I would love to help tommya but every time I mention pollack on this forum I tend to get hauled over the coals buy certain members on here, but I think there is an optimum drifting speed which involes less pollack on the biggest tides.

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by tommy a

Just wandered how much the tides effect the fishing for the winter pollack off the boats ? I was under the impression that the bigger tides are best and the charter boats Ive used certainly have the bigger tides for their trips BUT they are also boooked every weekend and so they cant always be fishing big tides - like this weekend for example when the tides are getting smaller !

If Gemini and others are out on Sat and the tide from then through until Monday will only change marginally surely Mondays tide will be good to fish ? I only ask because I might get out for a few hours on Monday if work permits - surely tides dont make a massive difference on the wrecks 10 - 20 miles out at this time of year when the pollack are supposed to be around - or do they ?

It's all about wind over tide...Simples


First few wreck trips are exploratory so finding Pollack offshore this time of year is a gamble ! First run of decent spring Pollack tend to be thicker at the end of Feb - i've seen us fish 5 wrecks in one day trying to get among the fish.
Imagine 10 guys dropping 12 foot traces onto a lump of mangled metal with no tide ..

I fished an inshore whiting trip at the end of January a few years back off the Abbotsbury buoy and pulled a nice plump 18lb pollack on rag and squid

[tommy a]

Thanks Chaps - pretty much what I thought - its a case of getting out and seeing if the fish are feeding on the wreck or not and if they are then happy days. If not then try another and hope for some luck !!!!