Portland Harbour Help Please

Portland Jon · #1 06-17-2006, 10:14 PM

Hi All

I have just been given use of a boat to fish from in Portland Harbour. We went out tonight for an hour or so but only managed a couple of mackerel.

I am completely new to boat fishing as I am a beach and coarse angler. I have a couple of boat rods and loads of lures along with all the usual beach kit and would love to catch bass and pollack etc. Can anyone help me with infor on where and how to fish Portland Harbour or boat fishing in general. The boat is about 12' with a 4HP engine so I can't go out to any of the main wrecks etc but the Hood is within reach, we left a set of feathers on it tonight!!!

Thanks in advance.

Jon

Fishing Forum Admin · #2 06-19-2006, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Can anyone help me with infor on where and how to fish Portland Harbour or boat fishing in general.

Well I do not know the port as a small boat angler but what questions on the old boat angling should be no problems between the lot of us

What questions do you have mate on general boat fishing tackle ect?

Portland Jon · #3 06-20-2006, 06:53 PM

Thanks Richard. I think I am going to try light gear as there is not much tidal flow in the harbour. I have a GPS and will investigate some of the wrecks with sand eels and mackerel to see what's about. Other than that I know nothing of boat fishing.

We are going out on Saturday and I'll let you know how we get on. Any tips in the mean time will be welcome.

Thanks

Jon

nimue · #4 06-21-2006, 08:52 PM

Jon, I really hope you lost a set of feathers on the Hood and didn't set them!!!
I used to fish around the harbour and with such a small boat and motor you are going to have to be very, very careful. There are quite a few wrecks inside the harbour but bloody divers are nearly always on them. If you want bass the best area is just around the southern entrance (next one up from the Hood). The weather will affect you a lot more than most boats so be really carefull. Live sandeels or lures, motor through and up the wall a little way then drift back through. If you launch at Ferrybridge its nearly 4 miles away so please listen to the weather forecast first. The area off the yacht club can be productive as well.
If you get a real barmy summer day go out of the harbour and about 3 miles south sticking close to shore is a ledge that can produce cracking wrasse. Having said that, a 4 hp motor with no backup you're probably safest staying inside. You can catch loads.
Best of luck. Jules.

p.s. Whatever you do and no matter how big the temptation, for gods sake don't even think of going to the southern tip of the Bill. The races are an absolute nightmare even for my boat!!!!

Portland Jon · #5 06-22-2006, 06:37 AM

Hi Jules

Thanks for the tips. I will stay inside the harbour especially as it's my father in laws boat and he is on the auxilliary coast guard. It would be embarrasing for him if we had to be rescued. The boat is at Castletown so it's pretty close to the south entrance. There were no divers around so I deffinately hooked the Hood. I have been researching the wrecks inside the harbour and a few look good for fishing, I'll borrow a GPS to help find them.

If the weather is good we'll be out on Saturday afternoon looking for a few macks and bass. Probably take some worms and try to find some bream with light gear.

Thanks again for the tips, I will let you know how we get on.

Jon

nimue · #6 06-22-2006, 08:11 PM

Best of luck Jon, the Hood is always a good standby. There is a wreck of a trawler just to the left of the south entrance....literally about 5 yards up and hard against the wall. As`you've found the only trouble with wreck fishing is the amount of tackle you lose!!!!
Enjoy saturday,
Jules

Greenheart · #7 06-22-2006, 08:33 PM

Last couple of times that I fished inside the Harbour Jon we had some good Black Bream drifting through the Southern entrance. Use small bits of rag tipped with squid. Plenty of small Pollack over the Hood, but it's an absolute tackle graveyard. I made some cheap leads out of a length of old lead waterpipe. Glad I did as I lost one every other drift. Anywhere along the inside of the breakwater is good for wrasse. The tighter to the wall, the better. Speak to Andy Selby in Weymouth Angling Centre. He knows the area well. Good luck.

Portland Jon · #8 06-22-2006, 09:10 PM

Cheers for all the advice lads. I knew all those old spark plugs would come in handy, I can use them as weights and leave them tied to the hood.

I'm going out on Saturday afternoon and will try to find some prawn before I go. Hopefully I can keep them alive until I get to the boat then keep them in a net over the side. Failing that we'll have a go for the bream in the south entrance. I'll be taking my son along and would love for him so catch something decent, he always outfishes me anyway and boy doesn't he remind me of it!!!

Cheers all.

Jon

Codfather · #9 06-23-2006, 11:32 PM

Hi Jon

Good news is that divers have been baned from the Hood as it has started to collapse internaly and is too dangerous.

Bad news is that the dive boats just come zooming out at full speed and don't care about those fishing nearby!

You may get pulled by the harbour patrol asking for the dues to pay if you fish in the harbour.

Suggest you purchase an Admarilty map of the harbour as it will give you loads of marks to try.

Coddy

Portland Jon · #10 06-24-2006, 07:16 AM

Cheers Coddy

My mother in law has a map hanging on her wall so I can have a look at that. I know the harbour pretty well and have GPS locations of all of the wrecks on my website (www.portlandbill.co.uk). I have been talking to my friends at Portland Oceaneering about the best places for spear fishing so have some good tips. We are going out this afternoon after bass, pollack and might have a go for some bream. I'll let you know how we get on.

Thanks

Jon

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