Bass as a by-catch?

Chats with our local "characters" around the marina provide some interesting stories which can evolve into new ideas. Apparently, a Chinese man was fishing rather unconventionally nearby (and I won't incriminate him by saying where), using a shad. Now everybody knows that shads are used for "hopping" on rough ground or wrecks well offshore, and that's the way it is. This chap didn't know that and used a shad as a normal lure (just as they use shads elsewhere in the world actually) - and caught two very nice bass. My informant tagged a shad onto the bottom of his mackerel trace and guess what he started catching too. So when I went out on Saturday and was kept inshore by the wind, I tied a 4 inch curly tail shad on a short trace below the weight of my mackerel trace. I found that if I made the movements of the feathers more gentle than usual the shad did not tangle and in fact swam pretty well. And, yes I did. Not as big as the fellow below caught recently, but nice to catch all the same.

Catching big fish is boring

The people I know who regularly catch big fish do so because they target them, not because they are lucky. Therein lies the problem. If you target big fish, and as we all know they don't happen along very often, what do you do when they are not happening along? That could get boring. So I confess, I don't target big fish, but I would like to catch a big fish now and then (and in the meantime catch a lot of medium-sized fish). You might be surprised just what is lurking under your boat while you are hauling up dogfish, even if you are fairly close to shore. I have the luxury of fishing one or at most two people in my boat so I regularly put out several rods. One targets small and edible species like bream and gurnard; another for bass and ray, and one put out more in hope than expectation with a wire trace, 5/0 hook and half a mackerel for bait.

Often the big bait does nothing all day except pull in a stream of dogfish, but a good many times it comes up trumps. This Friday was just such an example. No more than a mile from shore, I settled down with the usual mix and caught the usual August haul of not very much. Then suddenly I noticed the butt of my big rod where the top should be - it was bent right over with line screaming out right under the boat. Forgot to adjust the drag! I just saved the situation by spinning the drag wheel back and got the rod out of the holder. The fish was heading east and wasn't coming back. After a while I gained a bit of line, then the fish changed it's mind and went deep again. This time the hook gave up the struggle and straightened. Despite the disappointment of losing a tremendous fish, I felt elated. It proved there were good fish close inshore and catchable - with the right tackle and tactics. The lesson for me was - don't get complacent. That big fish may come and when it does, be ready with the drag set, rod secure and with tackle that can handle the fight that will follow.

PS One week to go before the August Quiz deadline with all still to play for - no entries received yet with 100% correct answers! Have a go....(or even two)

Win a FishPrint t-shirt in the Boat-Angling Quiz!

Let's face it, August is not a great month for fishing, and catch reports so far have confirmed it. On top of that, the weather has been, shall we say politely, unsuitable. To cheer us all up we have devised a quiz on http://www.boat-angling.co.uk/ with a prize for the winner of a t-shirt from the Shop. No strings, free to enter, just fun, how easy is that? Not so easy when you see the quiz! Actually, with a few minutes and Google it should be no problem. Click here and have a go!

More on Cowes Week....

The firework display is on Friday 8th August, not Saturday as in my previous post. QHM are sufficiently worried about idiots to issue this Notice:

COWES FIREWORK DISPLAY FRIDAY 8th AUGUST 2008 TEMPORARY 15 KT SPEED LIMIT

• NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN jointly by the Queens Harbour Master Portsmouth and the Harbour Master Southampton that a speed limit of 15 knots will be temporarily introduced in the Solent and Southampton Water to ensure safety of navigation for the COWES Firework Display on Friday 8th August 2008.
• The 15 Knot speed limit will be in force between 2130 and 2300 on Friday 8th August 2008.
• Mariners are advised that this measure has been introduced to reduce the risk of collision between the many hundreds of small craft which gather to view the fireworks display. In previous years collisions have occurred, particularly after the event which has resulted in serious personal injury to passengers and crew of small craft.
• Mariners are reminded of the importance of displaying the correct navigation lights, maintaining a good lookout at all times in all directions and, proceeding at a speed consistent with safe navigation, particularly at the conclusion of the display as spectator craft get underway and return to their home ports.
• Cancel this Local Notice To Mariners Sat 9th Aug 2008 (5 days)

Cowes Week already...

Skandia Cowes Week (I was wondering what they were doing with my pensions money) runs from Saturday to Saturday 2nd to 9th August, so it will potentially affect two weekends in the Solent. There are full details on their official web site http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk/. There will be a lot of racing, and mixing racing yachts and anchored angling boats is likely to end in tears sooner or later as racing yacht crews are highly competitive and may not see a small angling boat anyway. Best to keep well away from the action, which would be made easier if the organisers published courses in advance but instead they make it up on the day based on weather and tide. If you do plan to fish near the racing, please make sure you are not on a course line or anywhere near a buoy they turn around, and remember to rig your black anchor ball signal.

If in doubt keep away or at least keep a good look-out and be prepared to move. Whatever the rights and wrongs of being hit by a racing yacht, it it better not to be and if there is a chance you can avoid it then it would be sensible to be cautious. There is also a strong possibility of skippers of large spectator boats not being their normal alert selves after a few glasses, so it is not just the racing yachts to watch out for!

If that all sounds a bit nanny-like and gloomy, sorry! To end on a cheerful note, in previous years there have been spectacular fireworks on the last night so if you are fishing on the evening of 9th August anywhere in the northern end of the Solent you may see a great show.

Bassing

I had the good fortune to learn about drift fishing for bass from the apprentice to a long time bass angler recently. And even more good fortune to put that learning into practice and bag some bass! Some of the tips were contradictory to other advice, but they worked. Here's what I learned.

This is about drifting offshore banks such as The Overfalls with live sandeel as bait. You can find suitable banks easily enough, just go to The Overfalls (marked on the charts), and look at your fish-finder! Bait has to be live sandeel, everything else is a poor substitute although I have heard of good catches on shads and sandeel-like feathers.

Rods can be anything, but a light rod is more fun. A 10 foot carp rod would be ideal. Fixed spool reels allow fast drops and retrieves. Line has to be mono, not braid - about 15lb BS max. "That's wrong" I hear you say. Nope. We tried it back to back ,and mono out-fished braid 16 fish to zero. I suspect that braid makes the weight bang on the bottom, mono has more stretch and the weight may bounce more naturally.

Weight no more than two ounces, and let it drift waaay back from the boat, trundling along the bottom. Trace length is about a rod-length for convenience. Hook is a fine uptide pattern, 2/0 was recommended but after I lost a number of fish I upped to 4/0 and hung on to all fish after that.

Sandeels are hooked by passing the hook through the mouth and out through the gills, and just nicking the belly with the bend of the hook. If you still have a bait left at the end of a drift, put it in a bucket of water while you motor back for the next drift. It speeds up fishing if you have a pattern, one person manages the boat while the other checks and sets up both baits for the next drift.

Takes will be obvious, and there is no need to strike: the rod will heel over as if you have snagged but the snag will be moving. Just tighten up and the fish will be on. The take zone can be before, over or after the bank so make your drifts long enough to cover all possibilities. Bass shoals move around so if you have a few drifts without takes, try a different track or a different bank. A chart plotter track is invaluable, you can position exactly to cover a successful drift or try an area a few yards to the side.

Any area of sandy banks can hold bass at the moment. Big tides are much better, the commercial line fishermen don't bother getting out of bed for Neaps. That is all I can tell you. The other 98% is experience....

Navy Activities Portsmouth 24-27 July

This could be worth going to -or if you are planning to fish in or near Portsmouth Harbour entrance you need to be aware of the QHM Nav Warning just issued:

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Queen's Harbour Master Portsmouth that between 24 and 27 July 2008 due to the “Meet Your Navy” event (Navy Days) there will be the following Portsmouth Harbour Channel closures and adjustments to the Small Boat Channel Rules. These measures are necessary to ensure safety during the various air and on-water displays, which are planned to take place in the Harbour between South Railway Jetty and No 3 Buoy and in order to maintain security during the event. As far as possible, these displays have been arranged so as not to conflict with commercial movements within the Harbour.


2. Table of programmed closures:Date Time Closed Area Display/Activity24 Jul 08 1700-1725 Portsmouth Harbour area as RM Dynamic Display 1745-1810 outlined in para 3 (Rehearsal) 25-27 Jul 08 1300-1330 Portsmouth Harbour area as RN SAR Display Outlined in para 325-27 Jul 08 1405-1435 Portsmouth Harbour south of RN Historic Flight Display50° 50’ N and Main Approach Channel 25-27 Jul 08 1505-1525 Portsmouth Harbour area as CG SAR Display outlined in para 325-27 Jul 08 1610-1640 Portsmouth Harbour area as RM Dynamic Display outlined in para 325 Jul 08 1700-1730 Portsmouth Harbour south of Red Arrows Air Display50° 50’ N and Main Approach Channel These timings, which are subject to modification will appear on the Daily Harbour Movements Signal and be announced on the day by QHM Harbour Control on VHF Channel 11.


3. During the Red Arrows and RN Historic Flight Displays the entire Harbour and Main Channel south of 50° 50’ N will be closed and is to be clear of all traffic. During the other Displays a Temporary Exclusion Zone will be set up between the following points: the southern corner of North West Wall Jetty, to Pile 101, to Pile 98, to Pile 95, to Shell Pier, to the southern end of Oil Fuel Jetty to the southern end of South Railway Jetty. During Harbour closures and when this Temporary Exclusion Zone is in operation the Harbour will be patrolled by Ministry of Defence Police Launches and RIBs and vessels of the Volunteer Harbour Patrol.


4. As part of the safety requirement for the Red Arrows and RN Historic Flight Displays, the following Navigation Marks will be temporarily enhanced by the use of large yacht racing buoys: Ballast Pile, No 3 Buoy and Pile 96.


5. Outwith the closed periods outlined in paragraphs 2 and 3, vessels under 20 metres in length are to comply with the normal small craft rules as outlined in LNTM 42/05 and 28/07 adjusted as follows:a. For the duration of the “Meet Your Navy” Event, the Small Boat Channel will be extended northwards to the vicinity of No 3 Mooring Buoy. b. Notwithstanding the 50 metre exclusion zone outlined in LNTM 28/07, all craft are to use the extended Small Boat Channel when transiting the Harbour and are not to approach Warships alongside to avoid unnecessary security concerns.


6. Vessels should only cross the Harbour with direct permission of QHM Harbour Control and should only request this clearance if they have a confirmed booking at Gunwharf Quays or the Town Camber.


7. The routine Tour Boats will be allowed to continue but their operation will be affected by the Channel and Harbour Closures outlined above.


8. Further details of the “Meet Your Navy” event can be found at the website: http://www.meetyournavy.co.uk/


9. Cancel this Local Notice To Mariners Mon 28th Jul 2008 (12 days)

Seeing ships on your chart plotter

I have been watching ships in the Solent area on web pages just for fun while I was at home, without realising that the same AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology can plot those ships on your own chart plotter on your boat. How handy is that? Better yet, it costs under £150 for the parts, and gives more shipping information than radar costing more than ten times as much.

I recently fitted a NASA AIS engine to pass AIS signals to my Garmin chart plotter - more information and a "how to" guide is on my Boat Angling web site . I reckon it is a huge, and relatively low cost, addition to safety at sea. Most of us worry about being run down by large commercial craft who don't see us at anchor, or if we break down in a shipping lane. With detailed information on the vessels name, heading, speed and MMSI number displayed on the plotter, you know exactly how close it will pass, and if you are concerned you can dial in the MMSI number on your DSC VHF radio and a talk directly to their bridge. The chart plotter and AIS engine will not drain the battery like a radar will, so you can afford to leave it on, which has another benefit. You can set a safety zone around your own boat, and an alert will sound if the plotter detects that a ship is encroaching on that space. Handy if the fishing is good and you haven't had a look around for a while!

As an example, this photo is a screen shot of the very first alert that sounded when I connected the system up. The dredger Donald Redford is heading out of Langstone at 7.5 knots, and has entered the 0.2 mile radius "warning Zone" that is centered on Salar which is sitting in Southsea marina. Hardly a danger, but it proves a point. I didn't even know it was there.