Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
This subject comes up with a degree of regularity and as a fisherman first, yottie second I thought this might help.
Here's one I caught earlier
The guide
First what can you reasonably expect to catch in UK waters, in order of most likely to be caught?
Mackeral from about May to about October, boat either drifting or moving at less than 4 knots
Pollock and coalfish, near rocks and reefs, almost anytime of the year, boat drifting
Bass, summer, can be caught drifting, moving < 3 knots or at anchor using bait.
The rest, dogfish, cod, etc all possble boat anchored using bait
Second, how to catch
Moving, feathers or lures attached to 50m or so line and a big (1kg) weight or a paravane (advanced technique, google for how to use)
Drifting, as above but with lighter lead (100 gm). Lower feathers r lures to about 10m and jig up and down. if that doesn't work try deeper or shallower.
At anchor or mooring, one hook and a lead heavy enough to hold on the bottom. Bait with bits of mackeral (see above) and wait until you feel a tug. This works surprisingly well in moorings such off Yarmouth or in Poole Harbour.
Thirdly, where.
Mackeral love the 'creases' between a flow and slack such as those off Hurst Narrows, St Alhems Head, The Forts. Bass love the same kind of area, they will generally be below the mackeral (but realistically, don't expect much, bass are a trciky quarry, even for experienced anglers). Either drift through or whilst slowly sailing.
It is *always* worth investigating an area where there are diving birds, they are probably the best indicators of where feeding fish are located.
Pollock and coalfish love ledges (such as Christchuch Ledge), rocky pinnacle and cliffs such as those in Western Scotland and off the Welsh coast. Generally, easiest to catch whilst drifting.
When at anchor or mooring, the fishing is generaly better in water over 5m deep and when there is a bit of flow, flood tides generally work best in estuaries, any tide in open mooring.
Lastly, when
The million dollar question, some marks such as Hurst Narrows fish best on the last of the flood and die on the ebb, other such as St. Alhelms Head and about 1m south of the Needles seem to hold fish at most stages of the tide.
Location: 'ang on a mo, I'll just take some bearings
Posts: 17,176
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Are there gurnard at Gurnard?
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Location: 'ang on a mo, I'll just take some bearings
Posts: 17,176
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Be advised. An elderly Scottish gentleman of this parish claims to follow the Chris E method, but catches only kelp.
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Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
They'll work, provided a, you pay out all of the line and b. you are sailing at less than 4 knots. You can catch mackeral at more speed but wafting along seems to be the best kind of thing to do. Keep an eye on the line, usually, if a fish grabs the lure it will come to the surface, but sometimes it doesn't, I've had a shark grab a string of mackeral whilst trolling across Lyme Bay. And you thought it was safe to go in the water...
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
[ QUOTE ]
At anchor or mooring, one hook and a lead heavy enough to hold on the bottom. Bait with bits of mackeral (see above) and wait until you feel a tug. This works surprisingly well in moorings such off Yarmouth or in Poole Harbour.
[/ QUOTE ]
Chris
If at anchor you suggest bottom fishing. Does the tidal stream make any difference to this? If you have a couple of knots of tide flowing past you I assume you can still fish for mackerel. Will bottom fishing work in a strong tide?
I have tried streaming out a line with half a dozen lures at anchor outside Newtown Creek on the IoW a couple of times. With a couple of knots of tide I assumed this was the equivalent of sailing along slowly, but all I caught was lots of seaweed.
Do I need to try something different, or do I just need a bit more patience?
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Chris,
Question for you. Some weeks ago we were anchored off Priory Bay. It was very early morning and I could see fish regularly breaking the surface all around. Bit like trout on a lake or river. What were they? I tried chucking a spinning lure at them from the dinghy but was ignored.
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
If you are anchored the chances of catching mackeral is fairly slim. Mackeral usually sit in deeper water although at the end of summer you can catch them 3m in Keyhaven Roads and we catch a few when anchored on Christchurch Ledge or in 30m off the IoW.
Off Newtown a lump of fish on the bottom is your best bet, you might pick up one of the elusive bass or perhaps a sea bream.
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Studland not worth it, unless you see bass striking on the surface, which they sometimes do, then chuck a spinner near them, they *might* take.
I know that peeps have caught fish off Swanage but have not fished there myself. I've a feeling that you will probably be tucked in too close near the beach, I think that the fish are caught from the ledges on the outside of the anchorage which is prob not where you'd stick yer boat.
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
I thought that would be the case. We carry 3 rods already set up to use in holders on our gantry, 2 x 30lb ones, one with feathers the other a Rapala plug and a light spinning rod also with a plug. It looks like we might know what we are doing but we don't...
Trouble is I hate just going out for an aimless sail, we have to be actually going somewhere, then because we ARE going somewhere we are generally going too fast to fish even with the handline and paravane we also have. Down in Brittany we've had some luck drifting after having dropped the mainsail just off our destination and furling the genoa whilst we have a go. I even tried a couple of windless times in Le Raz De Sein and Alderney Race but all I got was a bigger than usual mackerel. What I really lack I guess is fish fingers - like gardeners have green ones!
__________________ Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!
Re: Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Right, pollack and coalfish, definitely two different types of fish, although very similar. One has a kink in its dorsal line the other doesn't but I can't remember which...
Saithe, lythe and coley all different names for pollack , although I wouldn't be too surprised if commercial fishermen lumped pollack and coalfish together.
Of course, some are bigger than others - plastic pink squid on the surface at 8 knots. (The squid is about 6 inches long so you can see how big this monster was)
Warm water trolling tip - don't believe the books and troll 1.5 to 2 boat lengths back - let out as much as you can, 150 metres is good. We caught loads this way.
This is a sort of Mackerel ie a Wahoo.
By the way I thought it was Mackerel not Mackeral. (Oh God I hope I haven't started another thread like the one about ensigns and apostraphe''s.)
Of course, some are bigger than others - plastic pink squid on the surface at 8 knots. (The squid is about 6 inches long so you can see how big this monster was)
Warm water trolling tip - don't believe the books and troll 1.5 to 2 boat lengths back - let out as much as you can, 150 metres is good. We caught loads this way.
This is a sort of Mackerel ie a Wahoo.
By the way I thought it was Mackerel not Mackeral. (Oh God I hope I haven't started another thread like the one about ensigns and apostraphe''s.)
You're right it is mackerel.
Not a bad Wahoo, they'll take at any speed you can drive a boat at, I've had them returning from a game fishing trip at 20 knots.
Re how far to troll behind boat in warm water. I used to run a couple of rods off the back of mine when in warmer climes and caught as many fish at 20 yards out as I did at 100. I found that the most important thing was when to fish, we caught the majority of fish in the two hours after sunrise and the two hours around sunset.
But that's another story, shame we don't have this kind of fishing locally (although some of my friends are, as I write, off the coast of W Ireland fishing for 1000lb+ tuna....)
Chris_E\'s *definitive* guide to catching fish from a yacht
Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!
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