Fishing

[whisper]

We have been having a great time fishing with the family and cooking what we catch on the beach which has got me eating fish as it tastes so good.

We are only beginners so we have very little knowledge about sea fishing but the good news is we are catching fish!

Do you lot have any good tips? We fish around Southampton - Cowes area and hope to get a lobster pot one day

Been using a running weight with one hook and rag worm.

[lukewhiting]

Feathers are good! have about 4-5 hooks on one line with a weight on the end, lower it all the way or close to the sea bed and just reel it off the bottom. Then just gently lift & lower the end of the rod.....and the fish will come! no bait needed either!

[whisper]

Good call We have caught a couple of mackerel on feathers, a friend is trying a rubber bait call gulp?

Here's the rig I use with worm:

[lukewhiting]

Always seem to work for me! if you land right on a bunch of them you can have 4 on the line before its even hit the bottom!! Using this rig i caught 93 mackrel in about 2hours last year! :O

[whisper]

Is it true you should stop and try feathers where you see seagulls diving?

[lukewhiting]

Originally Posted by whisper

Is it true you should stop and try feathers where you see seagulls diving?

not a clue! im no expert...but if i see seagulls hanging around an area i do usually head towards them

[Boats&Outboards]

"when the Seagulls, follow he trawler, it is because they think the Sardines will be thrown into the sea"

Sorry couldn't resist

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

"when the Seagulls, follow he trawler, it is because they think the Sardines will be thrown into the sea"

Sorry couldn't resist

So all I need to do is follow the trawler, no rods needed

[Razorbill RIBs]

Live bait (or a lure) for Bass..... Great sport fish, and makes a great meal too

[m chappelow]

[QUOTE="whisper"]

Do you lot have any good tips? We fish around Southampton - Cowes area and hope to get a lobster pot one day QUOTE]

you'd need to keep it down overnight for best results


Seagulls diving into the sea in the summer usually mean fish are about ,, they hang around outfall pipes too .

[diver 1]

I've had great success this year using very small japanese style mackerel feathers - mustad shrimp feathers, which have tiny super sharp hooks. I cut them down to 3 hooks per string to make fishing from the rib a bit easier. Plain I've caught herring, mackerel, scad, sandeel with them and baited with tiny strips of squid or mackerel we've caught bream, red mullet, gurnard, poting, whiting and more.

Mackerel shoals are very unpredicatable, they vary in depth sometimes on the surface, midwater or on bottom, experiment until you find them.

With baited feather I have most success drifting with light weights, maybe 4 oz max letting the weight bounce across the bottom. Easy to get snagged if you're not holding the rod though.

If anyone wants to join us on a fishing trip it would be good to share tactics etc.

[lukewhiting]

Originally Posted by diver 1

I've had great success this year using very small japanese style mackerel feathers - mustad shrimp feathers, which have tiny super sharp hooks. I cut them down to 3 hooks per string to make fishing from the rib a bit easier. Plain I've caught herring, mackerel, scad, sandeel with them and baited with tiny strips of squid or mackerel we've caught bream, red mullet, gurnard, poting, whiting and more.

Mackerel shoals are very unpredicatable, they vary in depth sometimes on the surface, midwater or on bottom, experiment until you find them.

With baited feather I have most success drifting with light weights, maybe 4 oz max letting the weight bounce across the bottom. Easy to get snagged if you're not holding the rod though.

If anyone wants to join us on a fishing trip it would be good to share tactics etc.

Sounds like youve done well! Only time i managed to get out fishing this year was for 15 minutes where i got 4 mackrel then this happened! Swanage is somewhere in here!

[diver 1]

Luke, plenty of fish in swanage bay at the moment. Try baited feathers at the old harry side of swanage bay inline with the cliff face

[lukewhiting]

Originally Posted by diver 1

Luke, plenty of fish in swanage bay at the moment. Try baited feathers at the old harry side of swanage bay inline with the cliff face

Sounds good but its my neighbours fishing boat & hes just taken it out of the water to put a new engine on it!

[Aries]

Earlier today...

Plenty of mackerel in Christchurch bay. Fillet, salt to get the liquid out of the flesh for 45 mins, rinse and dry, then pop in a smoker.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Aries

Attachment 71804

Earlier today...

Plenty of mackerel in Christchurch bay. Fillet, salt to get the liquid out of the flesh for 45 mins, rinse and dry, then pop in a smoker.

Now Thaaat Looks good What wood chips do you find best for Mackies?

[Aries]

Can't remember as I got them with the smoker years ago. Nothing that special though. Don't use too much is key or your fillets taste like woodbines. A light sprinkling in the smoker pan. Then i stick it on the bbq. Also it took awhile to learn to use alot of salt - amazing how much liquid is drawn out. If you don't they end up mushy. These today are firm and flakey.

[whisper]

Wow! they look great

[gasman]

I use Maple. 2 table spoons in the bottom, smoke for about 15/20 mins, after salting for an hour or 2. Thats for a small smoker with about 15/20 fillets.
Ian

[kerny]

Can't beat a good smoker, the best way to eat fish