Mackerel and bass in the Solent

[topspeed]

Anyone seen any ?
Seems pretty scarce out of Portsmouth/Bembridge.

[Hightower]

Mackerel has been very hit and miss (mainly miss) although I haven't done too bad this year for them. The Bass fishing has been the best in years, probably in part due to the mackerel not being about. However it's tailed off quite a bit to what it was like about a month ago.

[paulbrown22]

7 mackerel between Poole and Swanage this morning, just trailing lines from the the back of the sailing boat as we went along. No bass for us yet, but we aren't exactly keen fishermen!

[topspeed]

Originally Posted by Hightower

Mackerel has been very hit and miss (mainly miss) although I haven't done too bad this year for them. The Bass fishing has been the best in years, probably in part due to the mackerel not being about. However it's tailed off quite a bit to what it was like about a month ago.

Any tips on what lures/bait for the bass, and where to try ?

Many thanks

[Pikey Dave]

Other side of the Channel in Normandy, Mackerel are scarce, but bass aplenty if you know how to catch 'em...which I don't despite much trying AND I've read a book, so I don't know where I'm going wrong. Using the same techniques as the locals but to no avail. I'm going to tear the pages out o' the book & laminate 'em & fasten them to the hook, the Bass obviously haven't read it

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Other side of the Channel in Normandy, Mackerel are scarce, but bass aplenty if you know how to catch 'em...which I don't despite much trying AND I've read a book, so I don't know where I'm going wrong. Using the same techniques as the locals but to no avail. I'm going to tear the pages out o' the book & laminate 'em & fasten them to the hook, the Bass obviously haven't read it

I know this exact feeling.

[Adamn]

I think the Bass give your page to the Pollock-because that's all I catch....

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Adamn

I think the Bass give your page to the Pollock-because that's all I catch....

Our list this year so far is:-

Black Bream
Cuttlefish
Whiting
Pollock
Cod
too many Pouting and Wrasse.

There's a disappointing lack of Bass or Mackerel on there.

[whisper]

A friend caught a load of bass in the solent near bramble bank using small white feathers, when the fish were gutted they had been eating white bait

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by topspeed

Any tips on what lures/bait for the bass, and where to try ?

Many thanks

Ryde middle was throwing up a few. Try head hooking a ragworm and drifting across the banks. This works around any of the banks, but as I said the fishing isn't as easy as it was a few weeks ago. Fiiish lure are pretty good at winkling out a few from drifts and features. This is a new lure to me so I can't really advise on technique or types as yet. Trial and error, but they are good around weedy areas due to the hook point being buried in the body. If you fancy dropping the pick, find a nice ledge or bank to fish in to or over. Just work the bait up and down the bank. It can be very hit and miss but fresh bait is a must, so got looking for them Mackerel first.

[stevedonna]

Just spent a week on jura . I went out and took an hour to catch four mackerel . Next day none . Next day my eldest daughter went with me . We both hung the same rod line and feathers within five minutes she had nine to my none . I blamed it on her having the lucky rod . Next day I caught four but took me an hour again . Next day she yawned and said I fancy another go . Five on one line in two minutes !!!



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[solent spence]

Nowt off bembridge / no man's fort for us this week. Chatting with a seemingly more successful fisherman whilst digging worms on the beach, he said the bad viz has contributed to less mackerel bites lately.

[stigoftd]

Its the same everywhere this year .
2 weeks back i done 28 nautical miles and only had 3 macks all day .
Everyone i speak to has the same problem.

[ShinyShoe]

How did the lobby pots go? Did you try getting DD to set them given her Mackrel Luck>

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by stevedonna

.....I blamed it on her having the lucky rod .........

That can't be right, my missus has the lucky rod, are telling me there's 2 of 'em What we try & do is fish different depths, I'll drop down to the bottom & do a couple of winds up, the missus (with the lucky rod) will drop hers just under the boat to about 10m. You can see the weight on the sounder. She tends to catch more mackerel than I do, whilst I live in hope of the elusive Bass. We got 17 Mackerel yesterday all good size, in a couple of hours. Some went on the BBQ, some in the smoker, some into mackerel rillettes, the rest went to the neighbours on the campsite. The locals are pulling good size Bass at 6-12lb,,,,,,this time next year Rodney

[Hightower]

Small hooks and feathers seem to be out fishing the larger more standard ones. I've scaled my rigs down to size 2 or 4 hooks and on a fishing comp a month ago just west of Portland I was the only one catching the fresh bait, peeved me off a bit because when it came to the comp others beat me using the macks I'd caught as bait

Still, that's the way it goes sometimes

[topspeed]

Really grateful for the tips - thank you very much.

[stevedonna]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

How did the lobby pots go? Did you try getting DD to set them given her Mackrel Luck>

Sorry the wifi is not very good not been able to get anything today until now . The lobster pots worked in the sense that I still have them . This is mainly down to yours and others advice . So the pots stayed put and the marker buoys looked very home made but again did the job . The weight 3 m down from the marker buoy is not heavy enough so the flag is at 45 degree angle .

In terms of catch nothing but dozens of really small crab for first four days and no bait left in . We tried to get from craighouse round to colonsay on day five having given up waiting for the wind to drop . Got within four miles but had battled against wind and chop for long enough when it got too much . Turned round a went for a brew in port Askraig . Got talking to a lobster/crab man . He told me to salt my mackerel heads .

So last night in jura I set them with salted mackerel . Pulled them in on last morning and there was one reasonable sized crab and a small lobster , more importantly there was still bait there . Now in Tobermory but not put the boat out today due to weather . Going to try and experiment more this week .


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[stevedonna]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

That can't be right, my missus has the lucky rod, are telling me there's 2 of 'em What we try & do is fish different depths, I'll drop down to the bottom & do a couple of winds up, the missus (with the lucky rod) will drop hers just under the boat to about 10m. You can see the weight on the sounder. She tends to catch more mackerel than I do, whilst I live in hope of the elusive Bass. We got 17 Mackerel yesterday all good size, in a couple of hours. Some went on the BBQ, some in the smoker, some into mackerel rillettes, the rest went to the neighbours on the campsite. The locals are pulling good size Bass at 6-12lb,,,,,,this time next year Rodney

I have been dropping mine to the bottom and gradually bring it up , best results seem to be about the 90 foot deep bits near the coast


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[stigoftd]

Originally Posted by stevedonna

Sorry the wifi is not very good not been able to get anything today until now . The lobster pots worked in the sense that I still have them . This is mainly down to yours and others advice . So the pots stayed put and the marker buoys looked very home made but again did the job . The weight 3 m down from the marker buoy is not heavy enough so the flag is at 45 degree angle .

In terms of catch nothing but dozens of really small crab for first four days and no bait left in . We tried to get from craighouse round to colonsay on day five having given up waiting for the wind to drop . Got within four miles but had battled against wind and chop for long enough when it got too much . Turned round a went for a brew in port Askraig . Got talking to a lobster/crab man . He told me to salt my mackerel heads .

So last night in jura I set them with salted mackerel . Pulled them in on last morning and there was one reasonable sized crab and a small lobster , more importantly there was still bait there . Now in Tobermory but not put the boat out today due to weather . Going to try and experiment more this week .


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I use a wide neck water bottle filled with bait punch some holes in it the crabs cant get the bait and it will work for 4-8 days tide dependent.
Also i hang some "loose" bait in the middle of the pot for extra strong attractant
good to hear they stayed put and caught at least something