Leicester Fisheagle Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 I have been thinking of an offshore trip for a while. I fancy trying something different. Like many Club Members, I only have experience of the inshore packs with smaller fish which can provide excellent sport on the right gear. For the proposed trip,tackle has been beefed up slightly, copied trace patterns have been made up and old bait etc. has been saved for ground bait, we even have a Tope Sling, although if the larger fish are anything like their smaller brothers and sisters, they will not take kindly to it. Has anyone used one? Given some decent weather and tides (assuming neaps ?) and a buddy boat we want to go for it. However the question is where? I have been told deeper water (100 ft. contour) and a good scent trail help. I have heard of the 9 Mile Bank, but could do with some general help to find specific areas which could save a lot of time. I am not necessarily asking for peoples' marks (however I won't say no) but for a few general areas to try within 9 -20 miles of Poole. Any thoughts,suggestions etc would be much appreciated. I look forward to being inundated with helpfull advice. Allan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie W Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Dolphin sands is full of them.. Or atleast it was a month ago.. But there only up to 10lb id say. By the time the flapper hit the seabed, it was tope on lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niggle Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Off of St Catherine's there's a 200 ft hole only really fish able on neaps either drifting or at anchor.they are big if you look at my first shark report you'll see Mal wrestling a good one about 40lb To land them I lift them in or through the transome door , throw a bucket of water on the deck first to cool deck otherwise they go ballistic as too them a hot deck must feel like a frying pan Steve S and Kingfisher 126 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Must be your driving Nige !! niggle, Paul J and Ark 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulRaider18 Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Try Sophies, we had loads last week, we may give it a go tomorrow, prior to the airshow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Happy to pass on some advice advice Look for water 100 ft deep and fish back into the deep water, plenty of areas like that a out three miles out from Anvil point lighthouse If fishing is slow drop some groundbait to the seabed in a dropper, or fish a livebaithard onthe bottom Another way is to go out to the 30 North line and drift, with groundbait in bags overboard sharking style. Look forward to a report To calm them down for the pictures cover their eyes for a while in a damp clothing, please lift them properly as they can be easily harmed. Lift them by tail and dorsal, then support under the belly Good luck Stuie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Fisheagle Posted August 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Thanks Charlie, some good info there. The picture is starting to come together. Thanks for the handling info, Have been looking at several sites to see if there were any lenght/girth/weight charts to save damaging the fish.The best one I have come across is the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Society which gives graphs for a number of species based on lenght/girth /male/female. How accurate they are, I don't know, unfortunately, only a few Rays are shown which I thought could open up a discussion for our Open - but that is another topic altogether Allan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 could open up a discussion for our Open - but that is another topic altogether Allan. Not sure it would be 'interesting'! But please forward any ideas how to get honesty with £100's on the table with many unknown faces fishing the Open. I already calibrate the 3 sets of scales against each other and known weights as it is! Let alone measures against approximate tables! Even the well supported and made BASS tape doesn't cater for anorexic or obese fish! But it would be 90% accurate, but that isn't good enough! Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 My experiance of the calculation tables for tope is not good When I used to be in the tagging program I weighed and measured them. When comparing the actual to the estimated weight they were at least 10% out either way. I weigh them in an old mail sack, which supports their vital organs during the process Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Fisheagle Posted August 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 Rob, I have every praise for the way you run the Open and the attention to detail. As you say, as soon as money enters the equation, there is even more danger of fidling. I saw this personally in several major Beach Contests we used to fish in the North East where the prizes were several thousand pounds a day. Fish passing went on as only one of each species could be weighed in, and on one occasion a rather ancient 6 lbs. bass, when gutted by the scalesman almost cleared the area with the angler doing a bunk and banned from future contests. Just to name a few of the cons. I raised the issue as I was looking into ways of getting weights without potentially damaging fish, but as the site refered to and Charlie say the Charts will only give an estimate. They may work when hundreds of fish are involved and a survey of average fish size to help with stock measurement is involved, but not for accurate weighing of individual fish. Lenght or width one of the methods used, is also open to abuse, I lost a year long Club contest by three centimeters which involved over 80 hours of fishing and several hundred pounds in cash. It was almost a year after I moved down here that it was discovered that the angler's measure had been tampered with giving him an extra centimetre per fish. Another debate centered around fish that were returned to the sea and washed ashore further down the line of anglers, this especially invoved whiting and deep hooked flatties. Some suggested cutting a v in the fishes tail which is also used by some Clubs to stop the same fish being weighed twice. Other said that this lessened the chance of survival even more. Where Club Members are involved and things are based on trust it is as good as it is going to get. Add outsiders, money etc.and charts for giving certain fish weights,and things become an administrative nightmare. I thought measurement could also counteract some of the comments about something needing to be done about Rays at the Open, but it is obviously not the answer. No criticism was intended and I hope none was taken. Is there an answer? Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfisher 126 Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 The comp cheat to top it all has to be the guy who stole the bass from Guernsey Sea Life Centre and won the bass comp with it until someone ID'ed it. He got done in court, but it shows what lenght's a cheat will go too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 No criticism felt or taken Allan! It is a shame when rays die before being weighed. I we only had one blonde that didn't go back, possibly some small eyes too. I guess it is down the individuals and the choice they make on the species they target. We dropped the Undulates as they are on the IUCN Red List as endangered: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/161425/0 Though locally common, we are lucky!! Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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