It`s getting harder ........ serious post, no joke

[Norman]

Seems fishing our area is really getting harder year on year. Myself, I`ve noticed that you have to REALLY work hard , visit more wrecks, cover more ground , use more bait and even after that lot the catches the past two or three years are still not as good.

Time was I could choose my time (about now , mid to end of july) and ask anyone from work if they wanted a night out knowing it would be a) mackerel, b) small cod on hard ground and c) ling off the wrecks. Not anymore, dont like inviting rookies out just in case we blank and it puts them off.
Sure sign to me is bert, whom , got to say it mate, is the \"best\" around these parts, even bert is not full of excitment after his days catch (all be it he`s still hitting fish, just not as he used to)
Remember the days bert would count fish into 30`s and 40`s now it 10,12, or 15 ...
Same goes to Dave and Rich ........ 95 miles travel for a few fish, where have they all gone, is it global warming?, is it a lull that will recover, who knows ....... meanwhile of course we`ll keep trying and post reports of the \"Good\" days we have , since of course we still do have good days, just less of them.

IDEAS??????

[TC]

\"Seems fishing our area is really getting harder year on year.\"

You\'re right there, Norman.

You wanna try fishing from the shore........it\'s dire.
Actually catching a fish is a bonus

[Davyred]

It looks like travelling is now a necessity, whether you\'re a shore or boat angler. Don\'t want to sound like a doom and gloom merchant but I doubt very much things will ever be as they were, the commercials will see to that

[MikeR]

I had to pay good money for a fishing holiday to Alderney just to have a few days boat fishing like everyone would probably have had 10 years ago of our coast. Not good!

We know the fish stock is declining and it doesn\'t help when we here of skippers netting virtually all of the wrecks up to 20 miles out. These wrecks are the last safe havens for our fish!

[DaveMason]

very , very good post chaps . Alas it so very true . I agree Norman , bert is the mutts nutts in my opinion too and when he is strugglin , it is indeed a bad sign . We have taken a very different tack of late and went to find them , with every possible method . it would seem that the only chance of I biggy is slack water with a \"Ling\" bait ( Richies speciality ) and thats only because the commercial boys dont want em

It does not look good for the shore lads for the winter , lets hope we are all wrong and they turn up soon . Fingers crossed .

[LING_BASHER]

As i posted back in May Norman, when the small colie and eels dont show up in any good number at the star of the season, that always spells a poor year for me and once again my records are right, late/no showing of large shoals of colie and eel and thats a sure sign the rest of the fishing is poor.

Am just hoping that the end of Aug and first two weeks in sept keep true and give us a few big ling as they used to do.

One thing i have noticed is the massive shoals of large (4\"-8\") herring.

[Tadpoleman]

MY GOD !!!!
its all doom and gloom in this thread !!!!
I`m not saying that fish stocks are in serious decline but things arnt that bad ...you get years when things arnt good fishing wise but the very next year things just bounce right back
I know that a few years back it was absolutly dire and it was blamed on the EL-NINIO weather thingmy that has a circle of about 6-7 years i think !
we have been finding fish but yes your right you have to work hard things are a little easier now i have a little bit speed now!
One thing i can say is that all the fish that we have caught this year have been off inshore wks ! the ones that no-one (charter boats etc) ever fish because they are classed as dead !!! maybe its because they are left alone to recouperate (more for me )
It wil all become apparent if the biggy`s dont turn up in aug-sept so watch this space
On a lighter note we caught 8 cod to 6lb and 7 ling to 8lb 50 mac for bait an as many big pokes as you could reel in ! 4 and 5 at a time all 2-3 lbers so things arnt that bad !!!!!!!!!

bert

[DaveMason]

You have just been voted Moral officer Bert

[Charlton]

modern technology is greatly to blame

[CJS]

Hi chaps, the same down this part of the world, (Felistowe). Almost nothing off the beach, plenty of small bass in the rivers, but nothing to take home. However the Banks and wrecks are fishing well, first timer for years!

I have a problem though, cod in this area are a winter fish, come close in shore. There are some decent bass (5-7lbs average) coming off the medium (10-14 miles)distance banks and wrecks, so, why is every body breaking their necks chasing cod 30-45 miles off shore? They seem to have forgotten about tope, smoothounds, sole, dabs, turbot and brill, summer species :P True, they have to be serched out, but I thought that was part of the joy and facination. Presently, cod seem to be to easy if you are prepred to spend the money on fuel, one of the boats in the marina used £75 worth of petrol yesterday!!! (New Orkney21/80hp Yamaha 4st) Yes he had 100lbs of fish (2 anglers) mostly cod 5-7lbs and a couple of bass 3 and 6lbs, I know I would rather catch a 5-6lb bass than a 6lb cod, just for the sport.

Not trying to dampen anyones enthusiasum, but have we got our priorities right, I still think a good fresh cod fillet takes some beating on the plate. How does this shape up in the NE?
CJS

[PhilT]

Why do any 2 guys need 100lb of fish in a day? Can\'t be because they\'re short of money to BUY food, coz the economics of boat ownership and angling just don\'t add up - you could buy a lot of groceries from Tesco\'s and have them delivered to your door for the price even of a year\'s berthing fees. I\'m happy to get 2-3 meals out of a weekend\'s fishing, the rest of it\'s about the pleasure.

[DaveMason]

We put nearly all ours back now , but I have no problem with people taking their catch home at all . I would rather go for big cod than anything else , waiting for that biggy . looking to have a go for he bass though trolling Rapalas one day soon .

[PhilT]

I like to take a couple of meals\' worth, but I couldn\'t envisage a situation where I\'d truly need 50lb of fish before my next trip.

With any luck the bass will become more common. If Herring stocks are beginning to recover, something will move in to predate on them sooner or later - Tuna, anyone?

[LING_BASHER]

I cant remember the last time i killed a cod, must have been the rnli comp. Wish you could return ling as well

[boblydon]

the only difference i can see, is that your all catching the same as i used to..................next to nowt !!! i could\'nt catch them when there where supposed to be loads out there, thought i would get that in, before our favourite angling coorespondant does