1st All Nighter for 30 years

[CODMAN]

Needed to stock the freezer with Mackerel for the winter so decided to combine an early morning Mackerel session with a fishing session on the lower Tyne estuary. Got there about 11pm and had bites from the off. After failing to connect with a number of bites using 3/0 hooks I decided to accept the Dab challenge and opted to downsize to size 1's. The effects were immediate with a double shot of Dabs followed by another couple of doubles and a couple of singles. Also managed a couple of undersized Codling and a Pollock of about a pound and a half which managed to tangle itself up in a couple of lost rigs. At 1st light switched to daylights and the Mackerel were there immediately, after about 50 minutes I had about a dozen which was enough for the freezer. Also managed another smaller Pollock and a Whiting on daylights. A good night all in all, 8 Dabs, 2 Codling, 2 Pollock, a Whiting and a dozen Mackerel. There were about 10 anglers on South Shields also targeting early morning Mackerel but couldn't make out if they were getting anything. Knackered now after only 2 hours sleep so I think I'll give it another 30 years before doing it again (if I live that long!).

[barnacle bill]

It looks like you had a canny night mate, and well done on your all nighter.

[Thunderpants]

Canny session for you mate. I was doing an all nighter on South Shields Pier and could see the headlights on Tynemouth so one of them must have been you Yeah there were a few lads mackerel fishing on the end from 4am with odd ones getting caught but no big numbers. I had 20 fish but no keepers and lost a couple of big ones when they snagged me up on the lobster pots.

[CODMAN]

As I said in my report the Mackerel were there straight away and were really close to the pier (no more than 20 - 30 yards out). Shoal must have been smaller than normal given the distance between the piers. There were a couple of other lads on the pier who fished the back wall for Mackerel and they had none so I guess we were in the right place at the right time. Got enough for the Whiting for the winter now so that's my first and only session this season.