Norman
Well-known member
As was asked in another thread .... how early? is two early?
Due to Tide being low at 1.00am and the knowledge that theres been action lately on wrecks around and over slack water low (and also the fact Tony needed to be back by lunchtime to prepare for the celebration of Newcastle V PSV) we decided to experiment and go out BEFORE sunrise ie at 2.00am and see what effect pure darkness has on the fishing ....
As mentioned it was "an experiment" as we were not aware what life would be like in the sea at darkness ..................... (I should really have remembered what it was like a few years ago on a late trip back from amble, its basic, you cannot see anything!, but thats another story)
Hopefully we could fish a few wrecks, catch a few fish, relate to darkness and be back for lunchtime .......
Results ...........
Night fishing on shore, close to shore or in the river may well be fine .... but at sea .... no no. we found, although we did get first fish at 3.05 am that the 1.1/2 hour earlier start (we usually meet up at 3.30am) was basically a waste of time. We spent most of the time in darkness getting to our marks ..... at tickover speed as we could not see a thing in front. The river was just navigable (rubbish in river wise) as there was a lot of light from the shore which gave us a half chance, but when we got to the harbour and worse still past the piers it was pure blackness .....
conclusion ...........
put up with the tide times, and curtail Tonys football supporting roll to fit in with fishing trips .... oh and leave no more than 1 hour before sunrise !
anyway on to the report ...........
As said, first cod was taken just outside the piers in total darkness with baited hokkais ...... just a lucky shot methinks as there were no more fish until the sun started to appear.
we then, after a few drifts close to piers moved to a wreck about 4 mile out (as soon as we could see the sea in front of us at about 4.00am)
prior to that we did have the good fortune to witness an iriduim flare .....
which is a flash of the antennae of one of the iridium communication sattelites it was in fact at exactly 3.36.35secs at 115deg and 45deg inclination for a whole 3 seconds
this wreck was a tubfull of mackerel so we took enough for our needs and thought of moving on to a spot we had in mind .......
off we went to find we were not the first there today ... beaten once again by bert and lads ...
This wreck, at this point in time ... was fishing ... whoo hooo.
Whatever we put down we seemed to catch on, although not as good I might add as a few previous missions, it was maybe a fish every 2 drifts or so, nevertheless they were beginning to fill the boxes and all were 5lb or over ...........
the area seemed to take on a buzz ..... gannets arrived and started diving then all types of sea birds arrived and went crazy in a feed fest.
We noticed that all the fish taken were spitting out sprats and obviously the birds too were feeding on them. After taking a whiting with three sprats stuffed in its mouth I decided to try a shad..... well, it does mimic a fish ...
as I got to the bottom there was a take, resulting in a nice cod.... I could see Tony thinking "lucky"
Then with a smile on the same drift I dropped straight down into the mouth of another cod ....
Again I could see Tony thinking " ok VERY Lucky but if it happens again its not luck ....
for the third time on the same drift I dropped the same shad down to an instant take ...... I swear Tony didn't even reel in but cut his braid and tackle and wrapped a shad on the end
He too was instantly rewarded with cod ..........
Time after time we shaded ourselves out with the highpoint being a nice clean 11lb cod for Tony and a new PB to boot
And thats the way it went until 9.00am when we decided enough was enough and time to get tony to his footie match (bearing in mind the boat clean and the hours of filleting in between).
we learned a lot about fishing today .. !
all in all an EXCEPTIONAL day with over a dozen keepers each with Tony meeting a new PB of an 11lb cod
we came away early with two full boxes ....... wow, now thats fishing !
just a few pics of the day ....
Tony at ready with headlamp ...
the early fish 3.00am
struggeling sunrise (which turned out glorious ......)
First an 8lb cod
Then an 11lb cod
Then another to myself
Then it was Shad Shad Shad ...
Shad Shad Shad ...
and the result ......
Another Manic Fishing Adventure .......
and well done Tony mate on your 11lb PB ..... time to notch it up to 12 now
norm
Due to Tide being low at 1.00am and the knowledge that theres been action lately on wrecks around and over slack water low (and also the fact Tony needed to be back by lunchtime to prepare for the celebration of Newcastle V PSV) we decided to experiment and go out BEFORE sunrise ie at 2.00am and see what effect pure darkness has on the fishing ....
As mentioned it was "an experiment" as we were not aware what life would be like in the sea at darkness ..................... (I should really have remembered what it was like a few years ago on a late trip back from amble, its basic, you cannot see anything!, but thats another story)
Hopefully we could fish a few wrecks, catch a few fish, relate to darkness and be back for lunchtime .......
Results ...........
Night fishing on shore, close to shore or in the river may well be fine .... but at sea .... no no. we found, although we did get first fish at 3.05 am that the 1.1/2 hour earlier start (we usually meet up at 3.30am) was basically a waste of time. We spent most of the time in darkness getting to our marks ..... at tickover speed as we could not see a thing in front. The river was just navigable (rubbish in river wise) as there was a lot of light from the shore which gave us a half chance, but when we got to the harbour and worse still past the piers it was pure blackness .....
conclusion ...........
put up with the tide times, and curtail Tonys football supporting roll to fit in with fishing trips .... oh and leave no more than 1 hour before sunrise !
anyway on to the report ...........
As said, first cod was taken just outside the piers in total darkness with baited hokkais ...... just a lucky shot methinks as there were no more fish until the sun started to appear.
we then, after a few drifts close to piers moved to a wreck about 4 mile out (as soon as we could see the sea in front of us at about 4.00am)
prior to that we did have the good fortune to witness an iriduim flare .....
which is a flash of the antennae of one of the iridium communication sattelites it was in fact at exactly 3.36.35secs at 115deg and 45deg inclination
for a whole 3 seconds this wreck was a tubfull of mackerel so we took enough for our needs and thought of moving on to a spot we had in mind .......
off we went to find we were not the first there today ... beaten once again by bert and lads ...
This wreck, at this point in time ... was fishing ... whoo hooo.
Whatever we put down we seemed to catch on, although not as good I might add as a few previous missions, it was maybe a fish every 2 drifts or so, nevertheless they were beginning to fill the boxes and all were 5lb or over ...........
the area seemed to take on a buzz ..... gannets arrived and started diving then all types of sea birds arrived and went crazy in a feed fest.
We noticed that all the fish taken were spitting out sprats and obviously the birds too were feeding on them. After taking a whiting with three sprats stuffed in its mouth I decided to try a shad..... well, it does mimic a fish ...
as I got to the bottom there was a take, resulting in a nice cod.... I could see Tony thinking "lucky"
Then with a smile on the same drift I dropped straight down into the mouth of another cod ....
Again I could see Tony thinking " ok VERY Lucky but if it happens again its not luck ....
for the third time on the same drift I dropped the same shad down to an instant take ...... I swear Tony didn't even reel in but cut his braid and tackle and wrapped a shad on the end
He too was instantly rewarded with cod ..........
Time after time we shaded ourselves out with the highpoint being a nice clean 11lb cod for Tony and a new PB to boot
And thats the way it went until 9.00am when we decided enough was enough and time to get tony to his footie match (bearing in mind the boat clean and the hours of filleting in between).
we learned a lot about fishing today .. !
all in all an EXCEPTIONAL day with over a dozen keepers each with Tony meeting a new PB of an 11lb cod
we came away early with two full boxes ....... wow, now thats fishing !
just a few pics of the day ....
Tony at ready with headlamp ...
the early fish 3.00am
struggeling sunrise (which turned out glorious ......)
First an 8lb cod
Then an 11lb cod
Then another to myself
Then it was Shad Shad Shad ...
Shad Shad Shad ...
and the result ......
Another Manic Fishing Adventure .......
and well done Tony mate on your 11lb PB ..... time to notch it up to 12 now
norm
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