Latest Fishing Reports: Sea Urchin IIl
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13/12/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
13 Dec 2022 by Andy Savage
It’s been nice to get a few days fishing together again. The trips have been mainly Uptiding with a days wrecking. After last week’s Easterly winds and subsequent “stir up” I was hoping for some decent Uptiding action. With some good angler’s on board we fished both North and South over the weekend, covering plenty of good marks.
To be honest, the fishing wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. We caught Codling, but not in the volume’s I anticipated/hoped for. A move to a new spot would provide a few fish, then go quiet. Usually, another pack of fish then moves through and you get another flurry of bites. This is the bit that didn’t happen, so we had to keep on the move. Squid, Black Lug and Crab Cart did the bites.
Today was the Sea Urchin Christmas Codling Competition. Biggest measured Codling gets £150 and runner up, £50. A fantastic bunch of lads on board, we ran out to fish a couple of wrecks in the 20 mile stream. All the way out, the chat and banter flowed and we soon got to our first wreck. It was just running into slack water as we arrived, and appeared to be devoid of fish, with no bites at all initially.
On the first signs of the Ebb tide coming through, we started to pick up 2-3 fish a drift. Gordon Blythe took a nice Codling measuring 69cm, taking the competition lead. Once the fishing started to slow right down again, we decided to move on. A glass of Port and a Mince Pie on route warmed the cockles on a “fresh” day.
First drift on the next wreck we were back in business with 5 Codling coming up. Gordon Blythe was at it again and snuck up a 68cm Codling to join his mate! We spent the remainder of the day on this wreck, with a few fish a drift coming to mainly squid baits on muppet bait traces. Crab cart and squid also picked away a few better sized fish. Despite there being plenty of Codling caught on the second wreck, nothing was caught to trouble the fish that Gordon had already caught. So with some pretty solid angling, he helped himself to 1st and 2nd place and went home £200 better off.
Well done Gordon and thanks to everyone for a brilliant day out. -
02/12/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
2 Dec 2022 by Andy Savage
It was nice to get five days back to back this week. I’ve already reported on a couple of days which gave us some excellent fishing, but it’s only right to add a bit of balance. Not every day can be a “red letter” day. Although to be fair, we still caught ok.
On Tuesday we had a mixed day. Starting off Uptiding, then running to some inshore wrecks around slack water. Once the tide got away, we went back to fishing at anchor. We picked away steadily whilst uptiding, but didn’t find any of the better stamp of fish we caught the day before. The inshore wrecks were dead. We tried three wrecks for no fish at all.
Following Wednesday’s cracking sport; Thursday was another run off to the 20 mile stream wrecks. We started on the same productive wreck as the day before and took 3-4 fish a drift, but the average size wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. We took a few fish around 5lb, but nothing better. I took us to another wreck just before dinnertime, and the catch rate went up significantly, with 5 or 6 rods taking fish every drift. Squid on muppet bait traces took almost all the fish. Everyone had quite a few to take away and plenty were thrown back.
Today saw us back out in the 20 mile stream wrecking. It turned out to be a really frustrating day for me. The first wreck had a seal on it (as it has on every occasion I’ve been this year) and it was hungry! There were very few bites anyway, but Mark Wilkinson managed to hook something of reasonable size. Halfway up his rod slammed over as the seal came for its breakfast. After a bit of a tussle, Mark got some of his fish back!!!
We moved on to another two wrecks for next to nothing, then I made the call to run back in to a wreck 10 miles closer in. Finally we found a few fish willing to feed. Pleasingly, we picked up fish every drift for the rest of the afternoon and there were a fair few for the pan. It wasn’t the day I’d hoped for, but every day is different.
Thanks to everyone for coming out fishing with me. I really appreciate the bookings and will always try my best to get us on some fish. -
30/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
30 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
The Three Amigos turn out to be one wreck wonders!!
Mark Johnson, Bob Nicholls and Jeff Hoggard booked the boat for themselves today. With the falling tides, Uptiding wasn’t really a great option, so with the settled weather, I thought that some of the wrecks in the 20 mile stream might be holding a few fish. We haven’t been able to fish them for quite some time with the poor/inconsistent weather we’ve had. The lads were in agreement, so we headed out at first light.
On arrival at the first wreck, I set up the drift and as soon as Mark got to the bottom, he was into fish. He cranked up, what appeared to be a decent fish, but it turns out that two nice plump Codling had jumped straight onto his pennel hooks. I immediately thought that there must be a few down there….and boy, was I right!!
The rest of the day was spent on the same wreck. We caught fish after fish after fish. I lost count of the number of drifts where we were all playing fish at once. It was absolutely fantastic sport. The average size of the fish was equally impressive as the quantity; with loads in the 5-7lb bracket. Whilst we didn’t land any monsters, Jeff Hoggard took the biggest Codling at just over 8lb, but that didn’t really matter, it was the quality of the fish which impressed so much.
It truly was a day to remember and one as anglers we always hope for. We all caught loads and it was a day spent in great company.
Thanks very much for your excellent company lads. See you in a couple of weeks. -
28/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
28 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
The Spring Tides are just starting to fall away, so today saw us out for a days Uptiding.
We used the last of the flood tide to run South for a few miles and then had to wait for half an hour or so for the Ebb Tide to get away properly. The first stop didn’t turn out to be particularly productive, so with only a few small Codling and Pouting to show for our efforts we pulled the anchor and had a move.
This heralded much better results with some nice Codling up to 6lb coming up. Everyone pretty much went with Squid and Black Lugworm (as usual). There was some great banter which always makes for a good day out and the weather was excellent for a change. We had a couple more moves during the day when bites dried up, and all too soon it was time to head back in.
Thanks to everyone on board for being great company, I had a lovely day out. -
14/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
14 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
I’ve waited a while….but today was one of the few times this year that I’ve actually fished all day on wrecks and rough ground. The group of anglers were all friends and experienced anglers who know how to look after themselves, which is what’s needed for me to be able to relax a bit and fish properly.
We started the day on a few wrecks a couple of miles from the pier ends. With it being wind against tide, we had a decent drift speed and managed to pick up a fair few Codling each run through, along with a few inevitable tackle loses!! Martin Novo took a lovely Codling of 7lb 12oz off the first wreck, which was the biggest Codling of the day.
Everyone fished very similar, with rigs and baits we all know work well. Muppet bait traces (tied on 100lb mono) with pennel hook arrangements 8/0 - 6/0 hooks) using whole Squid. Or alternatively a set of baited Hokkai’s on rough ground. After a couple of hours of steady fishing, sport really slowed down through slack water. We tried a couple of different wrecks, but the tide was obviously key to getting the fish feeding.
Once the Ebb tide was away we moved to some nearby rough ground, which has been pretty kind to me this year. Thankfully, once the Ebb was at full speed we were back in business, with plenty of bites and fish. Having set up one particular drift, I had to take a phone call from a customer wanting to make a booking. When I came out of the wheelhouse, the only rod not playing a fish was mine!! Ian Kellock had a 12lb Ling, Jim Lister had a 10lb Ling and the others had nice Codling…..at least I was on hand to play “gillie” …..as usual!! ��
In a similar pattern to yesterday, once the best of the Ebb Tide had run through, bites tailed off quickly for us. The lads weren’t keen on flogging a “dead horse”, so we decided to take an early bath and headed back in to Whitby by mid afternoon. A big thanks to the boys from me. They’re all brilliant company, good anglers and allowed me to scratch my fishing “itch”. As it turned out, I had ten nice Codling to take back to Sea Urchin HQ. What a fantastic day! Thanks everyone. -
13/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
13 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
With a slightly smaller 4.9m tide today, I decided to go and have a look on some of the rough ground and maybe a wreck or two. James Tuck brought five of his mates who hadn’t fished for a long time and needed a bit of guidance from us. The rest of the lads on board had their own gear and fished fairly regularly. So a mixed abilities group today.
The wind strength far exceeded what I had hoped for and made fishing conditions quite challenging as there was a bit of movement, making the boat pitch and roll on the drift. Initially we ran to some rough ground three miles out, to asses the drift speed, before maybe trying a wreck. With wind against tide, the drift speed of the boat wasn’t covering the ground sufficiently, so it was a baptism of fire and straight to a nearby wreck!!
Credit to the less experienced lads, they got to grips with controlling the gear in tricky conditions very quickly and started to pick away a few fish every drift over the wreck. It took 16oz of lead to control the gear properly today, and a muppet bait trace with either Squid or Squid and Black Lug did the bites. The two wrecks we fished over slack threw up mainly Codling to 5lb 8oz. We didn’t manage to clip anything any bigger, but there were plenty of bites.
Once the Ebb tide got away, we had wind and tide together, so moved back onto rough ground as the drift speed got to 1.7 knots. Now we were covering the ground, we found 3-6 fish a drift of mostly Codling, with an an odd strap Ling or two making an appearance. That’s how the remainder of the day went. We kept on the move, finishing up on the five mile ground and kept picking away until we lost a bit of tide. That really slowed things down, so it was a bit of a slow last hour, but by then everyone on board had fish to take away.
The lads kept on taking the mickey out of each other all day and it really kept up everyone’s spirits, making it a good day out in tough conditions. Well done on some great angling boys. -
12/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
12 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
With the bigger of the Spring tides out of the way, we had some nice conditions for Uptiding today. Onboard were a great group of lads of mixed angling experiences. From brand new, to Salty Sea Dog!
Today we chose to use the last of the flood tide and ran a few miles south towards Robin Hoods Bay. We timed our arrival well, with the Ebb Tide just getting away nicely as we dropped anchor. This gave us a good few hours of consistent tide to fish. We ran through baiting up and casting with the lads that needed it and everyone was away. To be fair, the fishing wasn’t bad at all to start with. Plenty of bites from some hungry Codling. The size of the fish weren’t enormous, with quite a few throwbacks, but a few better ones amongst them up to 5lb 8oz.
A couple of hours in, we had our first move as the bites had slowed down. Almost immediately after setting the anchor, fish were coming up again. This particular spot threw up a number of Pollock, which was unusual at this time of year. It seemed that there were a flurry of fish when the anchor first got dropped, then the bites petered out as time went on. This was pretty much the pattern for the day.
The run into slack water wasn’t particularly good, and the bites didn’t start to come again in numbers, until the flood tide got away properly. It was really good to see the lads who were new to it getting a few fish. Richard Cunliffe in particular did really well, taking a nice bag of fish away.
I always mention the most productive bait, but Uptiding at Whitby it is almost always the usual suspects. Squid and Black Lug cocktails ruled today #standard Tony Firman had a go with Crab Cart from time to time, but interestingly noticed no discernible difference in bites.
There was some great banter on board, which always makes for a good day out. Well done lads and thanks for a lovely day out. -
06/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
6 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
Today I had a group of experienced anglers aboard who were keen to try the inshore uptiding grounds. It was the first attempt we’ve had this winter and the water hasn’t had a good stir up yet, so it was a bit of an unknown entity.
With moderate South Westerly winds and a 5.4m tide, we would be tucking in close to the cliffs to get in the lee of the wind. We headed north up the coast and first stop was a nice rough area at 3 miles. Once we got the anchor set I went below to make everyone a brew. When I returned five minutes there were three Codling on board already!! Gaz Townend taking a beautiful, clean 4lb fish first cast.
Everyone got off the mark at the first stop, but it quietened after an hour, so a move further up the coast was in order. We had a similar result again, with a flurry of quick fish, this time Ian Kellock taking a mint 5lb Codling amongst the other fish boated. The fish all fell for cocktail baits of either Squid, Black Lug or Crab Cart. We moved a total of four times today, with only one spot being unproductive. Si England was top rod, with a nice box of ten Codling to 6lb to take home, plus some throwbacks.
The fishing conditions were far from perfect today, but there was plenty of bites and plenty of chat all day, making it really enjoyable. Evidently, there are also plenty of fish knocking around, so it might be worth reconsidering hanging up the rods for the winter and having a run out.
Well done today guy’s, some good angling on display -
03/11/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
3 Nov 2022 by Andy Savage
With a break in the weather today, we had a fantastic group of lads, eager to get out fishing. With eight sets of hire tackle out, it was going to be a good opportunity to get some less experienced anglers catching fish, which is something I really enjoy.
Having not been out for a while, we had an optimistic look to see if there were any Mackerel left to catch for fresh bait. Surprisingly we pick up a fair few on the feathers. Lots of Joey’s but also a few strings of “regular sized” ones came up.
We started the day drifting the rough ground at three miles. This gave the lads who hadn’t fished before, chance to get into the routine of feeling for bites and controlling the gear. My regular bait traces mounted with Squid and/or Mackerel got us off to a great start, with a nice picking of Ling and Codling. Igors Fortuna initially took the biggest Ling at 10lb 12oz and Andy Thornton the biggest Codling at 6lb 12oz. We stuck with it for the next hour or so and everyone got themselves off the mark and built confidence.
Once the flood tide got away properly we had a quiet twenty minutes with the drift speed going up to 1.5 knots. I decided to push us out to the five mile ground so we could lose a bit of tide and slow down the drift. This worked well and the run of fish continued, with the lads taking up to eight fish a drift. Igors Fortuna took another double figure Ling and Andy Thornton took a 12lb 8oz Ling giving him the biggest Cod and Ling for the day (great angling Andy).
The average size of the Codling wasn’t massive on the ground, with more in the 2-4lb range than the 4-6lb Class. With everyone in the groove, we finished the day on a couple of wrecks where we found some better Codling. Paul Hargreaves was after a new PB and he landed it on his last cast of the day….fantastic!!
A massive thanks to everyone for coming along. You all fished and caught really well….hope to see you again soon -
03/10/2022
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
3 Oct 2022 by Andy Savage
Wow…..it’s been hard to get out fishing recently. In September we managed a total of five days at sea, and October has started equally as rubbish.
With a temporary lull in the pants weather, we did finally manage a day out yesterday. With a group of experienced anglers on board, I was optimistic that we might find a few fish, if they were feeding. Having not been out to sea for over a week, we had a tentative look for a few fresh Mackerel. Running out to the five mile ground, we did find Mackerel, but in the main, they were absolutely tiny. Strings of 4-6” fish came up, which was quite bazaar. In the end, we found enough to get us going.
We had an hour or so drifting the five mile ground and initially we were getting plenty of bites, mainly from small Codling. Once the flood tide got away properly, the bites tailed off a bit. Keeping on the move, I took us into some ground at three miles, so we could drop onto some wrecks close by when the tide began to ease. The first couple of drifts didn’t produce much, but then the wind fell away a bit and the tide eased a smidge. It was like someone had flicked the fish feeding switch. All of a sudden; we had six rods in at once, and the boys wrestled up a fair few fish in the next hour. It was mainly Ling with the best fish around double figures, but lots of bites and a good few fish in the boxes.
As slack approached, we went to a couple of wrecks, and had a few fish, but nothing exceptional. I called it early off the wrecks and went back to rough ground. We finished the day catching steadily. We caught plenty of Ling and Codling, but the size of the Codling was on the small side. Mike Lee was top rod for the day, and filled a box to the top with some cracking fish. It was a lovely day out with anglers who I’ve had to cancel too many times for bad weather this year.
Thanks for coming boys.
