Charter Boat: Sea Urchin IIl
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Boat and Skipper Details
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Availability Calendar
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Individual Spaces
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Reviews
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Location and directionsMap
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Bait & Tackle
Boat and Skipper Details
Launched in 2016, Sea Urchin III is fitted with the latest electronics and a powerful Perkins M300C engine. She can get out to the wrecks fast and outrun the bad weather to get us back in when needed. Onboard, there is a sheltered area to get out of the weather, plus a private flushing toilet to keep things comfortable. The deck space is huge giving everyone ample room to fish. A central area to store tackle boxes and bags, plus bait cutting areas front and rear, keep the deck space tidy. Each angler has a dedicated fish box which is stored in a bespoke drawer system. No more lifting boxes or having them fly around in bad weather. Built for comfort, stability and speed, Sea Urchin III has it all.
Trip Information:
General - Throughout Spring, Summer and Autumn we generally fish the wrecks and reefs out of Whitby for Cod, Ling and Pollock. In addition to the wreck and reef fishing, in Winter we offer uptiding trips for Cod on the inshore grounds around Sandsend, Kettleness and Robin Hoods Bay.
Our trips in Spring, Summer and Autumn usually commence at 07:00 hrs; but please be sure to check with Skipper the evening before (as sometimes we may leave earlier). If the tide level requires the use of the Swing Bridge at 07:00 hrs then we need to be sat on the water waiting at 06:50 hrs. Late anglers can cost the whole party precious fishing time, so if you are late, the boat will not wait for you.
Winter uptiding trips see us leave Whitby around 07:00 hrs and come back in for around 16:00 – 16:30 hrs; Spring, Summer and Autumn trips have us back at the pontoon for roughly 17:00 hrs where you can finish off your filleting, if you haven’t already done it at sea (recommended).
If you are not staying in Whitby the night before your trip, we recommend you arrive early (05:00 – 06:00 hrs) in the morning to get a chance at a decent parking place. It can be particularly busy through the summer months and although the pay and display car park on Church Street has space for around forty cars, it fills quickly (parking for the day in the Church Street park costs £10.00 for 24hrs).
Once you’ve got the car parked, it’s worth a stroll to the excellent Singing Kettle for one of their fantastic breakfasts (open from 05:30hrs daily). If you need to tackle for the day, I have everything aboard which you will need to fish effectively from Whitby. Don't waste money buying random stuff; I will give advice and supply you with terminal tackle and leads at very reasonable prices that are fit for the job.
Don’t forget to book your dates for the Whitby Charter Skippers Association Festival early so you get the exact date and tide to suit your or your group. Most years, anglers leave it to the last minute and then struggle to get a good tide and space; don’t let it be you this year. You can view the tide heights on the availability page of the booking calendar. Many anglers enjoy a post-fishing pint, with The Station and Middle Earth Tavern being popular pubs in Whitby, where anglers can always be found discussing their day at sea over a cold beer.
As an Angler and Angling Coach. I have been an avid fisherman from the age of four, my fascination and passion for the sea was ignited by my Dad, who first took me fishing off the Marine Drive in Scarborough for Codling, Dabs and an odd Pollock throughout the 1980's. A twenty five year career in the Armed Forces saw me travel and fish all around the world, for everything that swims, from Sharks to Sea Bass; but the hallowed grounds of the North Yorkshire coast have always stolen my heart.
My first proper "wrecking trip" took place on my birthday in 1992 and having ben told the stories by other Whitby anglers, of boats almost sinking because of the weight of Cod they had caught (three doubles at a time, 20's for fun!!), had me a quivering "wreck" on the day of departure. Two hours later, when I was projectile vomiting like there was no tomorrow and sliding around the deck in a cocktail of fish slime and puke, things didn't seem so glamorous!! However, that was just the start of things to come, and I have boat fished the area around Whitby extensively for most of my adult life.
I am passionate about customer service and will do what is necessary to ensure you have an enjoyable day on Sea Urchin. My goal each day is for all anglers to catch fish and I will put pressure on myself to achieve this. Over the years, on the majority of boats, I have seen little guidance given to the first time anglers (apart from, drop it down there, and wind it up when you get a bite). Everyone starts from somewhere; so if you want to start your sea fishing journey with Sea Urchin, I can guarantee that you will get as much, (or as little) assistance as you require. We all have to start somewhere. There are absolutely no guarantees in fishing, but on Sea Urchin we will never be found lacking.
December 2024
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N.B. Not all Skippers keep this dairy up-to-date. Always check with skippers before making any plans. Last calendar update: 20-Dec-2024 |
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Sun 1st Dec
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Mon 2nd Dec
Fully Booked
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Tue 3rd Dec
Fully Booked
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Wed 4th Dec
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Thu 5th Dec
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Fri 6th Dec
Fully Booked
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Sat 7th Dec
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Sun 8th Dec
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Mon 9th Dec
Fully Booked
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Tue 10th Dec
Fully Booked
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Wed 11th Dec
Fully Booked
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Thu 12th Dec Unavailable More Details |
Fri 13th Dec
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Sat 14th Dec
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Sun 15th Dec
Fully Booked
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Mon 16th Dec
Fully Booked
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Tue 17th Dec
Fully Booked
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Wed 18th Dec Unavailable More Details |
Thu 19th Dec
Fully Booked
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Fri 20th Dec
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Sat 21st Dec
Individual Spaces
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Sun 22nd Dec
Fully Booked
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Mon 23rd Dec
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Tue 24th Dec
Unavailable
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Wed 25th Dec
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Thu 26th Dec
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Fri 27th Dec
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Sat 28th Dec
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Sun 29th Dec
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Mon 30th Dec
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Tue 31st Dec
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Upcoming Individual Spaces on Sea Urchin IIl
| Fri 03/01/2025 |
1 Space Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.29m
Will Bird - x 1
Bod - x 2
Steve Whitaker - x 2
Craig Henshaw - x 2
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| Sat 04/01/2025 |
1 Space Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.21m
John Bennison - x 7
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| Wed 08/01/2025 |
4 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.68m
Christopher Arrand - x 5
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| Fri 10/01/2025 |
3 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.76m
Richard Moulds - x 2
Steve Ralphson - x 2
Luke Hayward - x 2
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| Sat 11/01/2025 |
4 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 4.96m
Luke Hayward - x 2
Stephen Austin - x 2
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| Sun 12/01/2025 |
5 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.09m
Shaun Marchington - x 2
Greg Ince - x 1
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| Tue 14/01/2025 |
2 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.31m
Dave & Del - x 2
Stan Matthews - x 1
Ian Purdom - x 1
Keith Pickering - x 1
Joe Clough - x 1
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| Tue 21/01/2025 |
9 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.51m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Gareth Hiddleston - x 1
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| Thu 23/01/2025 |
8 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.25m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Joe Clough - x 1
Philip Coupland - x 1
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| Sun 26/01/2025 |
2 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.44m
Steve Walsh - x 8
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| Mon 27/01/2025 |
8 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.67m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Stan Matthews - x 1
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| Wed 29/01/2025 |
5 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.17m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Ian Purdom - x 3
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| Sun 02/02/2025 |
6 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.44m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Keith Lockwood - x 2
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| Thu 06/02/2025 |
3 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.59m
Paul Hargreaves - x 6
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| Sun 09/02/2025 |
5 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.66m
Dave Johnson - x 4
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| Tue 11/02/2025 |
5 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.06m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Dave & Del - x 2
Stan Matthews - x 1
| View details | |||
| Wed 12/02/2025 |
7 Spaces Available
Uptiding Trip - 5.20m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Keith Pickering - x 1
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| Thu 20/02/2025 |
8 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.48m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Dave & Del - x 2
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| Sat 22/02/2025 |
8 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.13m
Will sail with 4 anglers.
Sean Coupland - x 2
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| Sun 23/02/2025 |
4 Spaces Available
Wrecking Trip - 4.18m
Steve Walsh - x 6
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Reviews
Summary:
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Sean Coupland (03/11/2024)
First time aboard Sea Urchin uptiding Andy was fantastic made us all welcome and a hive of information, tips , knowledge we all caught a varied selection of fish , and had a fantastic day
Looking forward to a few trips for next year �� thanks Andy
SeanSkippers Reponse: Thanks very much Sean.
It was great to have you and Phil aboard. You were brilliant company and fished really well. I could tell you were shore anglers by how fast you picked it up!
Look forward to seeing you again.
Best Regards
Andy -
Paul Edwards (31/08/2024)
As always great to be onboard , Andys a guy who will tell you as it is , no bull shit , right or wrong a straight answer.
always on hand to help and give advice to both novice and seasoned anglers . he makes it a pleasure to fish with helping with issues and tangles.(some dont )..we always have a chat to see what the day will consist of ,,, ground / wrecks or a mix of both .taking tide and wind into account .
this day was the first day of the WCSA LATE SUMMER FESTIVAL, and boy did we smash it , Andy put us on the fish on the first wreck . OUR CLUB THE KEEL INN BARNSLEY took 1st 2nd and 3rd for the day, you ask for any better results than that. Always a pleasure to be on SEA URCHIN 111.
BE BACK SOON FOR ROUND 2 WEATHER PERMITTING .....TOG EDWARDS THE COMMITEESkippers Reponse: Thanks very much for the kind words Tog. You and the rest of the Keel Inn Club are an absolute pleasure to have aboard. #ifcarlsbergdidcustomers
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Paul Marsh (20/11/2023)
Excellent day uptiding,none of us had done it before but with Andy's help and knowledge we all got to grips and caught plenty of fish. As far as skippers go Andy takes some beating. Highly recommend.Thank Andy can't wait till April. Paul.
Skippers Reponse: Thanks very much for the kind words and taking the time to do a review, I really appreciate it.
You were all fantastic company and great to have aboard. Look forward to seeing you again next year.
Many Thanks
Andy -
Mariusz Marczyk (16/02/2023)
Great trip with fantastic, very helpful skipper. Andy’s knowledge helped us to catch nice fish. Good fun, comfortable, clean boat. Thanks Andy. See You soon again. Big “Thank You” from my dad Jurek��
Skippers Reponse: Thanks for the kind words Mariusz. I really enjoyed having you and your Dad on board. Hope he’s bought himself a nice new rod after the monster Pouting broke the last one!!
Look forward to seeing you both again. -
peter mccullagh (19/05/2022)
Good day out on Sea Urchin. Cup of tea to start the day most welcome. Extremely clean and well organised boat with plenty of buckets for bait and washing hands.Very friendly Skipper(Andy) took a lot of care and attention to every body especially the beginers who ,I think enjoyed their day(apart from being seasick but he felt better later) All very happy with the trip. I for one will be back soon...Pouting Pete
Skippers Reponse: Thank you for the kind words Pete. It’s great having you on board. The new anglers couldn’t have fished next to a better bloke. I saw and heard you offering help and advice when I was helping other anglers. Hopefully see you again soon.
Location
Bait & Tackle
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SKYLARK TACKLE WAREHOUSE
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, England
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Anglers Choice
Middlesborough, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, England
Catch Stats
- CBUK Catch Log: 18 Species have been caught onboard Sea Urchin IIl, including: Ballan Wrasse | Coalfish (Coley/Saithe) | Cod | Cuckoo Wrasse | European Squid | Garfish | Haddock | Lesser Spotted Dogfish | Ling (Common) | Lobster | Mackerel | Monkfish | Octopus | Pollock | Tope | Tub Gurnard | Whiting | Wolf Fish
Latest Catches 901 photos uploaded
Latest Fishing Reports and News
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13/12/2024
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
13 Dec 2024 by Andy Savage
What a lovely day out we had today.......nice calm flat sea conditions, light winds, good tide and fantastic company. Considering the weather we had with "Storm Darragh" over the last weekend, I couldn't have asked for much better for the "Sea Urchin - Biggest Bag Competition" which we held today. The eight anglers aboard were fishing for the most fish that they could catch. Every fish was measured and then allocated a certain number of points according to species and how long it was. I kept a running tally all day and the two anglers with the highest points total at the end of the day would win the £100 and £50 cash prizes which I happily donate.
We got away just as day was breaking, running North to Sandsend to get as much of the remaining Ebb Tide in as possible. No sooner than I got the anchor down, the fish started to appear. Rods were consistently nodding around the boat and a succession of mainly Codling came up for the next couple of hours. Gordon Blyth had a brilliant. start, catching steadily and also taking the best Codling at just over 5lb. The sport lasted right up to slack water, when we pulled the anchor and ran further North to meet the Flood Tide.
Unfortunately, this move didn't work out well. The tide was running when we arrived, but after 20 minutes with very few bites and no fish aboard, I sacked it off and ran back South. Next stop, we were back in business. We had a reasonable couple of hours, with everyone getting a few fish. Amongst the Codling, Ian Kellock and Rich Winship both managed to find a nice Pollock apiece which was good to see.
We had one last move, to drop onto a nice shelf which I'd fished the previous day.
Thankfully, it didn't fish too badly and kept us entertained for the remainder of the day. Mark Botterill had been catching steadily throughout, but he had a golden hour and gradually clawed back the points deficit that Gordon had established; including catching the biggest Codling of the day at 66cm which weighed in at a smidge over 7lb. I am forever "banging on" about how important good bait is for Uptiding. The fish can see very little in the murky water and come primarily to the scent trail from the baits cast in. Today's top three point scoring anglers were all from Easington Sea Angling Club and all fish from the shore and boats throughout the year. They all had a good supply of fresh and frozen bait, which they changed every cast. Squid, Crab Cart, Peeler Crab, Live Yellow Tails, Mussel, Prawns, Black Lug. I'm 100% convinced that it made the difference.
With an hour to go, Gordon had a 100 point lead, but Mark managed to find a couple more fish and with only 30 minutes to go, took the lead! It could have gone either way, but Mark held on for the win with 1717 points and Gordon finishing just behind (bridesmaid again after finishing runner up last year) with 1641 points.
I'm not normally a "fish counter", but as we measured each fish, I do have some accurate stats today!
72 Cod up to 66cm (7lb 4oz)
12 Haddock (None Weighed)
2 Pollock both 60cm
8 Pouting none weighed
1 Whiting not weighed
5 Lobsters all safely returned
It was a thoroughly enjoyable day for me, which absolutely flew by. Thanks very much to all the lads who were fantastic company. -
06/12/2024
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
6 Dec 2024 by Andy Savage
It's been a few weeks since I've been able to produce a catch report. We've suffered with the usual rubbish weather for the time of year. I've been keeping busy doing small jobs on the boat that I haven't had the chance to do through the Summer. I've also been down to Plymouth on a Tuna fishing/handling course with Kev Lavis who Skippers on Crusader Charters, which was really interesting and informative.
On Wednesday and Thursday this week we finally got the chance to have a couple of days at sea. I had been asked once again to participate in a two day Uptiding Competition for the Police, Armed Forces and Civil Service. I was more than happy to join in having done the competition last year and had a brilliant time.
Four of the WCSA Association boats had been chartered, so along with Shy Torque, Alliance and Trot-On we would be spending a couple of days Uptiding. The weather was pretty rough on the run-in to Wednesday, but thankfully, we managed to get out for both days in the end. I had a group of eight lads aboard who were very keen to get started and I could tell they took their fishing seriously, as they were all very well kitted out and organised with good bait.
The format for the competition was that all the species of fish caught would be measured, then points were allocated according to species and size, off the chart which the Skippers were given by the organiser. So even a 25cm Pouting or 45cm Dogfish contributed points towards the overall total along with the preferred Codling etc. It's a really great way to fish, with every fish counting. Prizes would be awarded to the top three point scoring anglers over the combined two days. Also a prize was awarded for the biggest Codling (on the measure, not by weight).
We ran south towards Robin Hoods Bay on Wednesday and we had a fairly reasonable day. The winds were light and with a 5.2m tide, we caught fairly consistently throughout the day and there were flushes of fish moving through so we only moved a couple of time to reposition the boat. There were plenty of Codling caught up to 55cm, along with Pouting, Whiting & Dogfish and a solo Haddock. The lads were using Squid and Black Lugworm baits in the main and fishing with running leads and flowing 3-4ft traces with a pennel arangement of hooks on; or scratching type rigs with smaller bits of bait on short hook snoods. Switching between the two different rigs allowed the lads to keep the bites coming and the scoreboard ticking over.
Thursday gave slightly more breeze to contend with, but the sea conditions weren't bad at all, so we ran south again. For whatever reason, we caught probably half the quantity of fish we had the previous day. The most noticeable thing we found was that in the places we stopped at there weren't many flushes of fish running. We would initially catch the fish that were in the vicinity of the boat then it just died off. Consequently, we moved a few more times on Thursday to try and fish the fish.
Overall it was two really enjoyable days at sea for me. With the additional measuring, netting and recording of all the fish caught, the days just flew by as I was always busy. The chat and banter amongst the lads was excellent and brutal in equal measure! We all convened at The Middle Earth Pub for Pie & Peas with a couple of pints to do the presentations to round off a great competition.
Unfortunately I didn't get much chance to take any fish pictures, so I've just stuck with the sunrise on Wednesday morning. Thanks to everyone who took part. It was certainly a highlight of the year for me. Looking forward to 2025 already. -
08/11/2024
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
8 Nov 2024 by Andy Savage
There’s no getting away from it…….today’s fishing conditions were challenging for the lads aboard Sea Urchin.
We left the harbour with the Flood tide running and a SSE wind blowing. This gave us a wind against tide situation, which held the boat up on the drift. I optimistically thought we’d try a wreck to begin with, but after three drifts with the lines running away and only a strap Ling to show for our efforts (as well as some lost tackle), I sacked the idea off. I now knew that unless the winds dropped away (which they were forecast to do in the afternoon, but didn’t), that we would be drifting the rough ground for the remainder of the day. As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.
We had two or three drifts on the three mile ground, but there was a fleet of pots running through the most productive area I’d found, so after half a dozen clean Codling, but more lost gear, we moved out another couple of miles. Slack water, was around 1100hrs today, but with the breeze we had, I doubt many people would have known! Gradually the drift line of the boat changed and we now had wind and tide together.
The drift speed of the boat increased, so we spent the rest of the day on the seven and nine mile ground. We never got above a drift speed of 1.2 knots, but some of the anglers were really struggling to control their tackle.
Sea Urchin regulars Ian Kellock and Dave Sharp had it nailed on. A 16oz lead and a single muppet trace to catch less tide. This has the effect of minimising drag and keeping your bait on the bottom for longer, allowing the fish more time to find it. These small changes make a big difference!
Once the Ebb Tide was running, we found a nice ridge that held some decent stamp Cod. We had a few drifts where we put up some nice bright fish between 7-9lb which was great to see. Squid and/or Mackerel were the main baits today on the Muppet Traces. Ian Kellock was top rod with his best Cod going 9lb and Dave Sharp chipped in with the biggest Ling just into double figures. Fran Schaap also had a good day, taking Cod to 8lb and Ling of a similar size.
Great bunch of lads aboard today -
06/11/2024
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
6 Nov 2024 by Andy Savage
Fantastic weather today and a lovely day out again……
With very light winds and falling tides, we had a nice day out with great fishing conditions. I had a mixed group of anglers aboard, a couple whom I’d never met before, and some who I’ve not had on for a while. Plenty to talk about all day; it was set to be an enjoyable one.
We started the day off with a couple of wrecks. Unfortunately the first one had a fleet of Crab �� pots running off it, so we couldn’t get a drift in. The second one we tried was free of gear, so we got stuck in on the run into slack water. First drift we took a couple of plump Codling on Squid baited traces, which told us there were a few fish at home. As we began to lose the Flood Tide, the next few drifts saw two or three nice fish each run through. Mainly Codling around 3-4lb with an odd Ling.
Unfortunately, as soon as we got to slack water and even waited for the Ebb to push through, sport just tailed off. As the tide was now away, we headed for the seven mile ground and spent an hour or so on the drift. With the light breeze we had, the drift wasn’t perfect and instead of running along the usually productive ridges, we were crossing over them. This reduced the amount of time in the target area, which reduced the number of bites.
We took small Codling, Haddock, Pouting and Ling every drift when we were on the ridges, but very little from the softer areas.
After an hour or so, I thought we’d be better off on the nine mile ground, so that’s where we spent the rest of the day. A few fruitless drifts at the north end of the ground had me thinking I’d cocked up!Heading further south, thankfully we found a few fish again to spend the last couple of hours.
One area in particular gave us a few good drifts, with Keith Pickering taking his first double figure Ling at 10lb 8oz and Harry Bateman taking the biggest Cod of the day at 8lb 4oz. Everyone had a few fish to take away today and after three overcast days, the sun finally burst through to end a really enjoyable day for me. Thanks lads, you were brilliant company. -
05/11/2024
Fishing Report by Andy Savage
5 Nov 2024 by Andy Savage
It’s been a few days since I’ve managed to find the time to get a catch report together.
The incredibly settled weather (for the time of year) has continued on, so thankfully we’ve been out at sea every day. It was Spring Tides over the weekend, so, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday saw us Uptiding.
After a couple of promising signs earlier in October, it looks like the colour is dropping out of the water again with the settled weather.
A similar pattern emerged over the four Uptiding days. Leaving the harbour with the Ebb Tide running, it wasn’t particularly prolific on any of the days. We caught fish, but sport was patchy. Resident Codling, Pouting, Whiting, Haddock, Dog Fish, Wrasse and Lobsters came our way, but nothing worthy of getting camera out.
Sport improved each day with the Flood Tide and it coincided with us catching the few fresh run fish that we landed. All the fish came on the usual baits of Squid, Black Lug, and Crab Cart.
Tony Firman took the biggest Cod we had over that period with a fish of 5lb. Like I said, there were plenty of bites (apart from Monday, which was very quiet), but the average stamp is currently quite small.
With the tides now falling away and yesterday being poor fishing at anchor, today we were back drifting the rough ground and a couple of wrecks. With it being a 5m tide, we started the day off around slack water on a couple of wrecks in the five mile stream which yielded very little. Once the Ebb came through we started working the ground marks. Five mile produced only a handful of fish; seven mile wasn’t a great deal better, but we took two or three fish a drift of mainly Ling and Haddock.
A run out to the nine mile ground gave better results and we found a few more Codling and a better stamp of Ling. The five day period hasn’t seen any amazing fishing, but the anglers I’ve had aboard have been brilliant and have kept at it all day. I’ve had a go with a Shad today and still took an odd fish or two, so there’s still good clarity in the water for those coming over the next few days.
Thanks to everyone for the continued support. I really appreciate it.
Tight Lines
Andy
