Near Shore cod fishing

For safety members of our club buddy up so there is always another boat within a mile or so able to assist if nec. Not a perfect answer but is definitely a confidence booster with the knowledge that someone is not to far away.

Worst part of getting to the iow coding grounds if coming from xchurch is the shingles, if coming from lymo you have hurst spit and the bridge at needles light. As you approach if it looks to rough it is, either go home and try another day or pick a course around the hazard which is not always easy.

Do a search for Poole bay small boat angling club and read up on there. Some members with boats as small as 5 metres fish that ground. You'll find a lot of info and can ask questions of other fishermen that fish that area in small boats.

Martin
 
I have a couple of dry suits as it happens so will take them with me.. if the weather's iffy, I won't go out and the lads and I will just enjoy a weekend away on dry land.. if we do go out, I'll fish within sight of another boat if anyone else is out that weekend, I presume there will be if we're going to popular fishing grounds and the weather's ok.

Will take all necessary safety precautions too... whilst not fishing in the ogin during winter, I have got many years winter beach fishing experience and have fished for carp in extreme cold temps so have all the gear to generally protect from the cold.

However.. keep the advice coming please, safety is paramount and you'll probably know me a little by now, I'm not proud/stupid and will always heed good advice from the more experienced folk on this forum.

cheers Gary
 
For safety members of our club buddy up so there is always another boat within a mile or so able to assist if nec. Not a perfect answer but is definitely a confidence booster with the knowledge that someone is not to far away.

Worst part of getting to the iow coding grounds if coming from xchurch is the shingles, if coming from lymo you have hurst spit and the bridge at needles light. As you approach if it looks to rough it is, either go home and try another day or pick a course around the hazard which is not always easy.

Do a search for Poole bay small boat angling club and read up on there. Some members with boats as small as 5 metres fish that ground. You'll find a lot of info and can ask questions of other fishermen that fish that area in small boats.

Martin

thanks again Martin, you posted as I was typing mine up to similar effect... I'll certainly read up on the Poole Bay sbac as that sounds like a goldmine of good info and will hopefully get in touch with someone going out that weekend from Lymo, to do the buddy up thing

update: Have just registered on Pool Bay sbac and am awaiting the mods nod to grant me access
 
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I have a couple of dry suits as it happens so will take them with me.. if the weather's iffy, I won't go out and the lads and I will just enjoy a weekend away on dry land.. if we do go out, I'll fish within sight of another boat if anyone else is out that weekend, I presume there will be if we're going to popular fishing grounds and the weather's ok.

Will take all necessary safety precautions too... whilst not fishing in the ogin during winter, I have got many years winter beach fishing experience and have fished for carp in extreme cold temps so have all the gear to generally protect from the cold.

However.. keep the advice coming please, safety is paramount and you'll probably know me a little by now, I'm not proud/stupid and will always heed good advice from the more experienced folk on this forum.

cheers Gary

I am scared that I have become an 'elf n safety nut, as I have done my share of stupid stunts in my time, but it is not the fishing part that is a worrying bit, but the getting there and back bit. One wrong wave and you are swamped.

My advice is to use a fishing boat - Warrior style - or buy a RIB. I have a Humber Destroyer. It has a high bow and whatever I do I cannot get the sea to swamp it. My other boat is a Antares 650, wheelhouse fisher, but being a tad sacred of the lumpy stuff, I wouldn't even take that out in winter as far as you propose, despite a forumite circumnavigating the British Isles in a similar boat.

Maybe I've used up all my bravado, but I like to be safe at sea and I wish the same for you.
 
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thanks again MC :) imo.. you can never be too safe, the first sniff of unacceptable danger and believe me, for the sake of my mates, I'll turn tail and run...

these are my options in a sliding scale of risk depending on conditions on eacch day we're down there and general success of mitigating known risk factors ahead of the trip - I'll even be dilligent to the extent of doing a probabilty impact analysis for each risk I've identified before going out.. sad I know but better than experiencing a Major Catastrophy whilst afloat lol ;)

1. fish the fishing grounds east of the fairway
2. if the water's impassable round the shingles / hurst point.. go for one of the sheltered bays or deep water runs this side of the IOW e.g. Colwell Bay
3. resort to beach casting off Hurst Point and leave the boat on the trailer
4. stay in the pub and leave the boating / fishing well alone



cheers Gary
 
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Maybe I've used up all my bravado, but I like to be safe at sea and I wish the same for you.

I've used all my nine lives, and more, over the years and, like you, am concerned that GaryO is plastering over the basics by bolting on extras.

For instance I mentioned exposure suits and the immediate response was regarding dry suits. They are not the same at all - an exposure suit has closeable hand mittens and a neoprene sealed head cover, leaving only your face visible. You will lose up to 30% of your body heat through your head. They are also a pain to work in and very expensive (£400+). Yes, a drysuit is better than nothing but it is not the whole answer.

I don't know GaryO and wish him well with his pastime but worry that he is, himself, not happy with the provisions he has made. Basically, it sounds like his boat is less than suitable for the job he wants it to do. Whether this is due to budget or experience I don't know.

Get the boat right and the rest follows.

Tom
 
I've used all my nine lives, and more, over the years and, like you, am concerned that GaryO is plastering over the basics by bolting on extras.

For instance I mentioned exposure suits and the immediate response was regarding dry suits. They are not the same at all - an exposure suit has closeable hand mittens and a neoprene sealed head cover, leaving only your face visible. You will lose up to 30% of your body heat through your head. They are also a pain to work in and very expensive (£400+). Yes, a drysuit is better than nothing but it is not the whole answer.

I don't know GaryO and wish him well with his pastime but worry that he is, himself, not happy with the provisions he has made. Basically, it sounds like his boat is less than suitable for the job he wants it to do. Whether this is due to budget or experience I don't know.

Get the boat right and the rest follows.

Tom

Hi Tom.. I am not plastering over anything.. I hate plastering and any form of diy as it goes :)

can you advise why you think the Fletcher 19GTS isn't up to the job please.. it concerns me that you think a boat built for british waters would not be? buggered if I'm selling it again for yet another boat within 12 month ;)

I'll be wearing deckhand gloves and Rosignol expert 20000 overcoat and 100% wind and waterproof bib and brace.. the dry suit will be with me in case it helps, I'm not sure yet whether I'll wear it.. I'll also be wearing thin but effective thermal vest and leggings along with a regatta thermal mid layer.. finally I'll have skiiing socks and a pair of cabella dry plus 2000 gram inferno boots...... I'll not wear it immediately but I'll also take a close knit hoody should I get cold, the thermal vest, mid layer, wooly hat and coat have always been warm enough whilst not creating bulk in sub zero temperature, so I'm hoping they will be sufficient... and of course, I'll have with me a complete change of clothes should my outers not do their job and I get wet before heading home with the canopy up.... is there anything else I should consider in your opinion please?
 
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Hi Tom.. I am not plastering over anything.. I hate plastering and any form of diy as it goes :)

can you advise why you think the Fletcher 19GTS isn't up to the job please.. it concerns me that you think a boat built for british waters would not be? buggered if I'm selling it again for yet another boat within 12 month ;)

I'll be wearing deckhand gloves and Rosignol expert 20000 overcoat and 100% wind and waterproof bib and brace.. the dry suit will be with me in case it helps, I'm not sure yet whether I'll wear it.. I'll also be wearing thin but effective thermal vest and leggings along with a regatta thermal mid layer.. finally I'll have skiiing socks and a pair of cabella dry plus 2000 gram inferno boots...... I'll not wear it immediately but I'll also take a close knit hoody should I get cold, the thermal vest, mid layer, wooly hat and coat have always been warm enough whilst not creating bulk in sub zero temperature, so I'm hoping they will be sufficient... and of course, I'll have with me a complete change of clothes should my outers not do their job and I get wet before heading home with the canopy up.... is there anything else I should consider in your opinion please?

Yes just use your commonsense and experience. If in doubt ask the Harbourmaster for advice and enjoy yourself.

You will only be able to do 6 knots WOT with all that gear aboard. :D and you will have 6" of freeboard, so you can't go out unless the water is millpond flat anyway.

So you see the safety gear has already kept you safe and you have not even had to leave the dock. :D

Perhaps if you lash one of those Zorb balls to the deck so you can pile in when the boat founders, everything will be copacetic.
 
Hello Gary,

I suspect that some people are confusing your threads, or have not read the first through, and do not realise that you have replaced the bow rider with a more suitable craft on the advice of this forum and are now about to make your first fishing trip in your new boat.

Although not a fisherman, I have spent many hours in that neck of the woods in my old Tremlett 21 Sportsman, a much older boat design than your Fletcher, and only felt really nervous once. All you can now do is listen too all the well intentioned advice, equip yourself as you deem necessary and take her out to see how she performs, ideally buddied-up with someone local.

If I ever get my long awaited sea trial completed, and it proves to be satisfactory, I hope to be able to come along side one day soon to help you untangle yourself from your pullpit :D
 
Hi Tom..

can you advise why you think the Fletcher 19GTS isn't up to the job please..

Hi Gary

I have no opinion as to the suitability of the Fletcher other than it is 19' long and holding a crew of three (you and your family IIRC) and all your fishing gear.

It is a small boat by any standards, good for what it was designed for no doubt, but winter in the open English Channel ?

Please do not take my comments for anything other than well intentioned advice/comments - yours to take or discard as you please.

Again, if the weather is good - go for it - if any doubt, stay home.

To paraphrase an aviation aphorism -

Better to be safe ashore wishing you were out there rather than out there wishing you were safe ashore.

Tom
 
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Hello Gary,

I suspect that some people are confusing your threads, or have not read the first through, and do not realise that you have replaced the bow rider with a more suitable craft on the advice of this forum and are now about to make your first fishing trip in your new boat.

I see now that this is an 'old' thread, which has confused us. Should have started a new thread.

He says he has a Fletcher 19 GTS, which still has an open bow as far as I can see.

19gts_large_2.jpg


On the other hand, if he has a 19GTSC Sportscruiser, then I would withdraw many of my observations.

19gts_SPORT_large_2.jpg
 
I see now that this is an 'old' thread, which has confused us. Should have started a new thread.

He says he has a Fletcher 19 GTS, which still has an open bow as far as I can see.

19gts_large_2.jpg


On the other hand, if he has a 19GTSC Sportscruiser, then I would withdraw many of my observations.

19gts_SPORT_large_2.jpg

Gary has the cuddy cabin version Major.
 
thanks guys and pls don't be concerned about the way I take your advice and hopefully my responses aren't coming back as defensive.. the written word, even with emoticons, is pants at getting across what I'm thinking.. I think I have a fairly decent handle on things now but recognise this is my first trip out at the helm with a crew to look after in winter conditions so I do appreciate the guidance and it'd be crazy not to listen to it... hopefully we'll meet up in the summer and you can judge for yourself........................................ that I'm a harmless plonka :)

p.s. good point on starting a new thread... told you I was a plonka at times ;)
 
Hiya.. I'm really looking forward to an Autumn / Winter fishing experience but recognise my boat isn't great in rough seas... so long as I watch the weather and tides and make sure I inform the coastguard etc etc, just how far offshore should I venture out to pick up some decent cod/haddock shouls in a Bayliner Bowrider (17ft)... had a chat with a guy two weeks back who picked up a cracking fish about 5 miles off Mudeford. is 5 miles risking it too much? I've done Lymington to Christchurch but 5 miles out to sea is a differenct prospect especially in winter where I guess squals can flare up unexpectedly.

Hoping you'll say go for it but also want to listen to those voices of experience to the contrary.

cheers Gary

not intedin to be racist but if you were a Somali fisherman, I guess you would stay within a 500 mile piracy limit to go outside that I suggest you would have to go upto 22 ft !:)
 
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