Latest Fishing Reports: Osprey
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05/2015
Fishing Report by Steve Webber
May 2015 by Steve Webber
Teddieboycharters was out on a 10hour trip today as weather was spectacular, sun was shining and winds were light. We headed out in search of some rays and hounds to start before heading further down channel for other species. We had smoothound to 10lb+, blonde ray to 13lb 4oz, spotted ray to 4lb 4oz some nice huss, lots of dogs and a few rockling please call for trips 07894536672 spaces midweek
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13/12/2015
Fishing Report by nick smith
13 Dec 2015 by nick smith
Well was a interesting day with steve yesterday as the happy dangler's went out on their first codquest of the winter, for some of us it was hard work, but over all was a good day as always.
Mike got the ball rolling with the first fish of the day, a little doggie that he reeled in super fast to beat me to the boat to get the bonus points.....it then went quiet for abit, Dan's rod bent over and we all hoped he was into the target fish, but when it came to the surface our hopes were dashed by a strap conger. As the day went on the eels just wouldn't leave dan's bait alone.....
Wayne managed the first cod of the day, of about 10 inches, gary then had a cod of 11lb 6oz, which came off the hook at the side of the boat and swam into the waiting net..... and was probably kicking himself as he didnt enter the £5 wager.....especially as the day moved on without any more cod showing.....
We moved into deeper water where dan continued to catch conger, my rod bent over and i was into a decent fish, but after a short fight all went light as whatever i had bit through my 60lb hook length.
Finally mike's rod went over (luckily spotted by steve) and his fight started.....was it the bottom as he didnt seem to be moving it.....but it soon became clear he had a decent fish on.....20minutes later with sweat on his brow we finally saw the leader....everyone was holding their breath in anticipation...what was it? A few thought it was an arse ended ray as there were no knocks to mikes rod, finally with some leader on his reel mike started to walk back up the boat with steve shouting instructions.....mikey quickly grabbing the bigger net as we finally got a glimpse of this huge cod.....now it was just a case of getting it into the net, which steve managed with perfection and with a heave lifted the cod over the gunnels to whoops and cheers.....after quickly weighing in steves bag and some photo's mike put her back, we were all abit worried as the cod bobbed back to the surface as it drifted back with the tide, but then with a flick of the tail she went back to the murky bottom......
For the last couple of hours we moved back inshore where a few more cod were landed by gary, john and wayne.
In total we had over 50 fish with 7 species made up of cod, whiting, conger, poor cod, pout, thornback ray and that rarest of bristol channel fish the doggie.....
All the cod came to either black lug tipped with squid and mike's lump (28lb 12oz) came in on a whole lundy squid....
Looking forward to getting back out with steve next sunday... -
07/06/2015
Fishing Report by nick smith
7 Jun 2015 by nick smith
This time out it was the regular Happy Dangler Hound Hunt, and this year we nailed it......With bright skys and light winds forecast we all met on the harbour side for around a 10am start. We had a short steam of about 20 minutes before we got the baits down for the first time, with most of us opting for crab baits, both peelers and hardbacks and it wasnt long before the first fish came over the gunnels, a little doggie.......but this was soon followed by the first of the hounds.....and for the next 5 hours we were bringing fish after fish to the surface.
Steve the skipper even demostrated a new technique in netting a surprise bass that lost the hook half way into the net but with some quick and nimble netting steve managed to get it over the gunnels.....
The last part of the trip proved to be hard fishing but after the frantic first half of the trip no one was complaining. We ended the day with over 50 smoothounds, bullhuss, bass, conger, thornback and blonde ray, pout, cod, and a few doggies.....
A thing to note though when using hardback crabs is that though these can be gathered freely compared to the high price of peeler's, and the hounds will take these all day long, you are pretty much ruling out any other species........but when the hounds are feeding i would highly recommend them...... -
25/01/2015
Fishing Report by nick smith
25 Jan 2015 by nick smith
Happy Dangler's were out again with steve on the winter cod quest, things had been quiet before christmas, then there seemed to be lots of fish about over the christmas week, so were looking forward to getting out and stuck in, but unfortunately weather didn't play ball so had to cancel, but all was looking good last sunday as we pulled up at minehead harbour for a 10.30 start.
picked up some nice fresh worm from the kiosk on the harbour wall then boarded the Osprey.....Steve gave us the option of going for the cod, or if we wanted to go down channel to try for some ray as well, but it was cod we were after so we headed up channel and got set up. majority of us were using 2 rods a downtider and uptider with various baits squid, worm, hermit crab, large fish baits, and prawns.
We hadn't had our baits in the water long before the rods started knocking and some nice codling in the 2 -4lb mark were coming over the gunnels......but after the first flurry things died down and fishing proved hard for the rest of the day.
Steve stuck it out for a few hours while we caught the odd fish, but then pulled the anchor and turned down channel. again it wasnt long before we hit the first fish a nice looking 3 bearded rockling of over a lb in weight, followed by more codling, whiting, thornback and blonde rays, conger and finally he who must of stepped in dog poo hooked into something nice........
As mike's rod bent over we all shouted encouragement as you do and after a short battle the fish broke the surface and it was a lovely looking cod that steve swiftly netted. As it was de hooked we could see it was full of roe so mike quickly agreed to put her back after getting a quick weight, 22lb 4oz. and after a try at putting her back with the net, but failing due to the stregth of the tide we torpedoed her back, she bobbed back to the surface and we all thought she wasnt going to make it, but then with 2 swift kicks of her tail she was heading back down into the murky depths.......
on a high and with the fishing slowing up again steve took us back up channel where lots of codling had been coming in both to the boats and from the shore......but again fishing was hard with just a few small conger and coddling coming to the baits.......But an hour later than scheduled steve gave us the bad news that it was time to go back in......
So codquest completed we were all happy and already debating the next trip with steve next month where big rays should be on the menu........... -
02/02/2014
Fishing Report by nick smith
2 Feb 2014 by nick smith
Well the Happy Dangler's were out again with Steve on what had been booked as the last cod trip of the season, we got a break in the weather and was able to get out for a 10am start .....We knew that there hadn't been a great deal of cod being caught, but plenty of rays had been showing, so Steve gave us the option of what we wanted to target......
with the majority wanting to target cod we steamed up the channel to a mark just off Dunster and were joined by boats from Watchet and even a welsh boat was there....
Steve got the kettle on which was gratefully excepted as it was pretty chilly as we baited up with a mixture of the usual baits and cast out......but the fish had obviously not read the script and while we were busy stuffing down bacon and sausage rolls, the fish were simply not feeding.....the skipper called round a few of the other boats that were out and it seemed everyone was having the same problems.....2 hours in we had only managed 2 doggies so steve suggested that we move down channel and go for the rays, so pulled his anchor and off we went.
We arrived at the mark a short while later with an hour or so before slack water, upped the weights to 1.5lb as the tide was really flying and down we went again......as soon as the tide started to slow down the rays started to feed, with derek hooking the 1st blonde ray.....that did its best to take his rod over the side while he was having another of steves coffee's.....only derek performing one of the quickest boat dashes we had ever seen saving his pride....lol
Over the next few hours we managed another 9 or 10 blonde rays with the best coming in at a healthy 20 and 22lb before the tide started picking up and the fish going off the feed again. With the bites having stopped steve took us back up channel to see if we could find that cod we all wanted.......in the end we did manage to find 2, with a combined weight of about 10ozs...., but steve had found our target species yet again.....but before long it was time to pull the anchor and head back into minehead and as we pulled into the harbour we were already thinking about our next trip with steve... -
16/11/2013
Fishing Report by nick smith
16 Nov 2013 by nick smith
First trip of the Happy Dangler's proved to be a success, good time was had by all on board Osprey, derek caught the 1st fish of the day with a small thornback, we then preceeded to catch conger after conger, with a few doggies mixed in, 1 topping 2lb 14oz, then in the last hour Mike Allen and his magic bait, managed a cod of 15lb 8oz..
