Winter Fishing from The Dart aboard OUR JOE-L has defiantly started.
Yesterday aboard OUR JOE-L, with a long awaited break in the weather and only a couple of keen anglers, we set off for an inshore wreck. It was enjoyable having all of the boat to fish just 3 rods but the boat needed a run and I fancied a crack at an inshore wreck I know fishes well in the weather that was forecast.
The fishing started pretty quick on the flood tide. Biggest pollock went 13lb 10oz to Paul Cashmore. Biggest bass was estimated at 4.5 - 5lb caught by me and was the first fish on the #Shimano Beastmaster 20/30, my Top Skipper prize from the Torbay Fishing Festival. Both hooked onto a Sidewinder Lures
Come lunchtime we had decent fish caught most drifts and 3 bonus small Bass to add to the fun.
With the tide turned and the wind increasing together, the fishing soon slowed slightly. We’d all had a fantastic morning fishing so I pointed the OUR JOE-L for the river dart and was alongside filleting the pollock by 2:30.
If only everyday was as easy as that >20mile round trip, life of a charter skipper would be so much easier.
Next trip planned for Monday 18th November.
Bookings now being taken for 2020 Fishing Holidays and Charters.
Please see the Booking Diary page of the website for dates.
www.ourjoe-l.co.uk
Shaun Pedley
#PaigntonBoat
#FishDartmouth2019
Torbay Fishing Festival 2019 sponsored by SHIMANO.
The 51st Torbay Fishing Festival got underway early September. This competition is very well respected around South Devon and is widely regarded as the fishing competition of the year in the South West. With the fishing from the wrecks very difficult all year it was always going to be a different year for those fishing from the boats. The overall winner was won with a truly fish of a lifetime being caught from shore, a Garfish of 2lb 10oz scoring 238%!!! Still I managed to stick to what I knew (Wrecks) when the weather allowed and managed a fairly respectable haul of prizes aboard including 2 Top Prizes;
’Best Fish from Wreck’ going to Paul Cottel for a lovely 5lb 5oz Black Bream winning £350 plus a Shimano Tyrnos16 reel
‘Top Charter Boat Skipper’ Trophy, + Prize, winners plaque and bottle of whiskey, going to me, Shaun Pedley aboard my vessel OUR JOE-L with a winning percentage of 467%.
Other Prizes included ‘Second Best Conger Eel’ + Prize, won by Paul Cashmore with a Conger of 61lb (Also winning British Conger Clubs ‘Fish of the Month’. ’Best ‘Conger Eel by a Visitor’ + Prize, won by Kevin Turner with a Conger of 49lb also qualified for British Conger Club. Red Gill Trophy for ‘Best Fish Caught on Artificial Lure’ won by Allen Curtis winning a very honourable amount of Red Gill lures. ‘Charlotte Louise Trophy’ + Prize won by Kevin Turner. Plus 4 Day prizes for Best Wreck Fish Day 1,7,8 & 9 winning a Shimano Charter Special Reel
All Prizes this year won a Shimano Beastmaster Slim AX Boat Rod in various weights.
A Very memorable Festival for me personally as it is the first time I’ve won the Top Charter Boat Skipper Trophy. Not only do I now have the honour of my name being engraved on the trophy along with a very small number of truly great local skippers** This is also a prize I remember my Farther winning in 2003 and again in 2015 and I now have the pleasure in my name joining his on the trophy. I am only the second Skipper to be added to the trophy since 2010, as it is always won back by the same phew skippers year on year with most winning it 3 or 4 times between them since it started in 2002.
I would like to thank the festival organisers, committee, volunteers, weighers and all entires from locals to visitors as without you all we would not be able for fish and enjoy this wonderful festival.
Looking forward to next year already
Shaun Pedley
Torbay Sea Angling Festival Top Charter Boat Skipper !!!
Our Joe-L
** Top Charter Boat Skipper Trophy winners in order of 1st win
Dave Harrison - Gemini II
Simon Pedley - Our Joe-L
Geoff Taylor - Jubrea
Kevin Tate - Dalora II
Mark Criddle - Silver Seas
David Shimell - Atlantis II
Ross Parham - Spot On
SHAUN PEDLEY - OUR JOE-L
Today aboard Our Joe-L, Wreck Fishing with a different outcome . . . Again!
One of the anglers I had aboard today managed to hook a Thresher Shark while drifting a Mid Channel Wreck. (Second time this has happened in just over a week so we was slightly more prepared this time)
The hard runs in all direction confirmed it was a shark and I soon had all the other anglers reeling in the lures so we could give this one a good chance of at least being seen on the surface. The transom was free for Peter to fight the fish as I started steering the boat towards the fish. I’m glad I did when I noticed the tackle Peter was using, a light fladen multiplier reel and a 20lb class rod.
We had everyone’s attention aboard and I have to say all 9 other anglers all helped out by telling me where the fish was running and getting out of the way very quickly when asked by me and Peter.
After about 20mins and some brilliant fish fighting we saw the tail fin of a Thresher darting across the surface for around 80m then diving again, no jumping which I was surprised about after last weeks amazing mid air sighting!
Just as the fighting became a little easier for Pete and he started to gain some decent amount of line without me driving the boat the line suddenly went all slack and the hook was spat!
Some nice pollock caught today on the wrecks along with some very big Pouting. Shame we had no Ling today but you can’t have everything I guess. We was just lucky to get out in this small break in the weather.
I’m thinking of running a couple of sharking trips throughout August and September now so if you’re interested, please let me know. This is now the 3rd different sighting of a Thresher Shark in the last month and 2 of them have been hooked.
#PaigntonBoat
#FishTorbay2019
#SharkFishing
#ThresherShark
Shaun Pedley
July’s Fishing Report aboard OUR JOE-L
Well it’s curtailing been a challenging month for me as charter skipper, we have had some good days of the wrecks catching Cod, Pollock and Ling into double figures but a good days drifting is still hit and miss. Anchoring has been good for congers up to 60lb and we’ve started fishing for them on lighter rods too with some brilliant catches up to 50lb, bream are starting to arrive her now too but not big just yet.
On one memorable occasion (Memorable for the wrong and right reason at the same time) we headed out to one of my favourite wrecks on a flat calm day. After 3 drifts we had nothing, not even a bite or a sign on the sounder. The only reason I stayed on that one after the first drift was because I knew she ‘normally’ holds some fish on a quiet day. At the end of the 3rd drift we had more than one reason to move. When the anglers were winding up one line started to shoot under the boat! Once he realised it was fish someone asked if this was where we had the Tope biting pollock in half a couple of weeks ago? I told them we was miles away so it could be something completely different. On saying that I heard something Jump out the water behind me, on turning around expecting a dolphin I saw an amazing sight of a Thresher Shark out the water and land in his back about 20-30 meters from the boat. He was about 8 foot long plus the tail at an educated guess and soon broke the 20lb line after landing and swimming away. (If only we had some bait aboard we would have had some fun for sure!) couple of the lads had started fishing on feathers and had nothing so I knew there was nothing in the area due to this Thresher and it was time to move on. Such a shame but the lads weren’t keen on sharking so we moved on.
(So you could say we’ve had a Thresher Shark Hoked but I won’t claim that one!)
The Skerries Bank has produced some brilliant fish recently compared to past years with more Plaice over 2-2.5lb than before. (Dave Saunders on Kelly’s Hero Brixham had one over 4lb I believe too! ) seeing some small Turbot caught several times this year too!
I have to say, even though the fishing in the south coast of Devon isn’t producing the Cod and Pollock were used to, having the experienced anglers we get aboard Our Joe-L we have just had to change the days plan slightly to enjoy the day from species hunting to big conger days, Always a great laugh aboard with some top banter being chucked around and plenty of tea and coffee.