Latest Fishing Reports: Deep Blue
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12/08/2022
Fishing Report by Simon Logan
12 Aug 2022 by Simon Logan
Today was a day of exceeding expectations ✅
Given the forecast (fishable but choppy start and finish predicted), the current water clarity and the fact that my whole boat group hire wanted to predominately lure fish today, I had a bit of a job on my hands to find the fish. All hiring my Penn rods and reels, and using our Sidewinder lures.
After heading straight out wide to some of the easterly wrecks, I quickly decided (3 wrecks prospected) that we were probably better off heading back inshore a little and working the reefs and rock marks…..
I love it when a plan comes together.
First drift was a reccy. Second drift started and we were soon into a schoolie bass, a little pollack and a codling at the same time. The UK’s holy trinity of fish all on deck in tandem, but all being returned to grow into more worthy foes.
Next drift, a bit of a better bend in the rod, some head shakes, and a bit of line being taken back. A nice pollack of 5lb popped up out of the dark water.
Third drift, a couple of nice codling made an appearance. One slightly bigger than the other, ranging between 4 - 6 lbs.
Last drift, there’s always one more drift, another big bend in the rod. My angler said it felt quite heavy. I watched as a couple of head shakes rattled the tip of the rod, then nothing, just a dead weight. It looked heavy. When the fish made the surface I knew if was the biggest codling of the season. It actually looked like it may even be a double figure COD!!
Sadly, it was JUST under the magic mark making it still only a mere codling, but what a lovely codling it was. It was measured at 74cm’s - you can use this conversion calculator to see what a fish like this would weigh http://www.anglingaddicts.co.uk/fish-length-to-weight/
This Codling is Deep Blue Charters biggest this year.
Slack water arrived, and the fishing stopped dead. We anchored for the start of the ebb in a mark that produces bream-a-plenty, conger and the odd surprise.
Bream started biting immediately, and a little smooth hound joined in the fun taking a tiny piece of squid on a size 2 Cox & Rawle specimen x hook.
Everyone caught, and everyone took some beautiful fish home for dinner.
Well done to James for playing it cool and landing the biggest fish of the day, and a big well done to David who organised the trip. All of his clients and friends tolerated a bit of a choppy morning to be rewarded with some very nice fish indeed.
Please see my availability calendar here - https://www.deepbluecharters.co.uk/availability -
22/05/2022
Fishing Report by Simon Logan
22 May 2022 by Simon Logan
2 days ago I had what I would consider to be the worst days fishing so far on Deep Blue. I may be being a little dramatic there to be honest, but it just seemed like the weather and the fish were making us chase our tails somewhat.!
Fast forward 48hrs and the days fishing we‘ve just had couldn‘t have been more different. All of the target fish and timings went exactly to plan…… with the addition of stumbling across a bass shoal on the way out this morning, and huge bass and mackerel shoals on the way back in this evening.
So after a bit of bass bashing (tons of schoolies) lots of good pollack to 14lb were found on the wrecks. Fish every drift or there abouts. The 14lb and 13lb‘ers came on the same drift together along with another high in the single figures.
My only rod hire for the day catching a big share of the total amount of pollack on Sidewinder Skerries Eel natural 6” 25g.
We even found another sussex cod, coming in at close to 5lb.
My customers wanted to anchor a wreck to try for some conger. No sweat! We spent the second half of the day anchored on a couple of wrecks with big baits on Cox & Rawle 8/0 meat hooks and 200lb flouro snoods.
Annoyingly…..once the tide finally decided to start flooding (it was 2 hours late), and we had been putting bait down on the bottom - we managed to find what must have been a large bit of lost netting causing us lots of snags. We moved a bit, and re anchored and were awarded with 4 conger to approx 25lb for our efforts. No monsters this time but I quite enjoyed fishing for them so I will be back to try again.
A dozen mackerel and a dozen or so additional bass were again on deck on the way home when I received a call from a good friend to tell me that lots of birds were working the area.
Phew! This is probably the best day on Deep Blue so far. Every target fish ticked off the list and a lot of bonus fish nailed.
5 extremely happy customers, a happy decky and a relieved skipper.
Massive thanks to Steve Erends for lending a hand today. Those cups of tea and coffee were great buddy ������.
I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.
Deep Blue OUT. -
09/04/2022
Fishing Report by Simon Logan
9 Apr 2022 by Simon Logan
Well, what a day we’ve just had out on Deep Blue. Only the 4 customers onboard today, with mixed approaches and experiences with a rod in hand.
The bites happened as soon as the silt from dropping the anchor had settled. A nice little plaice followed by a lovely double figured Thornback ray flew onto the deck. The ray took us by surprise because we had literally just put the rods into their holders on the first drop of the day. Not long after another double ray, followed by another.
We had definitely found the ray‘s stomping ground. Across the deck a double shot whiting was being hauled, and a complimentary dog fish, and then more whiting. Then BANG! Another big bend in the rod, and up came another double figured ray. This time tipping the scales at 14lb 8oz. Aggelos, a young Greek lad from West London had the privilege. Everyone was bringing really decent fish over the gunwales. Bites were thick and fast on the ebb, and well into slack water too.
The bites started to ease off at the turn of the tide. We stayed put and fished the first hour of the flood. The big fish had stopped feeding but we were graced with a few new species for the day. A nice Gurnard, a dab and a Smooth-hound pup were the next to feel peckish.
We lifted the anchor and headed to the rock marks. The water had become noticeably choppier with the strengthening wind. We set up for our first drift. Using a single 4/0 running ledger rig, and a Jaffa cake sized piece of squid, Bruce bounced his lead at the beginning of the rocks. FISH ON! “It’s a pollack” were the words muttered by Bruce’s mates. I readied the net, and up it came. A flipping Codling!! Only about 3.5lbs, but there it was, in all it’s glory, a highly coveted East Sussex cod. As we set about starting another drift the boat was moving around a bit on the chop. One of the group had been caught off guard, and put his hand out to steady himself. Sadly for him, he managed to find the razor sharp blade of a bait knife. I cleaned him up and bandaged his hand. He was adamant he wanted to fish on, but with the water still bashing us about, and everyone having such a good day, they all elected to call it a day a bit earlier so Bill could get his hand checked out. The right call!
All in all, a great day was had, with some fantastic and unexpected fishing, with a great group of lads, and I’m sure they’ll be back for another go in the near future. -
16/03/2022
Fishing Report by Simon Logan
16 Mar 2022 by Simon Logan
The first annual ‘Eastbourne Spring Challenge’ match fishing comp took place on Wednesday across two boats and featuring 13 anglers. The anglers were of mixed abilities, with some in the current, and previous England home nations fishing team in attendance.
Given the time of year, and the conditions in the build up to the comp, there was a very respectable quantity and range of species brought over the gunwales. Fish over 18cm’s scored, with fish in groups of 1 point fish (inc whiting/pouting), 3 point fish (inc wrasse/dabs) and 5 point fish (inc rays/bass).
Over the 7 hour timeframe well over 400 fish were landed on deck. The fish weren’t weighed, but they were checked for length. Dogfish made up the bulk of the catches, but dabs, plaice, thornback rays, whiting, smooth hounds and a couple of unwanted guests (spider crabs) made up the numbers. The fishing grounds used were that of the Pevensey Shoals and inshore close to Hastings. Fishing at anchor over mud clay and shingle with rocky pinnacles framing the fishing zone was the ground of choice.
We provided the bait packs to the anglers which consisted of mackerel, lug and squid. 3 hooks maximum were allowed. The weather was grey overcast skies and relatively light easterly winds. High tide was at 10am so most of the fishing happened on the ebb, but lots of bites during slack water.
