21st-22nd November, Cowes

Friday evening Mick and I headed off to try for a Cod and whiting at fort Vic.We were set up by 6pm pennel Squid went out for Cod and 2 hook flappers for the whiting.
1st cast for both of us resulted in snagged and lost rigs, after that I kept my casts shorter and avoided the snags but Mick was losing a rig a cast and after his 6th we moved round to the Dolphin.
straight away bites and in came the usual culprits, big Pout and Doggies. We carried on till Midnight with plenty of fish but not the Target ones, so after PJ gave us some Ragworm we decided on a move in search of a Sole.

Half hour and we were fishing, Mick managing the 1st target species a Whiting, albeit a small one.
Then I get a good take on whole Squid at distance and in came 2nd Comp species a Bass, only 1lb 13ozs, but a start.

We fished on till 4am but with no sign of Sole we called it a night.



Saturday, a some what different night, with strong winds and heavy rain, Mick and I headed off, still hoping for Cod or whiting, but the real target was Bass.
Arrived and Squid was out at distance and Mackerel on a running ledger close in, well the Pout and Doggies were there as usual, though eventually Mick managed a whiting of 13ozs and I a smaller one.


Weed was plentiful but we kept fishing through it best as we could, the rain and wind heavy at times then clearing with stars, then back to heavy rain.

About an hour or so before high water, getting low on Mackerel I put a head on and cast very short, within 5 minutes the rod is pulled strongly, but forgetting I'd set the drag, I struck to end up on my arse, overrun on the reel and no fish
After a telling off from Mick I stick another Mackerel out, I hadn't made contact with the fish so hopefully I hadn't spooked it.
And Sure enough within minutes another take, I waited for the pull down, he played with it for several minutes, leaving it and as I was thinking he'd gone he came back and hit it hard, this time I was ready and he was on, a short violent fight and with Mick acting as Gilly my reward was beached a fine deep set Bass of 7lb exactly.

After weighing and photos I slipped her Back and with a kick of the tail she was gone. My Best Bass since January. But well worth the wait.

Well we stayed till gone 2am but the weed was getting worse and the bites had ceased, so a move to another spot was called for, but by the time we arrived the heavens had opened up, so after waiting in the van for half hour to see if it cleared we called it a night.