Hard Ground?

[Fishery Pokery]

Hi guys,
I have a boat with a limited range, maybe one and a half miles from shore. This rules out a lot of wrecks, but I quite like fishing hard ground. I was wondering if anyone has any vaugue or rough coordinates for hard ground of Sunderland? I have a sounder so can fine tune it myself, but need an idea of where to start.
I have looked at a lot of dive sites but unable to find any reef locations, lots of wrecks but not really hard ground. So if anyone knows of any rough ground marks they don't use anymore because they are too close in, then any help will be much appreciated.

 

[mark]

whitestones reef - half a mile of the south pier, pretty big, couple of wrecks on it and around it. sure I've a dive site link to it, will go search me bookmarks

the yellow can off whitburn is not too bad a bit of rough ground, as is the can off souter

 

[codseeker]

i hear the boay off souter is a good ground round abouts that area

 

[Iva-Cod-on]

I'm like you Geoff close in work I fish out of newbiggin and didn't really have much idea so looked for info on wrecks from the wreck site etc I find a good hard ground indicator is Lobster pot flags as they are normally decent hard/rough ground just bear in mind not to go upsetting the pot lads by anchoring I normally fish drifts if poss or just off.
Another good tip that works for me is look for hard bottom on the sounder and look for where there is drop offs into deeper water or holes always decent fish holding areas hope this helps mate either that or I've just taught my granny how to suck eggs LOL

 

[oldessox]

Why would anchoring upset the pot lads?

Ray

 

[Fishery Pokery]

Thanks Mark. Even knowing the name of a mark can help. After you telling me that that reef is called Whitestones I have found the names for two more, St louis rocky patch and North Bush, but I don't know where they are yet.
It is not too hard to find areas of Hendon, as the charts I have are quite detailed for this area as it is a port, but once you head out towards Ryhope they lose a lot of their detail, the same towards Whitburn.

I'm like you Geoff close in work I fish out of newbiggin and didn't really have much idea so looked for info on wrecks from the wreck site etc I find a good hard ground indicator is Lobster pot flags as they are normally decent hard/rough ground just bear in mind not to go upsetting the pot lads by anchoring I normally fish drifts if poss or just off.
Another good tip that works for me is look for hard bottom on the sounder and look for where there is drop offs into deeper water or holes always decent fish holding areas hope this helps mate either that or I've just taught my granny how to suck eggs LOL

Some great tips there mate, I will look into this. By coincedence, one of my the places I did ok last year is right next to some lobster pots.
I thought once you had a boat the fish would just throw themselves into the boat, no quite that easy, but I suppose that is what makes it fun.

 

[davem2005]

HI jeoff,

As you leave sunderland most of the ground to the south of the harbour and out to a mile is good hard and rough stuff. If you run over it at speed it shows up clearly on the fish finder. You dont need to go too far out either. We have caught many fish 1/4 mile out at anchor particularly early season before the water clears.

As for souter can. Head directly from the can in a NW direction there is some lovely rough stuff over the next mile. Quite a few wrecks in that area and you will often see the others drifting over them so that would be a good time to hit the mark button.

Cheers
Dave

 

[parrot]

hard ground

hard ground

have a look at this,it might give you some idea.can get you co-ordinates for the wrecks as well

 

[Iva-Cod-on]

Why would anchoring upset the pot lads?

Ray

You dont want to be pulling their strings of potts up and damaging them bad enough losing your gear on them.

 

[davem2005]

Geoff,
I have to ask ...why the limited range?

Electric engine ...and a short cable?

If you can make it out 1 1/2 miles why not further ...in the right conditions of course.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Fishery Pokery]

Thanks for all the info guys, it is really helpful. As I said to Dave via pm, I thought you would be more secretive with where you fish. I'm now really looking forward to easter weekend.

Geoff,
I have to ask ...why the limited range?

Electric engine ...and a short cable?

If you can make it out 1 1/2 miles why not further ...in the right conditions of course.

Cheers
Dave

I don't know to be honest Dave, it was just a limit I set myself. Not sure if you know but I have a 3.4m Avon inflatable and a 9.8hp Tohatsu which gives me 17 knots. I suppose you can drown close in as easy as far out. The furthest out I have been has been Whitestones reef which Mark mentioned earlier, and that is about 1.5 miles I think.
I only ever go out in calm conditions, but when it has turned lumpy my boat has coped fine on the way back in.
What would you set as a limit?
Cheers,
Geoff

 

[mark]

Norway?

 

[Fishery Pokery]

I boat is a little more limited than yours Mark.

 

[davem2005]

The best way is to team up with someone and on a flat day it gives an extra bit of security. Dont venture too far apart.

I have two 25 Litre tanks and I tend to use one up going outwards zig zagging around between wrecks and the second one is used for a direct line home. The limit i suppose is the Litre per mile I tend to get when flat out. 32-35 Kts

Two years ago during the airshow I did end up around 18 miles offshore but when the entire area is chock full of every kind of rescue craft you can imagine it did lend a sense of security.

I probably end up 4-6 miles out on an average day out, waves and wind permitting. A radius from Sunderland gives me about 25-30 wrecks to go at within that distance.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Fishery Pokery]

The best way is to team up with someone and on a flat day it gives an extra bit of security. Dont venture too far apart.

I have two 25 Litre tanks and I tend to use one up going outwards zig zagging around between wrecks and the second one is used for a direct line home. The limit i suppose is the Litre per mile I tend to get when flat out. 32-35 Kts

Two years ago during the airshow I did end up around 18 miles offshore but when the entire area is chock full of every kind of rescue craft you can imagine it did lend a sense of security.

I probably end up 4-6 miles out on an average day out, waves and wind permitting. A radius from Sunderland gives me about 25-30 wrecks to go at within that distance.

Cheers
Dave

I don't mind so much travelling along the coast so much, but think of my range as being how far out I am willing to go.
I am still learning about my fuel limits, but I am yet to use more than a third of my tank.