Uptiding or Downtiding?

The Great Wallsendo

The Great Wallsendo

Well-known member
I'm only a newbie to the Boats and have only ever fished downtide...but it's a subject that gets raised every now and again...search on "uptiding" and you get all manner of threads going back to 2004...

I haven't read them all but from what I can see the preferred method in the North East is downtiding - drifting baits/pirks/muppets etc over rough ground or wreck.

I assume this is for one major factor - the N/East has some of the greatest density of wrecks per square mile on the UK Coastline. So with the promise of specimen Cod and Ling and other species it's hard not to see why.

According to Alan Skinners website (Sarah JFK)

Fishing Template by cheat

There are all manner of species available for those wanting to target them.

Targeting Bass has been mentioned...agreeably there are seemingly more and more being caught from our shores, but specimen sized fish are extremely rare and rarely targeted by the shore Anglers. Therefore it's easy to see why they are not (yet?) targeted by the Boats.

Not all boats downtide, in fact Volante (a member of this forum) regularly Uptide, as do others...generally when the fishing on the wrecks or rough ground is quiet.

I agree with some sentiments that N/E fishermen are Cod oriented but historically that's what predominantly comes out of the sea up here...until global warming changes things considerably that's pretty much the way it's going to be for a while.

What are peoples thoughts? Are there people out there that have targeted other species with any kind of success?
 
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I suppose it`s all a matter of "Taste" or is that "Taste"??
personally I go to enjoy the boat, enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the company, i do also go to catch "Cod or codling". I`ve many a family member awaiting supply so none ever goes to waste, however if I`d thought about it would I prefer 6 codling or six different species ..... well, sorry but I`d prefer six codling. The delight in giving friends and family fresh caugh cod is my payback for the EXTREME cost in having and keeping a boat.
As for uptiding, well, at times, when the tide is running and I`m loosing weights I just may give it a go however on the times I`ve been drifting in the same areas as boats have been uptiding the catch seems no different just the number of weights lost.
There is one slight downer on the uptiding, it a bugger keep pulling in the anchor ............. still, thats a job for the crew eh Tony? :)
We may give it a go for comparison next time out.
 
Got to admit I also like Cod (I also have grateful recipients at home and at work :))...and I think I pulled in as many Cod last week as I caught all winter from the shore :o

Like you said it's down to preferences...some people are species hunters, while for some it's just as much enjoyment to be out, and catch fish for the pot - as you said on Sat' whilst quaffing our salutory Vino...it's just cool to get out, see the sun rise and catch fish :D
 
matchman said:
I reckon if you hooked into a tope uptiding, you may change your views on catching cod....although, there is nothing wrong in 'up and downing' for cod, ling etc...just another aspect of boat angling that may bring extra enjoyment...
Click to expand...

Something to try over on the West Coast in the future maybe...Luce Bay is apparently the dogs doodahs...I'll never say never to anything :)

I have heard of people trying over this side too - with what amount of success I don't know
 
Still trying to perfect the "up and down`ing" at the moment, as I`m sure tony will bear out (as I often see the puzzled look on his face) I often cast a little away from the boat, this is in the knowledge of exactly where I`ve stopped in relation to the wreck, the drift below water dragging the gear one way and the wind affect above water pushing the boat sometimes the opposite (but sometimes the same) way.All in all the attempt is to hit bottom just at the start of the wreck as all the factors line up and the braid goes straight down at 90 degrees to the surface.
Or if the tides running then the best gather of fish are usually downtide in the shade of the wreck, the object then is to cast to drop into this hole and hold position with a slack line for a minute or so as the boat drifts over and the line pulls out, kinda uptiding on the drift! ......
 
matchman said:
I reckon if you hooked into a tope uptiding, you may change your views on catching cod....although, there is nothing wrong in 'up and downing' for cod, ling etc...just another aspect of boat angling that may bring extra enjoyment...
Click to expand...

don't taste as nice though, although I'll happily eat one, be interesting to see peoples reactions as Is tuck a filleting knife in one and got to work
 
oh yes, all set, got a one way car hire organised to get up there friday, bit of tinkering to do friday afternoon then away saturday morning :o

taking valium for the bill when we fill up - with the shortages/strikes up there... Caley Marina, red diesel... are you ready for this and sitting down...

81p PLUS VAT !!!!!! = 95.1p which is about the price white was this time last year... multiply by anything up to a couple of thousand litres, and its painfull

so we might just buy a bit then move along to peterhead or fraserburgh and fill up again, where its still 56p, in which case we'll take as much as we can carry, stick a pump on deck, and anchor somewhere convienient!

see how it goes though, heading into a southerly breeze most the way by the look of it which might slow us dow a tad, but should be down this way very early monday morning, forecasts all say pretty much the same now, southerlies, 3 to 5, but sunday night will be fun potential 6 going straight against the tide.... that'll be an interesting test

Although, last night I sat entering masses of wrecks from aberdeen south which look interesting, so might be having a few 'rests' on the way.

be interesting to see how a pirk does in the middle of the night with a 6" glow stick taped to it on a 40 mile wreck

then its in to the tyne for high tide sunday afternoon, looks like St Peters for us though, we're not posh enough for the RQ apparently and can't face any more interrogation about her and our plans :(:confused:
 
As most of you will know we do both regular Downtiding an Uptiding on the "Volante". Until I started fishing with Dave aboard his boat some 6 years ago all I had ever done was drift fishing. I always enjoyed it but fishing with the old fella has opened my eyes a little.

We usually do Uptiding or as we prefer to call it....."Boat Casting"...(as we cast both up and downtide 50-80yds). We do this in the winter on inshore marks where depth never exceeds 6 fathoms. Most of this is done over rough ground so the fish caught are Cod 95% of the time. Quite few of the boats out of Sunderland fish the same way with a good catch rate.

As Norman points out, (and I agree) drift fishing picks up just as many fish if not more but what I will say is that in winter I'll wager the method we employ against someone drifting 85% of the time. I think Dave's winter catches over the years bare testament to that.

One thing we keep threatening to try is fishing for other species off our coast. We have some "different" plans at anchor and drift fishing for this summer that mean we won't target Cod on certain trips. You never know, it may work out.......it may not either but, fishing is all about experimentation. I think quite a few people questioned th use of Shads in our area a few years ago but these have been used quite successfully by a number of anglers including "Team Volante" so experimentation does pay off some of the time.

One thing I do want to try is to fish for Flatties like Keith and Bert do from time to time. I've never done that from the boat on this coast....only on the other side. Quite a few people wouldn't want to bother but, with the right gear you could have a good day doing this...(Hint Hint...Bert).

I think we are all guilty of a lack of patience sometimes, (including me). This is probably the main reason people keep going back to the tried and trusted methods. Nothing wrong with this.......but as Matchman has pointed out in a number of his posts there is so much more out there and probably plenty of it as it doesn't get targeted. He is also right about Uptiding for Tope........the most exciting fishing I've done in the UK by a country mile.

Cheers,
Jeff.
 
I was on a Hartlepool Charter boat, (Famous) two summers ago when one guy got a 70lb'ish Tope to the surface before it thrashed about and bit through his trace. He was fishing for Ling.....!!!!

I also know of one been landed, (and released) off Sunderland last year.
 
Yes we try different methods from time to time with canny results on the flattie side of things (hint taken Jeff):p
Go a few other species to target this year once were fed up of cod and ling :D
 
speaking of being fed up..

tea.jpg


:p
 

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