Where's the fish gone?

[amblecol]

Was out last night for a couple hours trying for cod and failing miserably. The sea was devoid of birdlife and with it mackerel, never known them so late. Some commercials have had them at 10 miles east, bit far for a mackerel to me. In the end had to resort to a tow for Pollack again, using a gummi and one of Normans eels. Ended up with about 20 fish, both lures fishing as well as the other, and kept a couple of better ones for the pot. Seems a lot about this year in the 2lb bracket and its the first year I've caught more Pollack than cod, anybody else noticed this. When gutting they had crabs in them not one had the fish you would expect.

 

[Kartonkel]

different theories

mackerels: visibility...if its mucky, they cant see and go offshore for clear waters
temperature...they seem to go with the 15C thermocline
predators: too many seals, sharks, cod...

cod: temperatures...they hate it too warm


i think its more a question of making the right decision as an angler to find them and use the correct method than stubbornly do the same and moan that "they are not feeding"

recent catches of Whitby suggest its picking up.

the big tides followed by the swell followed by calm sunny weather imo has kindled another algae bloom, which switched the fishing off.

 

[amblecol]

The water is gin clear but there's no feed for them, maybe water temp if there 10 miles out. This is the worst year here for them I can remember but maybe if your getting them south they are on the way. There was one good week end of june where the macky came to about a mile in then moved with northerly swell. Cod fishing is poor, lack of reports suggest that I think.

 

[Kartonkel]

The water is gin clear but there's no feed for them, maybe water temp if there 10 miles out. This is the worst year here for them I can remember but maybe if your getting them south they are on the way. There was one good week end of june where the macky came to about a mile in then moved with northerly swell. Cod fishing is poor, lack of reports suggest that I think.

there are quadrillions of mackerels everywhere at the moment. Definitely here in Sunderland. I caught hundreds everyday I went out.
sometimes they were hard to find, but we always eventually found huge shoals.

strange that you fail to catch them up there.

 

[cods head]

Been out from Craster today. Hardly any Mackeral but plenty of codling. One lad had a 10lber today - nice fish for Craster.

Nice pollock by the way !!!!

 

[canman]

Sounds rather poor up your way Collin. The last 3 times I've been out of Cullercoats, I've found the fish very close in, taking small lures or bait.
Had a run out this morning just to try my repaired auxiliary outboard, tried for pollock close to the north Tyne pier. Got two edging 3 lb each then a couple of hard fighting cod.The wind was rather fresh which made it difficult to keep the lure near the bottom so came back in.

 

[amblecol]

Sounds rather poor up your way Collin. The last 3 times I've been out of Cullercoats, I've found the fish very close in, taking small lures or bait.
Had a run out this morning just to try my repaired auxiliary outboard, tried for pollock close to the north Tyne pier. Got two edging 3 lb each then a couple of hard fighting cod.The wind was rather fresh which made it difficult to keep the lure near the bottom so came back in.

You did well to get out today in the wind, well done on catching. Pollack up here been coming out of the kelp beds at high tide towing with 9ft of line out, you can see the lures trailing behind the boat. Still no macky close in yet but will give it another go on Wednesday if the forecast is ok, day off work going solo if anyone wants a trip!

 

[canman]

Good luck, hope you get a few. Forecast looks good on Thursday, so might get out then.

 

[Dogrunner]

Towing for the pollock sounds quality mind you, had no idea that people did that with a decent degree of success. Nice to see some different tactics being used well