Just a quick update on a short 3 hour outing about 10 days ago on the inflatable, out of Skateraw beach. Mackerel, Pollack and ling were all in evidence, but no trace of their tasty coddie siblings.
The most exciting hookup gave a really solid fight all the way until just under the surface, when up popped a 4lb ling rather than the double figure fish I’d been eagerly expecting. However it soon became obvious that my ling had been heavily beaten up by something larger, with big bite marks on the head and striations all along its body, and the mystery was pretty much solved when a large seal popped its head out the water looking for its dinner.
Best fish was a ling around 7lbs and it was a fine, calm day to be out on the North Sea, just a little subdued on the fishing front.
Ty for the information tips on sibs I’m an owner of a kayak but struggling to keep loading and storing it although most of the fishing in jersey Channel Islands is around rocks I think a SIB is a good alternative for ease of use perhaps a spare shear pin in case thanks great articles ?
Hi Ralph, Most small outboards should have a spare shear pin included with them (often attached somewhere on the engine itself, under the cowling). I’ve never had a pin actually shear, but have had blades damaged from hitting rocks – not enough to make them unusable, but they needed repair. In shallow, stony, seabeds weed attached to stones can be a problem – the seaweed catches round the prop and the stone just gets wound into it. A short shaft outboard will be sitting very much up at the surface of the water, so it would need to be a very shallow rock to cause real damage.