Richard Scarce boated a fine 20lb thornback whilst fishing off Ilfracombe aboard John Barbeary’s Ilfracombe based Charter boat “Bluefin”.
There are still a few spurdog showing with an 18lb specimen caught on Bluefin by James Mayhew.
Promising ray
Combe Martin SAC hold their annual Putsborough Open on Saturday May 6th and if the weather holds prospects are excellent with several ray already caught from the venue in recent weeks. Dan Miles Redmore has enjoyed success at the venue over recent tides with his latest session bringing seven small eyed ray to 6lb in eleven casts along with four dogfish. So literally a fish a cast!
Last year produced ray into double figures and previous years have seen the odd surprise with tope, conger and bull huss.
Combe Martin Sea Angling Club
Presents
Putsborough Sands
Open Fishing Competition 2017
Saturday May 6th
Fishing From 9.30pm to 1.30am
Book In From 8.00pm to 9.00pm
Weigh In By 2.00am
Cash Prizes Of £100 & £50
Further Prizes From Ammo, Sakuma, HIgh Street Tackle & Veals Mail Order
And Many Other Donated Prizes
2 Rods, 4 Hooks, Specimen Sizes
Entry £5 plus £1 Pool Best Brace
Phone Nick 814703 Or Wayne 850586
For More Details Please Check www.cmsac.co.uk Or Our Facebook Page
Please Respect Putsborough & Remove All Litter
Lure Fishing Competition
The first few bass of the season have been tempted by lure anglers and to celebrate the fact Danny Watson has launched a lure fishing competition. Details below.
High Street Tackle are running a lure fishing competition!
The first one to run from now until May 10th.
The winner will be the biggest fish caught from the shore on a lure that has been bought from High Street Tackle.
To enter you must submit a picture of the fish, details of the lure and weight of the fish.
Pictures will be displayed on our Facebook page – we will not disclose any location information even if it is provided.
IMPORTANT – please ensure that all pictures are sensible ones – blood etc is not a good look.
It will also be assumed that all bass are treated as per the requirements of the law – we do not wish for any controversy to be raised by any of your pictures.
I understand that there may be some openings for dishonesty but hope that all who are interested in taking part can help to ensure that the winner is deservedly judged so.
We have not decided on the exact prize yet but it will obviously be related to lure fishing and be worth the effort of sending an honest photo – we would like to think that this may continue throughout the year!
Please feel free to contact us should have any suggestions etc.
Tope are on the way!
This 55lb 12oz tope set new best for Dan Hawkins boat Reel Deal whilst fishing for shark. The fish was tempted by Alan White on a whole frozen Ammo mackerel and is a for-taste of the summer sport that is to come off Ilfracombe when the mackerel shoals arrive in numbers.
Reel Deal – Porbeagle latest!
It’s been a great start to the sharking season for anglers aboard charter boat Reel Deal sailing out of Ilfracombe.
With a couple of big porbeagle already caught this season a party off anglers headed down to North Cornwall for the chance of another big early season shark. It wasn’t long before the Ammo supplied chum brought a shark to one of the baits. After a short tussle the first fish managed to shed the hook. But this wasn’t the end of the action as a big shark approached the boat later in the day nudging the floats as it circled around in the rubby dubby trail. Frustratingly the big fish seemed uninterested in the baits and the anglers thought their chance had slipped away. But with time ticking towards home time one of the frozen Ammo mackerel was taken and a long battle commenced with each angler taking fifteen minute turns on the rod.
Eventually the mighty fish was glimpsed in the clear water.
Dan has a policy of releasing all shark at the side of the boat to minimize stress to the fish ensuring that these awesome fish will continue to hunt the clear waters off the rugged North Cornwall coast.
The huge fish was estimated at 450lb and was tamed on top quality tackle supplied by Veals Mail Order and tempted on bait supplied by Ammo Baits. The landing of the shark was team effort by Clive, Shaun, Paul,Dean and Daniel.
Dan Hawkins can reach the sharking grounds off Cornwall in the speedy purpose built 9m Colne Catamaran powered by 2×150 HP Mercury outboards in around two hours giving anglers a full days fishing with plenty of pollock and other species to catch whilst the rubby dubby works its magic.
Plaice at home?
Ian Hooper fished a popular North Devon Mark to land this handsomely marked plaice tempted using king ragworm. He also landed small bass, whiting and smoothound. Whilst many anglers make the long trek to catch plaice from Chesil beach and other South Coast Beaches it is surprising what can be caught in our own waters here in North Devon. The use of smaller hooks and worm baits can bring a wide variety of species to the shore and who knows perhaps there are a few specimen plaice to be caught. I have heard eye witness accounts from divers seeing very large plaice off our coast. Perhaps we just need to adapt to unlock the secrets of the coast.
ITS MORE REEL DEAL SHARK ACTION
The Boilie Mad Man brought this stunning porbeagle to the side of Reel Deal, she was 223lb tagged and released all in the water. An awesome catch who knows what else will show this coming summer!
SPURDOG PACKS STILL PROWLING THE DEEPS
Andrew Atkinson landed the biggest spurdog of the day at 15lb 6oz when Appledore Shipbuilders fished on John Barbeary’s Bluefin off Ilfracombe. The spurdog packs are still present in good numbers providing welcome sport.
Appledore Shipbuilders – Easter Competition
Andrew Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders Easter Competition fished at Appledore Rocks in the lower estuary with a flounder scaling 1lb 41/2oz.
Spring Ray dominate Rover
James Thomas won Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs Spring Rover with a specimen small eyed ray weighing 11lb 13oz. James father Wayne Thomas took second and third places with a small eyed ray scaling 9lb 10oz and blonde ray of 14lb 2oz. The fish were all caught off Minehead aboard Steve Webber’s boat Osprey. The clubs party landed around 25 ray, small eyed, thornback and blonde ray. They also landed smoothound, bull huss and dogfish.
Shore anglers in the competition landed several quality fish the best and fourth place in the competition went to Daniel Welch who landed a small ray of 9lb 5oz. This bodes well for the clubs open competition at Putsborough beach next month.
