Summer boat sport is on the up Off Ilfracombe where Dan Welch and Ross Stanway enjoyed some superb fishing relishing the calm conditions with North Devons spectacular coastline as a backdrop. Many thanks to Dan for sharing these stunning images.
Tope are starting to show in increasing numbers offshore. To target these hard fighting fish book a trip aboard Reel Deal as Chidgy did recently when he boated this hard fighting tope.
There is every chance of a wide range of species off Ilfracombe with tope amongst the hardest fighting species likely to be caught.
Shore sport is starting to take off as summer sweeps in with the first really warm days of the year. Numerous smoothound have been caught from regular shore marks and from boats in Bideford Bay. Bideford Club members weighed some fine specimens into their 24 hour rover.
Bideford 24hr rover May results
1st Nathan clements bull Huss 11lb 15 3/4 119.844%
2nd taz wotton smoothound 11lb 8 115%
3rd Antony smith bull Huss 10lb 12 1/2 107.812%
Great fish tonight 5 fish all over 100%
(Above) Smoothound 13lbs 1/2 oz caught from a boat by Jack Pike.
(Above) Ross Stanway and Lee Holden enjoyed sport at Ilfracombe landing a brace of spotted ray each along with the inevitable dogfish.
The coming week should see mackerel shoals all along the coast with big tides and improved water clarity. Mullet will be present in harbours and from rock marks. Bass will also be well worth targetting with both lures and bait. There is the chance of gilthead bream in the estuary with crab and lugworm the favoured baits. After dark the beaches will produce ray and the rock marks bull huss.
Many thanks to Ian Laird for allowing to post his images of a night on the beach.
It will be no surprise if an early tope shows up, a whole mackerel presented on a wire trace could well bring a screaming reel!
Anglers fishing on Reel Deal off Ilfracombe have enjoyed some top rate pollock sport.
Many thanks to Jason Small who allowed me to use these pictures he took whilst fishing from Ilfracombe Charter boat Reel Deal. The party enjoyed a great days varied sport on a very calm day off Combe Martin. The spectacular sea cliffs east of Combe Martin are amongst the highest in the country and provide a fantastic backdrop to a days fishing.
Reel Deal has been making all the headlines with catches of porbeagle shark off the Cornish coast but when the weather doesn’t play ball there is plenty of variety fishing the grounds in the Bristol Channel. A recent session saw anglers land plenty of coalfish and pouting with some brightly coloured wrasse to put a smile on the anglers faces.
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.
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.
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.
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.
