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The Skerries - Plaice Fishing Trip


SpeciMan

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Have been reading over the link Zzippy posted earlier. On this page there is advice on how to catch them. I guess it will depend on how far out we go which part we fish etc etc but it does seem that there is a reasonable tide flow and we will have to use more weight to keep our baits hard on the bottom. Does anyone know if we could target them on the drift there?

Kaskazi Dorado - Yellow

Location: East Dorset
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Hi Speciman

 

I am not an expert by any means but have fished the skerries several times.

The strength of the tide makes all the difference on the banks and the use of braid of course. I have only ever drift fished with light gear from a boat but I understand that anchoring can be more affective for ray.

The last time I fished the Skerries we spent 6 hours using crab and worm baits hard on the bottom with out a single bite. Decided to just free line a sandeel and picked up eight place in half an hour. Only had ten eels with us bugger!!!

Yaskalos or Musket would be able to give a lot more of an in-site than me I'm sure, as I say I'm no expert on tides / conditions etc .

 

Chuggs

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Speciman,

 

I see the link you've posted is to Mike Concannon's Fishing Dartmouth site.

 

If you have any queries about the Skerries that Mike hasn't included in the article, just send him an email. Mike is a friend of mine, and a nicer, more helpful bloke you couldn't wish to meet. He knows the Skerries well and has fished it for many years from his own boat...I've fished there with him with a good amount of success.

 

Its a bit of a trek from Dartmouth. esp if paddling (I imagine, as I've never actually paddled there..or anywhere...yet). In the right weather I would say that Slapton Sands might make a good launch point. From there its more or less straight out to the Skerries.

 

Mike

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Thanks Mike. I'm interested to know the direction of tide flow to see if drifting is feasible. Wind would obviously affect things, but would prefer drifting parallel to the coastline rather than being taken further out to sea. I'll send him a mail.

Kaskazi Dorado - Yellow

Location: East Dorset
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Last time I was out there it was blowing a bit of a hooley, so not the best time to judge, but we drifted roughly east to west. The wind was from the south(ish), which would have kept us from drifting further out anyway.

 

Mike C is your best bet for sensible info. He hasn't been so active on his pc recently as he broke his leg quite badly (is there any other way ?) and was finding it painful to sit at a pc for any length of time. So, he may not get back to you straight away, but he will give you good info.

 

I don't know if you've done much plaice fishing before..apologies in advance if you have.....

 

In most "plaices" around the UK the plaice start to arrive inshore around the end of March/early April. Having just spawned they tend to be thin...but hungry. So, its a good time to go after them. If you want bigger ones, then the autumn is a better bet, as they've spent all summer fattening up. Biggest one I've had was 5lb 10oz, caught on 1st October (but a long time ago...1986). It was really fat, a good inch and a half thick - a real fat b*&^%$d !!

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Why don't you check out a tidal atlas, for tidal flow , or tidal diamonds on a appropiate chart , coupled with a set of correct tide tables. They will tell you direction and speed of flow, at given times. Hope this helps.

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Hi All

 

I have fished the Skerries Banks many many times from a boat, since 1982, on the right tide and weather conditions, between April and June 3-4lb Plaice are normal 5lb'ers are regular. Fish between 1-2lb are numerous. Trawlers are banned from the banks so this leaves them in good condition for the Spring Plaice run, also at this time of year Blonde Ray, Spotted Ray and Bass also gather on the Banks, the big attraction is Sandeel.

 

I nearly made it out there twice last year on my YAK but as I was paddling alone, I backed out and fished under the cliffs between Hallsands Beach and Start Point, this area is sheltered from anything other than a wind with Easterly in it. This is a big Bass area, along with Flatties, Ray, Pollock and Wrasse. On anything with an Easterly the fish do not feed on the Banks either.

 

The banks rise up out of about 20m of water to about 2m at low water and are about a mile paddle from Hallsands beach. The Charter boats that fish there are mostly from Dartmouth but, others do fish there from Torquay and Plymouth if the weather is right. As the banks rise up to such a shallow depth anything more than a Force 2-3 produces quite a swell, even a big tide running will create quite a chop. So, ideally you would need nothing more than a Force 2 following a couple of calm days.

 

Fishing is done at anchor over the low water period and drifting on the incoming tide, the current can be very strong coming around Start Point so a neap tide is the ideal, on a big spring I have had to use a pound and a half lead to hold bottom (on 12lb rod).

 

There is a free car park right on the beach at Hallsands, and the beach is a steep-to beach, 5yds out and your in 30ft of water.

 

If I can get the right weather conditions this year I am determined to make it out there, would love to see the charter skippers faces as I drift by!

 

As you say the Salcombe Eatuary is only a mile or two away and always has its own Spring Plaice run and is very sheltered.

 

Just another thought, the Shambles Banks, very similar to the Skerries are of Weymouth. I don't know how far off but I know they give the Skerries a good run for their money each year. In fact last year I think a private boat angler had a Plaice only a couple of ounces off the British record.

 

Tried to add some pics of the Skerries.!

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I think its ok for the bigger boats to drift.I have heard the best plaice fishing is on a spring tide.I think that will be out tof the question on a Kayak.

Maybe we should look for a low neap and try driffting or Anchoring,as other ppl have said.There are also other species to be caught there.A mile paddle isnt to bad.We have done poole patch which is a 3 mile paddle,but dont think the tide pull was as strong as you have at the skerries.

But I will def be up for the skerries trip....Wont be able to fish the county match on the Bank holiday weekend ,unless you mean the bank holiday at the end of May?

Zzippy

 

zzippy2.gif

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