seadee

Good man - see you're getting the hang of it already - just keep writing nonsense and you get loads of air time they're all mad as fish ..... Orwell, eh, crickey you're gonna get me all mithering again I had a MF625 based at Shotley but moved to the big league this year and decided to try somewhere new - hence Lowestoft. Cliff Stone is your man for the Orwell - knows it inside and out ..... and fell into it as well, but that's a story I'll leave him to tell you There's a good crowd down there but you'll have to work hard to get some marks out of them !! Another name is Steve Coppollo - you occasionally see him on there. I treasured an article by him in one of the first Boat Angler mags about bassing in the Stour. Talks some good advice Good luck and tight lines - welcome aboard CD

Hi Sutton, I'm also EA based (Lowestoft Haven Marina) and running a Merry Fisher 805. Have you been out here long ? Where are you based ? Welcome to the forum - there's loads of decent chaps in here - make ya feel most welcome Get posting - madder the better .... Tight lines CD

Hi everyone. Saw this link on the Bait and Tackle Centre (Southend) website calling for names to a petition about nursery areas. Remember the huge success of the road tax petition and get your names on it .... http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Seafishstocks/ Tight lines CD

Top mail Cliff - go get 'em. You may be interested to know that my Lowestoft drought is over - likewise some crackin' codling to 4lb. The sea seems to be alive with 'em. You beauties ........ I'm shore now for a couple of weeks - the usual bottom scraping and exercising of biceps Gonna be afloat before Easter so I might well venture down your way. Mind you the waters round here have suddenly dealt some dice in my favour Take care and tight lines CD

Can't see whether anyone has viewed this but the Suffolk-ites shoudl check out the website for this development - and start looking for new bass grounds .... www.greatergabbard.com Miserable reading unless you're a tree hugger. Ho hum. CD

Job done - good man, wretched things. CD

Check this out Suffolk boys ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6375291.stm This will spell disaster for the best bass fishing grounds on the East coast. There are some crackin' bass on those banks - not gonna be many left after they go tromping around installing 140 wind turbines ... Is this another consequence of global warming - ironic, eh ?

Used to be an Interspeed Ultra user but got persuaded to try Jotun Seaforce 30 this year on my Merry Fisher 805. Anyone else used this or got any advice ? CD

Hi Walcott, Finally got time to get my charts from the boat this weekend. Crickey that's deep water 8miles south and 24 miles out - 64m chart datum !! Gonna need a winch to get my bait up from there ! Looks like one big hole on the chart - presumably when you get there it is a series of deep banks ? Checked out a web site called http://users.pandora.be/tree/wreck/wreck-d...html?chartId=96 It is quite useful for more up to date info on wrecks Did you have a chance to dig out those wreck numbers for me ? Not that I'll be going out this side of the summer - boat comes out the water on 5th Feb. I'm having a bowthruster fitted plus the usual palava of anti fouling. I was going to start up a post about antifouling to see if anyone had any preferences. Keep in touch CD

You ought to start up a new post on this Steve 'cos loads of people used to fish off the point. It is pretty shallow round the point so you'd need to have a good chuck but I've seen people pulling nice flounders out of there. Round towards the Bristol Arms in the summer the schoolie bass get in there - had a moment in my boat in there one day when I was so busy flicking a popper at the bass that I lost track of where I was and was rudely alerted by a scraping bottom (nasty). Around by the jetty (never did figure out what it was) is where I used to collect my hard backed crabs for smoothie fishing so you can expect so serious bait robbers there. Can't promise you anything exciting this time of year but I'd concentrate between the jetty and the marina carpark - you might get a sneeky codling ? Start up a post - I'd be interestred in hearing what other people say ? Cliff might even know.

Fantastic - I'll rack up another post by replying to you. Top site Elton - I'm hooked already ! CD

Cliff, you're doing a good selling job and you're supposed to be encouraging me to explore the vast waters off Lowestoft !! I do miss the Stour - you are absolutely right - I used to love drowning a lb of rag up there and catching non stop - even if they were often basslets ! However the photo I've got of a 7lb'er and the grin on my face says it all. Took me about 20 minutes to land on a baitcaster with 12lb line - mad but I love it. That was up off Wrabness just upstream of the posts. Fantastic ! I know Alan off Harvest Moon used to swear by the bank opposite Levington - how is he these days ? I think you're right about Shotley - too full of yellow wellies ! I got my own little clique round the corner though. Dave Woodland (Swash) and I often used to fish together and I used to tap up the boys on Finne for info. Those bouys were hard core though - they needed 50 Nm under the hull in a day to have a good time. Never used to get them more fish though !! Anyway, I'm going to plug away at Lowestoft for 1 more year and then review the whole situation - it depends on how full the freezer is by then !! The marina basically tried to rip me out of my whoe years fees - I saw the new boat at the boat show in January, decided to go for it and cancelled my existing pitch on about the second week in January. I even booked the marina to do my lift (as the boat was off to Morgan's for p-ex). They'd cashed my cheque for the whole year on 28th Dec and 2 weeks later told me that the balance was non-refundable. The T&Cs said that but I couldn't believe their stubborness. In the end I wrote to Andy and appealed to his common sense and all credit they agreed to charge me the daily visitor rate and refund the balance. Still cost me a shed load for a couple of weeks of mooring. Left me with a bad taste - after all I had been at the marina for 4 years. I was also p***ed off about the weed that grew in the top of the marina - they never seemed to get on top of it (or want to get on top of it). The icing on the cake was when I put my foot through one of the rotten plankings despite complaining about the lack of maintenance before. They wanted the shirt off my back to berth the new one (even though she's only 8.5m long). I am made to feel really welcome at Lowestoft Haven - the place is brilliant but the fishing jury is still out !! Keep in touch CD

Crickey - it gets even more complicated than this ?? I looked on my settings but it says that my personal messaging is enabled - what do I need to do and what does it do for me ?

Wow that is seriously generous of you Walcott - thanks in anticipation Do you run out of Lowestoft too ? I'll check my charts for the area you refer to - 8Nm south and 24 Nm out ? Sounds like it's near the top of the Gabbard banks ? Presumably you just feather up some sandeels or mackerel when you get out there ? Picking up on an earlier mail - how far out do you go from Lowestoft before the water clears up for lures on the wrecks ? I am seriously impressed with how friendly you all are on this website. I've spent a year getting nowhere and in the space of 2 days you've all restored my faith in rod and line - top drawer Please keep mailing

Excellent Holmesy - thanks.

Hi Cliff - I'm beginning to think you are right ! Don't 'spose you remember me - I ran a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 625 when I was at Shotley. I was moored round the corner next to Dave Woodland. Marina really p***ed me off when I upgraded to the 805 so I left for pastures new - probably a case of tail between the legs now !! I really miss the Stour bassing - how was it this year ? My freezer is now empty of bass fillets so this year is serious for the belly ! Regards to all at Shotley

Thanks Norfolk Boy - wow a reply only after one day ! This is good. You are right, I'm a boat man. Check out my pride and joy in my personal info. How did you get your picture to appear in the side panel with your name ? I heard the cod were out there and you are absolutely correct - tied up in the marina I've got no chance !! Are you a beach man ? If so I'll give you a wave as I'm tucking in to the bacon sarnies !! Tight lines CD

Hi Norrie - wow a reply straight away .... this could get addictive !! Thanks for the boat compliments she is my pride and joy. She is a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 805 with a 200hp Nanni diesel. Good for 25 knots flat out and 20 ish cruising at only 3,000rpm. I used to run a Merry Fisher 625 with outboard but moved up tot the big league last year. Still got lots to learn about shaft drives !! The outboard used to turn on a sixpence and push the boat at 30 knots !! Bit more sedate now ! Met some blokes from the marina today who had ventured out (it's blowing here today !) but they only got whiting and a nice sole so the quest for the cod goes on. Had heard of some nice ones off Corton Roads so I reckon Norfolk Boy is spot on - they are there but I ain't gonna catch them sitting in the marina ! Thanks for the early replies - keep in touch. By the way, how do I get my boat picture to appear in the side panel like your photos ?

Wow - a new kid on the block Just joined up 'cos the forum looks great. Moved my boat to Lowestoft from Shotley last year. Didn't get out much but when I did it was hopeless. Before I give up and get back to bass fishing heaven in the Stour, can anyone tell me where to fish and what to expect at Lowestoft ? I'm going to give it another year. I'd also be interested in joining a club if anyone knows any details. I live near Diss, Norfolk. I'd heard that the wrecks about 7 miles out were full of bass this year ... anyone confirm that ? Presumably they were fished on the drift ? Looking forward to getting into the forum !!