big fish

[wildcard]

Love this argument. First it's loads that died, thousands, hundreds, now possibly a handfull. Then it's the cold that killed or makes them unviable to live off the north east coast. Or is it the inclement climate. Now it could be that they have been washed up from somewhere else as none may have lived up there in any event. Best time for conger is during the tide run, thats when we find the real ones come out to play compared with the straps. So i suppose you could sit it out, tell me what do you actually target on the slack? We target sandwiches and cups of tea or pout.

 

Got any decent ling wrecks up there, if so you could fish for them through a full tide. Give it a try one day.

 

So it's the water tempreature then? If so do you not have wrecks in shallow water that has warmed up during the summer to try, or are you saying that the water is a lot colder, full stop.

 

Hi Barry,

 

I cant even find out what year the congers were washed up. If Paul says it happened in 63 then I have no reason to doubt him. If it happened in 63 then I was 5 years old

 

By talking to different people I have gathered they were washed up on a long stretch of coastline and the phrase 'heaps of them' was said to me by an ex Whitby skipper, though this could be in certain isolated areas and none in others. Things can travel thousands of miles before being washed up on a beach, so it is all conjecture.

 

Did the cold kill them - possibly. Or was it the temperature drop - maybe. Were they local fish? Thousands? Hundreds? a few? - I cant find out, try doing a bit of research yourself Barry. Let me know the answers.

 

Alan

[barry luxton]

Afternoon Alan, for kick off's there loads of info on the internet regarding their habitats, the north sea including iceland and norway. Europeon conger eel i'm refering to as there are many specis, So does the cold water tempreature play a part? Gonna look at the ling as well. Most interesting, back later.

 

Range:

 

English Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea

 

 

Trying to find out if it's just the Whitby area that the conger don't visit. Sorry all couldn't resist.

 

This one is interesting, ling

 

http://www.excalibur3.co.uk/ling.htm

 

WRECK FISHING

Big Ling are found on or near deepwater wrecks, but apparently do live inside the wreck.

They are predator fish with sharp teeth and grow to over 50 lbs. On wrecks they usually average somewhere between 20 and 30 lbs. Exceptionally large Ling are found during the late winter months as the females are full of roe. In fact the record rod caught fish was captured during this time.

 

and the conger

 

http://www.excalibur3.co.uk/conger.htm

 

You then need a range of leads in the order of 12 oz up say up to 3 lbs. In some area's you may require even heavier leads if the tides are strong.

 

And thats not me gabbling on.

 

and

 

The world record is held in Iceland for an eel weighing 305lb (139kg).

The conger eel can be found all around the coast of Britain.

Edited July 11, 2010 by barry luxton

[tommy123]

Allright Barry

 

As you've guessed theres no boats up here that currntly fish at anchor for conger but things are changing as more and more anglers are prepared to try something different

 

You can't keep yarping on about charter boats fishing for cod because thats what the majority of anglers want so the skippers have to deliver, its a bitof a catch 22 situation because the area has such a od heratige it attracts anglers from all over the Uk who want to catch cod , so just about every charter boat skipper aims for cod, after all if they did'nt they'd soon go bust losing their boat and income

 

There are some boats who I do think will pioneer conger fishing in this area but for the short term I think the majority of those will be privately owned vessels who don't have to dance to the tune of the paying customer and when anglers from up here visit those successful south coast conger venues then the demand for conger trips up here will increase, its already happening now allbeit slowly but there are anglers prepared to pay for something different without neccesarily going home with a bootful of fish

 

I believe there are conger up here and my belief is they're here in numbers that most folk would not believe, there are many strap conger caught on ground when drifting and our local potters get a fair number each summer in their lobster pots. The keel boat fleet when it was fully operational and numerous used to catch a fair few very large conger in their rock hopping trawls when they were towing at a higher rate of knots. There was someone who used to set conger pots on the rocks here in Redcar and used to get them when left overnight with fresh mackeral in, theres a fair few smaller ones in the rocks of our breakwater and the challenge is to get them out

 

The big question is though , where do they come from if theres non here?

 

My honestly held belief is they are here and it won't be long before someone sets out to catch them and does very well with it, to kick start it would'nt take much as the interest is there but what we don't have is the knowledge and expertise that exists further South but watch this space as they say

Very good post and a realistic look into the future. Into days climate looking at catching less amount of fish, but bigger and different spices just could be something that the charter skippers are going to have to turn there hand too.

The north east is a great haven for cod fishing, and drifting hard ground is an easy way for anglers and the charter boat skippers to work.

The future may be different and if that is the case then I would hope that the angling industry is prepared for a tactical change and the anglers likewise. At the moment things are great for the cod anglers and the people who make there living taking them out to sea and long may it continue. But in these times of plenty it could be the ideal time to take time out an experiment for the future.

[big_cod]

Afternoon Alan, for kick off's there loads of info on the internet regarding their habitats, the north sea including iceland and norway. Europeon conger eel i'm refering to as there are many specis, So does the cold water tempreature play a part? Gonna look at the ling as well. Most interesting, back later.

 

Range:

 

English Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea

 

 

Trying to find out if it's just the Whitby area that the conger don't visit. Sorry all couldn't resist.

 

This one is interesting, ling

 

http://www.excalibur3.co.uk/ling.htm

 

WRECK FISHING

Big Ling are found on or near deepwater wrecks, but apparently do live inside the wreck.

They are predator fish with sharp teeth and grow to over 50 lbs. On wrecks they usually average somewhere between 20 and 30 lbs. Exceptionally large Ling are found during the late winter months as the females are full of roe. In fact the record rod caught fish was captured during this time.

 

and the conger

 

http://www.excalibur3.co.uk/conger.htm

 

You then need a range of leads in the order of 12 oz up say up to 3 lbs. In some area's you may require even heavier leads if the tides are strong.

 

And thats not me gabbling on.

 

and

 

The world record is held in Iceland for an eel weighing 305lb (139kg).

The conger eel can be found all around the coast of Britain.

 

 

All i can say barry you really live in your own little world.

 

paul.

Edited July 11, 2010 by big_cod

[barry luxton]

All i can say barry you really live in your own little world.

 

paul.

Surly you can do better than that.

[Brian Carragher]

Who's Shirley

[Bob Shotter]

I was asked to have a look at this thread, some six pages of complete dribble commencing with a phoney claim of fifty-four pound Ling and twenty five pound Pollack the pictures of support suggesting both claims to be far in excesses of the true weight so obviously a wind up but posted by a Leeds United fan so to be expected I suppose. Suckered into a conversation we then have tails of fish washed up on the beaches back in the sixties quite why that came up is as much a mystery as the weight of the fish at the start of the post some thing that poor Tommy 123 still wants to know. Well Tommy if you want my opinion and believe me I had a fare few, the Ling would be around the twenty five pounds mark and the Pollack about fifteen pounds. Then the subject of catching Congers and Ling from wrecks comes up, with the admission that you are unlikely to find a north east coast skipper with the experience necessary to do the job as they only know about Cod fishing. How sad but Barry is quite right the best way to get a decent size Conger is to fish away from the wreck get the bait scent flowing into the wreck and attract the fish to come to the bait. Jigging over wrecks during slack water or on small tides can produce Ling and Cod but most Congers will take you bait into the wreck and the bigger ones you will never get out. If you want to see how an expert skipper fishes a wreck then check out the movie ‘Wreck Fishing Fast and Furious’ which can be downloaded free go to www.rodbenders.net you will find the link on the DVD page. Here the skipper arrives at the wreck toward the last of the ebb and the lads use lures on the drift for Pollack as the tide slackens Jigging and bait are sent down for Cod and Ling then as the flood picks up the boat is moved and anchored to do as suggested above and grab some big Congers. The results are dramatic as you will be able to see for your self and trust me the film was shot on just one day I know I was that camera man.

[Brian Carragher]

I was asked to have a look at this thread, some six pages of complete dribble commencing with a phoney claim of fifty-four pound Ling and twenty five pound Pollack the pictures of support suggesting both claims to be far in excesses of the true weight so obviously a wind up but posted by a Leeds United fan so to be expected I suppose. Suckered into a conversation we then have tails of fish washed up on the beaches back in the sixties quite why that came up is as much a mystery as the weight of the fish at the start of the post some thing that poor Tommy 123 still wants to know. Well Tommy if you want my opinion and believe me I had a fare few, the Ling would be around the twenty five pounds mark and the Pollack about fifteen pounds. Then the subject of catching Congers and Ling from wrecks comes up, with the admission that you are unlikely to find a north east coast skipper with the experience necessary to do the job as they only know about Cod fishing. How sad but Barry is quite right the best way to get a decent size Conger is to fish away from the wreck get the bait scent flowing into the wreck and attract the fish to come to the bait. Jigging over wrecks during slack water or on small tides can produce Ling and Cod but most Congers will take you bait into the wreck and the bigger ones you will never get out. If you want to see how an expert skipper fishes a wreck then check out the movie ‘Wreck Fishing Fast and Furious’ which can be downloaded free go to www.rodbenders.net you will find the link on the DVD page. Here the skipper arrives at the wreck toward the last of the ebb and the lads use lures on the drift for Pollack as the tide slackens Jigging and bait are sent down for Cod and Ling then as the flood picks up the boat is moved and anchored to do as suggested above and grab some big Congers. The results are dramatic as you will be able to see for your self and trust me the film was shot on just one day I know I was that camera man.

 

Is that whats known as more dribble?

[big_cod]

I was asked to have a look at this thread, some six pages of complete dribble commencing with a phoney claim of fifty-four pound Ling and twenty five pound Pollack the pictures of support suggesting both claims to be far in excesses of the true weight so obviously a wind up but posted by a Leeds United fan so to be expected I suppose. Suckered into a conversation we then have tails of fish washed up on the beaches back in the sixties quite why that came up is as much a mystery as the weight of the fish at the start of the post some thing that poor Tommy 123 still wants to know. Well Tommy if you want my opinion and believe me I had a fare few, the Ling would be around the twenty five pounds mark and the Pollack about fifteen pounds. Then the subject of catching Congers and Ling from wrecks comes up, with the admission that you are unlikely to find a north east coast skipper with the experience necessary to do the job as they only know about Cod fishing. How sad but Barry is quite right the best way to get a decent size Conger is to fish away from the wreck get the bait scent flowing into the wreck and attract the fish to come to the bait. Jigging over wrecks during slack water or on small tides can produce Ling and Cod but most Congers will take you bait into the wreck and the bigger ones you will never get out. If you want to see how an expert skipper fishes a wreck then check out the movie ‘Wreck Fishing Fast and Furious’ which can be downloaded free go to www.rodbenders.net you will find the link on the DVD page. Here the skipper arrives at the wreck toward the last of the ebb and the lads use lures on the drift for Pollack as the tide slackens Jigging and bait are sent down for Cod and Ling then as the flood picks up the boat is moved and anchored to do as suggested above and grab some big Congers. The results are dramatic as you will be able to see for your self and trust me the film was shot on just one day I know I was that camera man.

 

 

What a load of dribble deeno any skipper with half a brain can ankhor uptide of a wreck and let the bait go either short of the wreck or in it i do a lot of ankhoring in winter uptiding just the same way as ankhoring away from wrecks you have to get lines in the right place down a bankside or over a rocky ledge to say northern skippers cant ankhor wrecks obviously means you havent clue about our job you speak just a load of dribble as to jigging over a wreck at slack water not very clever obviously you havent been up north or may you havent been on the right boats but jellys are used more up north these days than jigging in the short video at 5am in the morning sun just up we had an early start the fish comeing aboard were caught on rough ground 99% of the fish are caught on shads not jiggers i havent used one for years we have just had a festival where most of the skippers have been bait fishing the wrecks plus we have stacks of pollock if you fish for them on firetails and sidewinders as many as you want the wrecks up here are stuffed with pollock.

 

http://www.wcsa.whitbyseaanglers.co.uk/gle...-co-on-the-cod/

 

This is a ling caught on BAIT in the festival .

 

 

paul.

 

paul.

Edited July 13, 2010 by big_cod

[wildcard]

Then the subject of catching Congers and Ling from wrecks comes up, with the admission that you are unlikely to find a north east coast skipper with the experience necessary to do the job as they only know about Cod fishing.

 

If you want to see how an expert skipper fishes a wreck then check out the movie ‘Wreck Fishing Fast and Furious’ which can be downloaded free go to www.rodbenders.net you will find the link on the DVD page. Here the skipper arrives at the wreck toward the last of the ebb and the lads use lures on the drift for Pollack as the tide slackens Jigging and bait are sent down for Cod and Ling then as the flood picks up the boat is moved and anchored to do as suggested above and grab some big Congers. The results are dramatic as you will be able to see for your self and trust me the film was shot on just one day I know I was that camera man.

 

Well you are certainly some man for one man

 

You are going to teach us how to anchor up for congers are you? - Well you better bring some up with you, because we havent got any.

 

The skippers in this part of the world havent had much luck catching wahoo, dorado or the Arctic narwhal either. Maybe you could give us a few pointers

 

It seems to have escaped you that the inexperienced north east skippers you refer to somehow managed to land the uk record ling (59-08-00 Bridlington, Yorks. J. Webster 1989) as well as the uk record cod (58-06-00 Whitby, Yorkshire Noel Cook 1992)

 

How these dumb skippers did that without your help god only knows.

 

Alan