"Sharkatag 2011"

[Snatcher]

I was fishing the first day of "Sharkatag 2011" with Tom aka Toonfireman. We launched from Sandhead in his boat Joshua shortly after 07.00am. We headed out a short distance and dropped our mackerel lures over the side. First drop we were into them and quickly had enough for our hookbaits. Tom had prepared the rubby dubby the day before.

 

Off we headed to the Ardwell bouy and down went the anchor with our rubby dubby of mashed up mackerel attached. We did not have long to wait for tope action and Tom was first in. It seemed like a real good fish and he was gutted when the hook pulled out.

 

 

Tom was next in again,this time with a thornback. It was quickly returned to the water.

 

 

Next in again was Tom,this time with a dogfish.

 

 

Eventually I got a good take and leaned into the fish. I was using circle hooks for the first time so did not strike as usual. After a spirited fight I got the 17lb fish to the surface. It was duly tagged,photographed and carefully released.

 

 

Tom was next it and again the fish threw the hook. Oh well thats fishing !!!!! Next in was Tom again with another thornback,it came in upside-down as the line was caught around its tail.

 

 

Again I had another good take and after another good scrap got the 20lb tope to the surface. It was quickly tagged and released and away it sped.

 

Things went a bit quiet so we decide on a move. On lifting the anchor we found that the rubby dubby onion sack had had a real mauling by the tope. On the way over to Sandhead platform we stopped briefly to get some more mackerel bait. It was here that Tom pulled up a really nice tub gurnard.

 

 

Once anchored up we settled down for the expected tope action. Nope it was Tom and his thornback chums again.

 

 

We decided to tag this one

 

 

Over the day Tom managed 6 skate to my none. He also brought in a few doggies to my none. Those tope can be sly at times,never felt the tope munch my bait in half.

 

 

Things went really dead so I decided to jiggle by bait a bit. It resulted in an immediate smash hit off a tope and another good scrap from a 20lb fish. Duly tagged and released.

 

 

During this time Tom hooked the smallest tope I have ever seen,it was far too small to tag so it was quickly released By this time,with the wind getting up we decided to call it a day. We had been out nearly 8 hours so it was a good call. A cracking day out in good company with 3 tope and 1 thornback tagged.

 

Many thanks for a great day out Tom

 

John