Out on the Boat after Storm Arwen

We got out on the boat on Monday 29th Nov. a calm day at sea after storm Arwen, with the loss of  one boat sunk in Rhos on Sea it had the wheel house smashed off and the engine. Our boat (SUSSIE) only suffered minor damage with just a part of a side window frame and exhaust shield cover blown off, nothing stopping us going to sea. We motor out at 08.30hrs on the back end of the ebb to the wind turbines about 5 miles off shore on a mark where we have done very well in the past around 70ft of water up and down a bit with the tide or in this case it was going down then coming up. We have been managing to get out once week over the last month or so and have done very well for catching fish, however this day was going to be different just 5 fish in total all day I caught 2 Whiting and Paddy caught 2 Whiting and a Dog Fish about 13.00hrs after cooking up our bacon butty’s  we pulled up the anchor and moved to just 1 mile off shore on a mark in around 40ft of water we fished just 2 weeks ago as soon as you put your line in the water you had a fish on we caught so many we had stop fishing and drink tea, today just one more Whitting for me and two for Paddy, we drank more tea, eat pasties and chocolate and went back into harbour at 15.45hrs on the rising tide. We tried various methods and baits throughout the day, paternosters, baited feathers, muppets, tope line, little hooks, middle size hooks, big hooks, small bait, big bait, lugworm, quid, mackerel and whiting.  I think the slow fishing today was due to the water being too stirred up after the storm and having a trawler going around scooping everything up in the Bay does not help. After mooring up we had a couple pints ashore to finish another great day of living.  

Great stuff guys. I thought the fishing would have picked up with the change in the weather.

MusselMan wrote:

Great stuff guys. I thought the fishing would have picked up with the change in the weather.

It has been good and I am sure it will be in a couple of weeks time looking at the weather forecast it will be the 9/10th December before we can go out again we have become fair weather fishermen in our retirement anything above F3 and we stay in the harbour.

Good report and pictures thanks for sharing your experience

congerman1962 wrote:

Good report and pictures thanks for sharing your experience  

Great to read of your trip out


I saw something earlier ( on FB I think) didn't read it properly but dolphins were following a mussel boat in The Straits yesterday, maybe they couldn't find many fish either!

Notbad wrote:

Great to read of your trip out


I saw something earlier ( on FB I think) didn't read it properly but dolphins were following a mussel boat in The Straits yesterday, maybe they couldn't find many fish either!

O yes I did not mention the Dolphins were in close by us as well and there was a Seal nicking our whole Mackerel bait off the hook they seem to be very good at getting any fish on our lines without getting hooked themselfs.

Great report Blade shame the catch wasn’t up to expectations, but just to be able to get out after that storm was a bonus. You did well only getting a small amount of damage I saw pictures of caravans turned completely upside down.

Kirky's Dad wrote:

Great report Blade shame the catch wasn’t up to expectations, but just to be able to get out after that storm was a bonus. You did well only getting a small amount of damage I saw pictures of caravans turned completely upside down.

Yes we are happy just to be out on the boat cooking bacon, drinking tea and talking a load rubbish any fish welcome. The winds are back up again today F10 upto 50 miles hours. I saw one of the boats in Rhyl harbour was upside down when I drove across the blue bridge plenty of damage about.

Hi Keith,I'm no expert,but isn't this time of year the transition period when the species are changing?Some going out to deeper water and coming back after they have bred.
I've wondered which way the Cod come into Liverpool bay,maybe from further North?
Probably a bit of an expensive trip to get over there,but they must be getting into the Mersey from somewhere
Your boat sounds like it could handle the trip no probs.
I suppose the amount of tme and the expense of the fuel would have to be a consideration.
Maybe taking a couple of mates with you that would share the fuel costs?
Always brightens up my day when you post

VALVEBOUNCE wrote:

Hi Keith,I'm no expert,but isn't this time of year the transition period when the species are changing?Some going out to deeper water and coming back after they have bred.
I've wondered which way the Cod come into Liverpool bay,maybe from further North?
Probably a bit of an expensive trip to get over there,but they must be getting into the Mersey from somewhere
Your boat sounds like it could handle the trip no probs.
I suppose the amount of tme and the expense of the fuel would have to be a consideration.
Maybe taking a couple of mates with you that would share the fuel costs?
Always brightens up my day when you post

O yes the Cod not so many down our way, we have been told that they do get in Llandudno Bay and I have read reports of them being caught off the end of the pier in Llandudno, we did try Llandudno Bay 2 weeks ago and got hammered with Whiting nothing else was getting a look in they stripped the big hook big baits within 5 mins and were comiming up with every drop on the smaller hooks. To go down the Mersey we would need to make that a 2 or 3 day trip stay over night in the marina which may be a possibilty next year, we are taking the boat out the water in the January for routine maintenance, to fit a galley in the wheel house and install 2 berths in the forward cabin with the intention of going cruising along the coast for a week or 2 next summer.

Blade7 wrote:

VALVEBOUNCE wrote:

Hi Keith,I'm no expert,but isn't this time of year the transition period when the species are changing?Some going out to deeper water and coming back after they have bred.
I've wondered which way the Cod come into Liverpool bay,maybe from further North?
Probably a bit of an expensive trip to get over there,but they must be getting into the Mersey from somewhere
Your boat sounds like it could handle the trip no probs.
I suppose the amount of tme and the expense of the fuel would have to be a consideration.
Maybe taking a couple of mates with you that would share the fuel costs?
Always brightens up my day when you post

O yes the Cod not so many down our way, we have been told that they do get in Llandudno Bay and I have read reports of them being caught off the end of the pier in Llandudno, we did try Llandudno Bay 2 weeks ago and got hammered with Whiting nothing else was getting a look in they stripped the big hook big baits within 5 mins and were comiming up with every drop on the smaller hooks. To go down the Mersey we would need to make that a 2 or 3 day trip stay over night in the marina which may be a possibilty next year, we are taking the boat out the water in the January for routine maintenance, to fit a galley in the wheel house and install 2 berths in the forward cabin with the intention of going cruising along the coast for a week or 2 next summer.

Sounds an interesting project.Will you beach the boat or have it on
concrete?The lift out ramp at port Dinorwic looks pretty good.
How about welding,a petrol generator or normal 240v supply?
Time to get some practice in with your Propane/oxy torch.

VALVEBOUNCE wrote:

Blade7 wrote:

VALVEBOUNCE wrote:

Hi Keith,I'm no expert,but isn't this time of year the transition period when the species are changing?Some going out to deeper water and coming back after they have bred.
I've wondered which way the Cod come into Liverpool bay,maybe from further North?
Probably a bit of an expensive trip to get over there,but they must be getting into the Mersey from somewhere
Your boat sounds like it could handle the trip no probs.
I suppose the amount of tme and the expense of the fuel would have to be a consideration.
Maybe taking a couple of mates with you that would share the fuel costs?
Always brightens up my day when you post

O yes the Cod not so many down our way, we have been told that they do get in Llandudno Bay and I have read reports of them being caught off the end of the pier in Llandudno, we did try Llandudno Bay 2 weeks ago and got hammered with Whiting nothing else was getting a look in they stripped the big hook big baits within 5 mins and were comiming up with every drop on the smaller hooks. To go down the Mersey we would need to make that a 2 or 3 day trip stay over night in the marina which may be a possibilty next year, we are taking the boat out the water in the January for routine maintenance, to fit a galley in the wheel house and install 2 berths in the forward cabin with the intention of going cruising along the coast for a week or 2 next summer.

Sounds an interesting project.Will you beach the boat or have it on
concrete?The lift out ramp at port Dinorwic looks pretty good.
How about welding,a petrol generator or normal 240v supply?
Time to get some practice in with your Propane/oxy torch.

Hope to arrange a lift out with Rhyl Harbour and be on the hardstand in the compound, they have mains electric and water the boat has a long keel no good for beaching.

I didn't realise Rhyl harbour had the potential,handy to know.