Oh where's the bait gone

Oh what a day.
It was my usual day off and a short bash out local after my old friends the tope.
As the mackerel have been patchy at best I was heading out with the intension of catching some whiting on the way out.
But they where unusually scarce and I only got 1 tiddler for a drift.
As I neared my mark I dropped again looking for whiting and by chance I got a mackerel on the drop.
That was what I needed to get started.
The rods went out with mackerel baits a 3/4 fillet on each and I continued to try for more bait but they where not about.
I was giving up on the bait when one tope rod took a sudden screaming run and as I lifted into it the tope dropped the bait. I let it sit there for a moment and he didn't return. to
I reeled in as bait was so scarce I tidied it up and lobbed it out again.
I didn't have to wait long when the other rod started to nod, nod but didn't really progress at the normal rate so I reeled down and struck as I didn't want a deep hook fish but no it was a doggie.

Bait again tidied up and out again, and hardly 10 mins later a proper nod nod came. I picked up the rod, knock the reel into free spool and away he went. I let him go a short bit and then lifted hard into the rod to set the hook and with that as per usual he poured off the line. But this lad was smart bugger.
He just done it the once and went all over the place while staying deep the whole time. He went above me, under me with no real panic. I was expecting a monster.
This went on quiet a while and eventually I put a lot of lift on the rod to get him to the top. And up he came and he was quiet placid. Until I touched the trace and he went bananas then and screamed off a short. I got the mad bugger back alongside and in for a trophy shot. He lived up to this seasons tope as a serious fighter.

 

 

I was delighted and the mad thing was released to terrorise me another day lol.

By now I was down to a mackerel head or a small whiting. So I flappered the whiting and put it on the hook with the scraggy bit of mackerel.

Still no bait fish appeared and the other rod with a battered mackerel got an enquiry.

Rod picked up and put into free spool and few more nods followed by the beginning of a run I struck and this lad screamed off in the usual tope style, this bugger ran and ran. Up down and all over the place. Oh I was loving it.

This one was tired when he came along side and was easier to handle, well as easy as any mad tope is to handle lol.

I got them into a short sling and the weighted 30lb and 31.9lb.

I really didn't think they where that heavy but I check the scales when I got home and they where bang on. So I was delighted.

By now the tide and wind where all over the place and it was very difficult to fish, so with very little bait. I headed for home with the intention of getting bait for the next day on the way home.

This time there where lots of small whiting about and some small codling, So I kept the whining for the next day. But I managed a wright few species. I had weaver fish on shamrocks sabiki rig.

Grey gurnard.

Which managed to nail me wright in the joint of my finger, it's dam sore now lol.

It was a nice way to end the day and I ended up with 7 species.

For those that are interested here's the rig I use for the tope it's a pulley rig.

I use a 7/0 O'shaugassey hook, 18" of 120lb wire and 4ft of 150lb mono for the trace body.

I am also trying out the lynx traces at the moment I am adding the lynx 7/0 hokk with 100lb wire detach rig, the hook is deadly sharp and so far it is doing very well in the hook up rates.

So until next time tight lines.