This has been an exceptional year for sea angling.
We have had quiet a few settled days at sea, which we don't normally get at this time of year. Most other years you would get out on the open sea after September between swell and wind.
Thankfully the herring are in and we are getting out at times.
So with it not being to good out side we fished inshore in the shelter.
Myself and Oliver hit the herring the other night and managed about 40 each and had a great evening craic. It also was my first run in the dark on the Stealth profisha 525.
It was no bother and felt very comfortable in the dark.
Finally a settled spell for off shore.
Finally the weather and swell was forecast had come good and I was for out first thing sunday.
The forecast was giving 8pmh to 10mph and a 6ft swell at 11seconds. The seconds apart are a big factor the further apart they are the better it is. So 6ft at 11seconds is not to bad.
The launch.
I landed at my venue and it was definitely looking good inshore but a bit interesting on out, out side the shelter of the bay.
I paddled out and it was good enough. Definitely breezier than forecast but it was more than fishable.
This would also be my first day anchoring up in some lumpy weather in a tide out at sea.
I was 1.5 miles off on my own so it was going to be interesting to say the least.
I did my usual paddle and with my fish finder on the blink I just paddled a while and when I thought I was near I got the gps out to see how far away I was.
I laughed I had paddled well past my mark instead of not being there.
That was good enough and just out past the depth marker so I was happy at that.
There was a good lump on and it was every bit of the 6ft swell even if the pics just make it look like nothing.
Big baits down.
So the anchor was down and holding well and it was time for the big baits down.
As I hadn't a doggie caught yet I put a whole scad tipped with half a mackerel.
And my second rod I had a small eurochamp rig on the other.
I fished away and it was so quiet I could believe it I had 2 tiny ling in the first 15 mins and that was it for hours. As I sat there my skate rod started dip down and the excitement was building and as the swell rolled past the rod took a good bend. I lifted the rod and gently lifted into what was there. Well there was bugger all there but large brown crabs having the craic dragging my bait around the place.
The forecast was a tad wrong.
I fished on and checked my skate bait intermittently and it was in good condition every time.
By now a few hours on the breeze was getting up instead of settling and the swell was getting up also.
So since I was catching sod all it was getting a to lumpy for me I decided to call it a day. But before I could reel in my light rod got a rattle and I had a decent rod battering scrap to the surface. Thankfully it was cracking whiting, which made my day to be honest.
So with that it was time for home.
As usual my anchor was stuck.
Yes as per usual my anchor was stuck, So a lumpy day in a moderate swell on my first session at anchor was going to end with the Profisha 525 ultimate test. Hauling a stuck anchor at sea in a swell and decent breeze.
Looks like nothing I know lol.
No small task I can assure ye.
I picked up the anchor line and heaved hard and brought my kayak into the weather and heaved like hell. This brought me broad side with not much leverage so I put the line around my foot and brought the kayak head on into the weather for added leverage and broke my weak link.
So easy enough the profisha done the job in a tricky situation and I was ready for the paddle home.
So a blank on the winter skate hunt but the couple of whiting and tiny ling saved the day.
So that was it Home I went and it was like a summers day on the shore. I nearly went back out lol.
But no the big flatties will have to wait until next time.
So thanks for reading and hope you all are doing better at the moment.
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