An almost mirror of yesterday from the point of view of the forecast. What should have been me waking up, and opening the door, to a stiff SE wind, was me opening the door to a light E wind. The difference from SE to NE is quite significant. E is slightly offshore from Brighton along to Seaford. Just enough that the sea isnt always lumpy, although that depends on the strength of the wind and very much on the direction of the tide.
I had to make a call, as from my house, I could see there was clearly some swell, but fairly long and it looked safe to fish. It would limit the fishing to vertical jigging but after being landlocked for so long, my guys are so gagging to fish, they wouldn't have cared if I asked them to uptide with whole squid.
Max, Mark and Lee all live within 30 minutes of the marina, so I chanced it and messaged all three. My other client lived much further away, and I was worried if I sailed any later the wind would return, as it had done the previous day, so sadly missed out. I say sadly, because it was a pretty good trip.
The sea was very bouncy though. Happily, BIF1 is a very capable boat, and very heavily laid up, so there were no issues getting out to the mark. Well, not for me as I have the comfort of the helm bench, with one other. Those on the front bench and behind me on the rear, might have a different opinion of the journey. FIrst spot was slow. Nothing doing, and nothing interesting marking. 2nd spot, was spot on. Lots of whiting showing on the sounder, lots of birds eating whiting that they were finding floating on the top (Not uncommon at this spot. Really no idea why, although lots of tangle netting in the area and one beam trawler working a mile out the back)
33 was the final tally. Plus a cod and a cuttle. Mix of sizes with plenty of good ones, biggest likely around 5lb as all incredibly solidly built fish. Lovely colours as well in the quite coloured water. Really good fun and very happy customers leaving the boat. Mark and I went and had the usual breakfast in Cafe Zio to decide if we were making the second sailing. Wind dropping, tide due to ebb an hour into the session (the bouncy seas of the morning were due to the flood tide opposing the Easterly wind) I decided it was on. I knew the rest of the crew were nearbye, and Martynas , Stuatt and Peter were all happy to give it a go.
Again pretty bouncy, and a testing run to the mark, which we now found occupied by a small vessel that had watched our earlier success, now firmly anchored right on the whiting pile where they were happily catching said whiting. I'm not sure if they quite appreciated what was also almost certainly swimming around down there with those whiting but the tactics they were using, namely being anchored, meant they were unlikely to find out. I took a few drifts up tight but we didnt get access to the honey spot, with just six smalls. Time for a hunt.
Which produced absolutely nothing. Even where we had found some fish yesterday, which was especially bouncy as a little further offshore, was not working. Squid did not want to know. As if the sea had said, enough now. Very interesting. Very frustrating for my crew. Lets hope I can do better tomorrow morning, which is now looking like the last sailing perhaps before next weekend, as further turbulent weather systems take a grip.