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Few mackerel today


walshie
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We went out for a few hours this afternoon after some mackerel.

The first spot we tried had joey mackerel attacking the rig before it had got even halfway down. We were bringing in strings of 5 every time we dropped a line over. We moved out about 1/4 mile and the average size increased to mostly fair sized fish.

We caught plenty to eat and were thinking of heading back when I felt the tell tale twitch of a mackerel attacking the feather. Winding up it felt like  decent size one when all of a sudden my line shot off to the left. It felt like I'd hooked a submarine. I only had a 12-20lb rod and 30lb line as we weren't expecting anything except 1lb mackerel at most. Whatever this was slowed and turned but was still taking line against the clutch.

I wound the clutch up a bit and I could feel the fish diving for the bottom. In all my time fishing i have never felt anything as heavy or strong as this as the rod went from pointing nearly skyward to the tip in the water with each lunge.

After about 5 minutes I thought I was winning. Pump, pump, tiny bit more clutch.......

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And the rod broke. :lol: I nearly fell over but my biggest concern was if I could land this monster or at least get it to the surface with half a rod. It was still on the end of my line bit 30 seconds later, the line went slack and it was gone. :cry1:

I thought the biggest thing in the bay was bass, but this was no bass. I wonder what it was. We'll never know now. 

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5 minutes ago, sandspider said:

Maybe you did catch a mackerel, then something else (shark?!) caught the mackerel too on the way up! Was the line snapped or bitten through?

I think something took the mackerel yes. Line was broken above the snaplink holding the feather trace, so don't know if it was bitten or broken.

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I follow these things quite closely. Lots of stories in The Sun etc every summer, it sells newspapers, but no documented evidence. Regardless, if you look at a map of the established worldwide distribution of great whites, it would be a surprise if they didn't visit British waters. They have a large range and can cross the seas from one continent to another; they are also tolerant of a wide range of water temperatures. British summertime water temperature is similar to places in Australasia and South Africa where great whites are common. The seal colonies of the south coast and the northeast would be obvious locations.

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9 hours ago, treetree said:

Where? How far from the shore? Is this for real? 

On the Cornwall Live news website last week. As houseplant said there are sightings every year but I don't think one has ever been caught.

Been sightings off the East Coast of USA too

Apparantly the greatest concentration of great whites might be in the med which is scarey 

Edited by Vince Green
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Well I had my shorts tugged on by a seal while swimming last week. He then popped up 6ft away from me. The head on the beast was unreal, it was like staring at a massive swimming pit-bull.

We stared at each other, then he made an explosive dive under the water  at which point I headed for shore at a speed i wasn't aware I was capable of.

I see them eveytime I go fishing, but to be in the water and so close to one (and being pulled on) is not something I'm keen for again.

 

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Pier fishing in Falmouth many years ago (more than I care to remember) I was winding in a rather nice garfish on the surface when the local seal (Sidney) popped out of the water not far off the quay and took the gar off my hook, neat as you please. I can't have been more than 10 years old and I remember it clearly still. Good times.

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I went out mackerel fishing on the pier...first time there since decades ago...and was talking to a guy who regularly fishes off the promenade and also boats.  He said that the seals, of which there are dozens, that have made their home on a tidal creek two miles away, have learned to spot the rods bending (with a mackerel on) and then they head towards the rod and find the hooked mackerel.  The angler pulls up a head...minus the body! 

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