BOAT SPORT
From the boats, there was a 27-pounder, too, out of Hayling Island, Hants, for Robert Hanley. The angler, from nearby Bishopstoke, was aboard Valkyrie, skippered by Zack Cairns, and caught the personal best fish on a single squid bait.
“The fish fought every inch of the way, and it stripped line of the reel quite a few times. After 10 anxious minutes the fish was expertly netted by Zack,” said Robert.
A squid and ragworm cocktail produced a superb 24lb 8oz cod for Gareth Hopkins, who lives in Pembrokeshire, fishing from Andrew Alsop’s White Water charter boat, out of Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan. Fishing from a private boat from the same port, Mark Langley, of Pontypool, caught a 13-pounder on a squid and lug bait on a Pennell rig.
Cardiff angler Jon-Luc Ysart bagged a 13lb 2oz cod on a rag and lug cocktail while he was fishing aboard the private boat Saracen, skippered by Philip Cocker, out of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.
Fishing out of Poole on Silver Spray II, out of Poole, Jon Barlow caught a 22lb fish, and Kelvin Hindmarch bagged one of 17lb. Both anglers are from Newbury, Berks.
After his fishing sessions had been dominated by whiting and dogfish, kayak angler James Roberts finally caught cod of 18lb 8oz and 14lb at the same time. Fishing in the Solent at Stokes Bay, the angler, from Portsmouth, Hants, took them on whole squid baits on an ebb tide.
“I had both fish on at the same time, which was interesting but, luckily, I managed to land both” he said.
A 17lb cod and a 4lb whiting were some highlights aboard Jeff Clarke’s Duchess II, out of Weymouth, Dorset. The cod was caught by Dave Pettigrew, of South Petherton, Somerset, and the whiting by Chris Reekes, of Portland, Dorset. Another 15-pounder was taken on the same boat by Mike Parsons, of Well, Somerset.
Taylan Brewer, 11, a member of Mevagissey SAC, went wrecking 20 miles offshore from Par with his dad Glenn, of St Austell, Cornwall, on their own boat and caught a 17lb 15oz cod and 16lb 4oz 11dr ling. The fish took pilchard and sandeel baits on homemade jigs with size 8/0 hooks.
Iain Barron, caught two cod five miles out from Brighton Marina – the best weighed 16lb 8oz, with the other at 10lb. Both fell to cuttlefish baits. The angler, from Brighton, was fishing from his own boat. A few days later he boated a 15lb 8oz cod, while his fishing pal Vic Sinden caught a 12-pounder.