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South Coast A long trip to see Goatee 😀

Si-fly

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Finally after threatening a poaching session on Goatee's area for ages, I had a couple days free this week....tides were rubbish locally so a plan was hatched to top up my species count.
I went through what I'd caught and sorted a list of targets for the trip, and possible locations on route to Goatee.
I planned to visit 3 spots on route, and 2 around Boscombe, just short stops of an hour before the main event with Goatee.
I grabbed some bait and headed off to mk1....had an hour's parking so legged it to the mk.
Loads fishing but didn't see anything caught.... luckily my intended spot was free and out went a bait.
It was a case of twitch it across the bottom and hope for an attack!
Nothing for 15 mins, then a rattle, then another, a quick strike and fish on. Was it my target though 🤔..felt like it might be, but then it got heavy, way to heavy for my target!

I didn't know what it was but thought a ballan probably...wrong...up came a plaice 😁....that was on my list for later....nice!PXL_20230809_113203531_kKzBVv064J.jpeg

Anyway time was getting short now, 20 mins to go...it didn't look good and then out the blue...a tiny rattle, another and fish on....this felt much better....in fact I would have put money on it being my target....and soon enough up came a lesser weaver....found one and 1 of my main targets crossed off.PXL_20230809_114628531~3.jpg

Time for mk2.
This was more an exploratory trip looking for a very rare blenny...I did find a very small unusual looking blenny, and eventually it took my bait, but alas I pulled the hook out of it's gob, and it shot in the weed and was gone 😢...bugger!
I then grabbed a sandsmelt for my list and onto mk3.

Back on the stone pier for that blackbream I missed last time, just an hour again......and another miserable fail!....fished small bits of squid this time and again had loads of pout, yting and poorcod, along with a single rockgoby....ah i give up!

Mk4...met up with Goatee....a local beach with an undulate ray the main target.
We both set up big rods and a scratching rod. I wasn't sure how this would go as it had been fairly poor fishing reading reports.
I cast out avoiding all the young girls messing about in the edge...always something!

It started to get dark, and my 1st bite...nothing big but felt like a small ray on the scratching rig.... surely not my undie already!....nope in came a small SE ray...a ray at least...happy with that.PXL_20230809_193659333~2_Zyehzw867n.jpeg
Another bite soon followed, a far more vigorous fight and another target fish....a nice scad 😀... earlier than expected as still light.PXL_20230809_200248113~2.jpg

It then went quiet for a couple of hours, with Goatee getting a few bass and sole I believe.
A change of bait for me and soon after another bite with a slow fight...ray no2.... could it be....yes...my undie...well happy with that.PXL_20230809_220405219~2_6KbTzFsf1y.jpeg

No more rays unfortunately, but the fishing picked up on the flood, the scratching rod doing the business with sole, smoothounds, and an eel, before calling it a night and kipping in the van.PXL_20230809_222658037~2_z6dP93vb5T.jpegPXL_20230809_234631091~2_wkpAUgch4Z.jpeg

Up bright and early around 9am, I cooked up some breakfast and onto Mk5 around 10am.
4 targets to be had here, tub, blackbream, turbot, and a brill....the last two were a longshot with the weather and small tide I thought, but out went fish baits to start.
1st cast a good bite and in came my tub gurnard....wow, yet another target.PXL_20230810_093408638~2_P5nF20lh9L.jpeg
All was quiet then and after a couple of missed bites I put smaller hooks on 1 rig and added some rag.

Bingo...hooked the culprit this time, a hard fighting fish.....yep at last my blackbream....happy days.PXL_20230810_110323481~2_dgGBGVlp5g.jpeg

I still had 2 hours to go for the flats so stuck it out with a few more bream coming out, before the parking ended.

That was going to be it, but chatting to a lad he said he had seen loads of bait fish back in Poole....🤔...it was kind of on the way home so I stopped off for 5 mins ....found a shoal of Tiddlers....and bingo no 8 for my comp.....knackered...I headed off home....a very happy lad.PXL_20230810_140810025~2.jpg
 
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Great report Si, nice bit of poaching, ;). Lovely mixed bag and pictures mate...🎣🎣

Ian.
 
Well done Si! Great report & photos as usual.
Good results for the species hunt, and sounds like you had a good session with Goatee. 🎣🎣👍👍
 
That was a fantastic amount of species to add to your list, especially when you already had a very healthy number. Lots of effort put in, and lots of deserved rewards. For me nothing new, but l was busy enough with pups, sole, bass and straps. Bloody sand everywhere though! Good to fish with you again.
 
Ah that sand..think I prefer reefs!....had to wash all my kit off 😆

Enjoyed the trip....nice to see you and Alex again....always good to meet up with other anglers 👍....a few fish was a bonus.
 
Cheers lads, an exhausting trip, but really enjoyed it, great to see the lads again, and always get a little buzz catching a target.....till the next trip....going to get tricky now I think 🤔
 
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