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Back in the 70's and 80s it was home to probably the biggest charter fishing fleet in the UK and was undoubtedly the most famous. The prolific wreck fishing available within 60 miles of the port has yielded a steady stream of British record fish over the past two decades and shows no real sign of decreasing yet. Add to this quality ground and reef fishing and it's no surprise to find that Plymouth remains one of the top three most popular ports for travelling boat anglers in the country.
WHERE TO FISH
Close inshore, then Plymouth Sound offers sport with pollack, plaice, bass, wrasse and whiting, with the Mew Stone 5 miles out offering a variety of species. Both areas are popular with the smaller private vessel. Rock marks close in off Rame Head give sport with wrasse, bass and pollack.
Charter boats frequent Hands Deep for general reef ground fishing and then there is the famed Eddystone Light which has an artificial eel named after it such is it's magnetism. The Eddystone is a large area of rugged rock pinnacles and reef ground. Many of the pinnacles rise close to the surface and care of navigation is needed. It is a well known bass mark of old and holds pollack, ling and conger throughout the year.
The port lies within range of hundreds of war and peace time wrecks. The inner wrecks are well plundered by commercial netting, but this depletion of inshore fish stocks encouraged Plymouth skippers to buy bigger and better equipped boats which now ply their trade upto 60 miles from home. Some even undertake three day trips that include a night in a channel Island port.
SPECIES
January, February and March is when the biggest of the pollack are taken from the distant wrecks. Some big coalfish also appear. Late March sees thornback ray inside Plymouth Sound, but it's April before the inner reef and rough ground starts to build a real head of pollack to double figures. Bass shoal over the Eddystone with the big tides in May. Mackerel appear in May, too.
The offshore wrecks hold big ling, conger and some cod from June onwards with the best conger fishing being in July and August. Blue shark are taken drifting some 20 miles out, usually by late May or early June. Summer fishing on the inshore wrecks gives pollack, bass, ling and conger, maybe odd turbot. The best of the coalfish appear over the wrecks in the early autumn with closer, cleaner ground south of Rame Head providing excellent whiting fishing with 2lb fish quite common. Black and red bream can show from the wrecks and reefs too. Plymouth boats also have a reputation for finding a few Mediterranean wreckfish or stone bass in summer and autumn.
TIDES
The best of the wreck fishing will always be on the smaller neap tides with their reduced flow of water. The deeper reef areas also are better fished on the smaller tides. Bass over the Eddystone though, are sought on the spring tides with dawn the best period for the bass to work.
Tides are less critical on the inshore marks when seeking wrasse and pollack etc, but inshore conger marks again fish best when tidal flow in minimized.
TACKLE
Pirk fishing and killer gear over the wrecks in deep water needs a 50lb rod with a roller tip ring, 50 to 60lb line and 4/0 to 6/0 multiplier with strong gears like a Penn Senator or Daiwa Sealine.
When working redgill eels on a flying collar rig, then an uptide rod and multiplier holding 300yds of 18lb line should be used, though a few anglers do drop down to lighter 15lb class tackle.
The 15lb class rod and reel will be suited to the bass fishing and pollack over the reefs, but a 20lb to 30lb rod is needed for general bottom fishing and for the inshore wrecks.
Blue shark should be targeted with 30 to 50lb class tackle, but experienced anglers now choose 20lb as amply strong enough, even for 100lb plus fish.
Carry leads upto a couple of pounds and have plenty of spare rigs and traces ready when wreck fishing.
BAITS
Bass feed on launce sandeels and these fished live are the best bass and pollack bait over the reefs. Mackerel, either in strips, or as fillets and whole baits take the bottom fish.
A whole flapper mackerel over the wrecks is a good ling bait. Long squid strips or mackerel fillets cut long and thin may take bream as well as pollack.
Carry black, red and white redgills for pollack, with odd fluorescent yellow and orange eels for the coalfish. Whiting take baited feathers. Inshore wrasse like crab baits, as do the thornbacks.
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