[fishfordinner]

went to fish my mackerel guaranteed mark at the rock ,white beach,chap was just leaving said he had only 2 mackerel in 2 hours and the seal had one of them.after 20 mins of feathering hooked 2 and just as i got them to the surface a seal came up and almost got them.last year one seal learned that when i was cleaning my catch i would throw the heads in and it came up and ate them at very close range,it now seems that two seals have decided its much easier to steel our hooked fish than catch their own.so i dont think white beach is worth trying again.Also there were 6 porpoise very close in (20yds) all of which didnt help the situation.The gannets were diving and catching mackerel about 200yds offshore.have never left this mark with less than 35 mackerel before so was a bad day there for this time of year. Also tried dropping some bait over the edge where i normally get loads of pollock and wrass up to 3lb,but these had also been spooked by the seals.so know what to expect if you go down to the woods tonight(white beach)

 

[interceptor]

Teddy bears?

 

[shaggy]

unlucky there mate but seals think you nicking there supper haaaaa think going that side island next weekend for camp and .fish.shaggy

 

[fishfordinner]

just remember to reel in like the clappers if theres a seal around when you hook a fish,last year i had a full house of mackies on the end only for a seal to grab them,bring them to the surface shake them and my trace around and bite through my line.dont know whether swallowing hooks is gonna do him much good though?

 

[spikydog]

fished whitebeach fri , sat sunday with my two boys ,the best day was friday 25th! july
we had loads of mackeral 2 hours after high water, but the bloody seals kept taking the mackeral off!! :crazy: you had to reel in like it was your last meal!
how they were missing the hooks is amazing, i reeled one catch in to only have 2 mackeral heads on!!
the other guys fishing alongside us were having the time of there lives
one chappie saying in 35 years of sea fishin he never saw a specticle like this!
three days there produced mainly mackeral , not large bags,
small pollock on feathers and mackeral bait, doggies , and wrase close in also on feathers,

keith bennett west midlands :victory:

 

[fishfordinner]

yes at first you think how amazing it is,you feel like a zoo keeper,and can get some incredible close up photos and video,but it doesnt take long for the novelty to wear off.one of the most reliable macky marks in north wales is just about ruined by these two beasties,as i said before you know what to expect if you go there from now on,and no its not bears.

 

[nemosharktale]

2 there for now just wait till theres more and more its getting so bad around the uk coast with them they will just kill the fishing for everyone

 

[shaggy]

2 there for now just wait till theres more and more its getting so bad around the uk coast with them they will just kill the fishing for everyone

where do think should go ?pop down too there nearest super market ?no they live see and us that nicking there food not other way round arrrrrr maybe we should have cull of poor fishing men who blame anything but themself who cant catch?losed a few mac too seal myself myself but that life always more of them.shaggy

 

[cfish]

They do the macky stealing at newquay,me and meatsack had one waiting for us when we fished there last.Luckly it buggered off for some unknown reason and decided to bother some anglers in a boat,could see the blddy thing leaping clear of the water to get the macky they were catching! Just wish people wouldnt feed them!!!!!:boxing:

 

[mabski]

i went on a charter boat on sunday the moment we put our lines in the water this 8ft seal appeared and followed us drifting around puffin island. after it had gone we started getting into the fish.but seeing that big a seal popping his head up less than 5ft away made up for the lack of fish

 

[TBH]

Which charter boat were you on Mabski ?

 

[fishfordinner]

of course shaggy is right that we are taking the seals food and they live and feed in the sea,we dont.they are superb creatures that have lived in the sea since long before us humans came on the scene and are rightly protected by law,just a bit frustrating when someone has travelled a long way(especially with fuel costs now) to have a days fishing either on shore or at even more cost on a charter boat spoiled by seals waiting close by to deliberately relieve you of whatever you have hooked,would rather they did what evolution has designed them to do and catch there own food

 

[ChrisP]

You got to ask why? Humans are danger, inbred into all wild animals now with our trck record apart from Galapagos dwellers.

So why are they coming so close, stealing off hooks with the inherrant dangers, approaching so close to shore and boat?

Perhaps they are starving?

 

[cfish]

You got to ask why? Humans are danger, inbred into all wild animals now with our trck record apart from Galapagos dwellers.

So why are they coming so close, stealing off hooks with the inherrant dangers, approaching so close to shore and boat?

Perhaps they are starving?

People feeding them doesnt help plus some of the rescued ones will be used to humans.

 

[swelleyman]

Strikes me the seal has learnt that if he hangs about where tinsel thrashers are retarding the progress of food using lines and weights then food provision is easier by half!

However I think ChrisP has hit on the reason. Those PARTICULAR seals are unable to swim with the rest and hunt the shoals. Add to that the possibility that this is learnt behaviour by previously rescued animals then ou have the beginnings of a Sea Mammal Centre.

Roll up, rollup! See the loveable seals feeding almost at your feet! Feed them yourself (fish provided for a fee) Then the high point of the show - See the incandescent rage of Sports Fishermen as the clever seal steals their fish! Please feel free to join in the booing as they get crosser and crosser before snapping their rods and throwing them into the sea! Please get your ticket and keep away from the rock edges behind the safey railings.

Just think we were always told that if there was a seal nearby it would frighten the fish away!!

 

[ChrisP]

Good point, most of the seals in the sea will be used to being hand fed or have been rescued and released so will be well used to engine noise in their aquarium and the flash of angler's cameras as they take the macky. No doubt the aquarioum trained them to avoid 2/0 duratin hooks as well as the took their feed.


Last post on it as it is off topic and more for the conservation section, but to be honest I can't be bothered flapping my fingers, we all know the state of our seas, we have had to develop our style and tackle year on year to even stay in the sport never mind maintain our catch rates. Finer and smaller hooks, braid, flurocarbon, smaller trace components.

Go back 20 years, we caught plenty on Clement's booms, O'Shaunesy's hooks, bell leads and Dacron for line, bait really didn't matter. Try that today and see what you get. The sea is empty, Dolphins in record pods sighted last year inshore Cardigan bay. They are hungry, so are seals, offer them an easy meal they are not going to go for it, Mc Donalds and Kentucky made an empire on it, easy food that satisfies the hunger, simple as. Think about tomorrow when it comes.

As I stated last post.

 

[shaggy]

of course shaggy is right that we are taking the seals food and they live and feed in the sea,we dont.they are superb creatures that have lived in the sea since long before us humans came on the scene and are rightly protected by law,just a bit frustrating when someone has travelled a long way(especially with fuel costs now) to have a days fishing either on shore or at even more cost on a charter boat spoiled by seals waiting close by to deliberately relieve you of whatever you have hooked,would rather they did what evolution has designed them to do and catch there own food

agree nothing nicer than seing seal hunt like meant too but man has made easy for then too get easy meal.shaggy

 

[shaggy]

You got to ask why? Humans are danger, inbred into all wild animals now with our trck record apart from Galapagos dwellers.

So why are they coming so close, stealing off hooks with the inherrant dangers, approaching so close to shore and boat?

Perhaps they are starving?

starving maybe beacause hell of lot more get rescued ever year which means they get use too humans which bad thing beacause we are not all same and some people would hurt them get off on it.shaggy

 

[fishfordinner]

its well reported that sea birds(puffin guillemots and razorbills) are suffering badly with the lack of sand eels which are moving north due to rising sea temperatures and,its not impossible that seals are getting hungry as a result of a certain amount of their food moving north as well to follow their prey,but i still think its more likely they have just learned how to get an easy meal