The Poole Harbour Guide 2013 FREE

43lb Cod and a proud Tony Way
boats often get booked up well in advance.
July is similar to June. Offshore cod may show a slight
decline and inshore the mackerel may prove harder to
find on some days. In the harbour itself, the fishing just
gets better and the next few months will see the
numbers and variety of fish within the harbour steadily
increase right through until October. Hard fighting trigger
fish usually first show in our waters during July.
August can be a funny month to predict. The waters
are full of fish but on some days when the conditions
seem just perfect, the fish are reluctant to feed. The next
day, they will almost jump into the boat. The most
reliable form of fishing in August seems to be bass fishing
with the offshore marks probably at their best during
August. Offshore the wreck fishing often slows although
wrecks closer to France can still be very productive.
September is truly another great month to get afloat,
especially if you prefer to fish using light tackle. The
amount of fish species available locally is probably at its
best during September and fishing inshore with just a
light rod, even within Poole’s harbour can produce a vast
amount of fish. Many types of colourful wrasse, gobies,
blennies, scorpion fish, bass, mackerel, plaice, flounders,
sole, eels, bream, garfish, gurnards and pollack to name
just a few are all gathered locally to make any day a fun
and memorable one.
October is known as the change over month when
we expect to see many of our summer fish leave local
waters and be replaced by winter cod and shoals of
whiting. When the change happens varies from year to
year but recent years have seen the summer species
hang on for longer. This has in affect lengthened our
season and it is not unusual to be still catching mackerel
and bream while trying to temp a winter cod. 2011 saw
many boats still catching a huge variety of fish right
through October. In the harbour, flounders begin to be
the main target fish with catches now set to improve
right through to January. Bass fishing within Poole’s
harbour entrance and its approaches is now at its best.
November and December can be hard fishing.
The Poole Harbour Guide ~ 2013
The weather is often challenging and anglers must be
equipped and prepared for the cold temperatures and
sometimes fresh winds. Putting up with the harsh winter
conditions does bring its rewards though. Large winter
cod are most anglers target out in Poole Bay with fish
over 20lb quite common. Larger fish are also reported
and several in excess of 30lb are caught each year. The
biggest on record was a massive 43lb and half an once
caught by local angler Tony Way in 2002. Whiting can
be prolific with vast shoals of these sweet tasting fish
occupying local waters from October through to
January. Winter fishing in recent times doesn’t just mean
sitting it out for that big cod. Congers are common
inshore during the winter, as are rays and even the
occasional big bass.
Angling vessels are not allowed
to drift in the fairways, or to
obstruct other vessels with their
craft or gear in any channel or
fairway (Byelaw 2c and 2d)
Poole & District
Fishermen’s
Association
There has been evidence of fishermen in Poole since
Roman times hence the old oyster bank, which used to
exist at the end of Little Channel, now buried under the
Poole Quay Boat Haven marina.
The Poole and District Fishermen’s Association was
founded just after the 1914 – 18 war. Most of the boats
which fished Poole Bay were beached in the dunes at
Sandbanks. At that time all the trawlers were sailing
vessels working at the mercy of the wind and the tide.
Now, since the 1940’s, with powerful engines they can
operate almost anywhere at all times, hence the decline
of fish stocks. Few trawlers operate out of Poole these
days having been replaced by crab and lobster potters
and set nets which in season catch sole, bass, plaice,
skate etc., and in the summer Poole Canoes ring net for
bass and mullet. Winter sprats are no longer caught, as
there is no market for them. Shellfish, cockles and clams
are dredged at certain times of the year. Other shellfish
are farmed in the harbour. Twenty-acre plots are
licensed and the beds sown with immature mussels and