South East I was NOT expecting that PB!!

[Stormtrooper]

Hi all. I’ve not posted here for ages!! I apologise, it’s for no other reason than being lazy and forgetful if I’m honest but this tale needs telling!!
So, I headed out on Saturday night as I always do and although the tide was good for N.Kent, the biting NE wind put me off. So, I headed south to a mark I’d fished earlier in the week. I was looking for rays and although I didn’t have one on that session, I was catching whiting and dogs so figured there was at least life there.
I got set up and it wasn’t too long before I was getting a few nods. My first retrieves resulted in a good size whiting and a dogfish. Blank beaten, so now to be hopeful for something better.
The next hour or so of the flood was fairly quiet with just another dog to show for it. I’d not long returned it and re-baited the rod. As I picked it up to go and cast, the other rod viciously slammed down 3 times. I waited a moment as the bite was definitely a curious one.
I stood poised but still holding the other rod, debating whether to go and cast or to focus on the bite. It hadn’t moved again.
Then there was a subtle twitch which was enough to persuade me to leave the cast for the moment and I put the rod down in the rest, swapping it for the other. As I stood holding it, I could feel something on it but it still felt odd. Suddenly there were a few good pulls and I lifted in, the rod immediately bent over and fish on!!!!
I couldn’t work it out though, it was pulling at times like a hound or a big bass but at other times it was just stopping me dead like a ray. I’ve only caught thornbacks before and have heard blondes fight harder, could it be? Still unconvinced it was even a ray, I continued to play the fish in for what felt like a lifetime and as it got towards the surf, it went ballistic, swimming along the shoreline, eventually I caught my first sight of the fish and was amazed to see an absolute tree-trunk of a conger in the surf!!
I managed to get hold of my line just above the trace and started to drag the fish out of the surf. Then to my horror, it came unhooked!! I scrabbled around in the water trying to grab the impossibly slippery beast and couldn’t get hold of it. A massive wave washed over us both and I was gutted, assuming I’d lost it. As the wave washed back though, it was still at my feet!!! The scrabbling ensued again and the same thing happened! This time though I was able to push the fish out of the breakers using my feet as much as my hands and finally made the capture!! I was knackered and dragged it back up to my tripod.
Once I calmed down I got it on my scales and was made up when it tipped off at 14lbs on the nose!! Not massive by conger standards I know but a fine specimen from any Kent beach to be sure and smashed my previous 5lbs 9oz pb.
I couldn’t manage to get any great pics as congers are quite difficult to handle and I didn’t want to keep it out of the water longer than necessary but I took a few and a brief video. I couldn’t believe what was in front of me. It spat out a small pouting too!!
The rest of the evening was a dog fest but I didn’t mind, a new pb always brightens the mood!!

 

[Stormtrooper]

 

[RaM]

Great report Bud and well done on the PB, Tis good to see you back here..

 

[Stormtrooper]

Great report Bud and well done on the PB, Tis good to see you back here..

Thanks mate…. Gotten a little ad-ridden hasn’t it!!

 

[chesilpete]

Thanks mate…. Gotten a little ad-ridden hasn’t it!!

A PB in March.... nice kick off for the year.

 

[Stormtrooper]

A PB in March.... nice kick off for the year.

2nd pb of the year! I had a 9lbs 6oz spur dog in Scotland a couple of weeks back!!

 

[SirGunner]

Hi all. I’ve not posted here for ages!! I apologise, it’s for no other reason than being lazy and forgetful if I’m honest but this tale needs telling!!
So, I headed out on Saturday night as I always do and although the tide was good for N.Kent, the biting NE wind put me off. So, I headed south to a mark I’d fished earlier in the week. I was looking for rays and although I didn’t have one on that session, I was catching whiting and dogs so figured there was at least life there.
I got set up and it wasn’t too long before I was getting a few nods. My first retrieves resulted in a good size whiting and a dogfish. Blank beaten, so now to be hopeful for something better.
The next hour or so of the flood was fairly quiet with just another dog to show for it. I’d not long returned it and re-baited the rod. As I picked it up to go and cast, the other rod viciously slammed down 3 times. I waited a moment as the bite was definitely a curious one.
I stood poised but still holding the other rod, debating whether to go and cast or to focus on the bite. It hadn’t moved again.
Then there was a subtle twitch which was enough to persuade me to leave the cast for the moment and I put the rod down in the rest, swapping it for the other. As I stood holding it, I could feel something on it but it still felt odd. Suddenly there were a few good pulls and I lifted in, the rod immediately bent over and fish on!!!!
I couldn’t work it out though, it was pulling at times like a hound or a big bass but at other times it was just stopping me dead like a ray. I’ve only caught thornbacks before and have heard blondes fight harder, could it be? Still unconvinced it was even a ray, I continued to play the fish in for what felt like a lifetime and as it got towards the surf, it went ballistic, swimming along the shoreline, eventually I caught my first sight of the fish and was amazed to see an absolute tree-trunk of a conger in the surf!!
I managed to get hold of my line just above the trace and started to drag the fish out of the surf. Then to my horror, it came unhooked!! I scrabbled around in the water trying to grab the impossibly slippery beast and couldn’t get hold of it. A massive wave washed over us both and I was gutted, assuming I’d lost it. As the wave washed back though, it was still at my feet!!! The scrabbling ensued again and the same thing happened! This time though I was able to push the fish out of the breakers using my feet as much as my hands and finally made the capture!! I was knackered and dragged it back up to my tripod.
Once I calmed down I got it on my scales and was made up when it tipped off at 14lbs on the nose!! Not massive by conger standards I know but a fine specimen from any Kent beach to be sure and smashed my previous 5lbs 9oz pb.
I couldn’t manage to get any great pics as congers are quite difficult to handle and I didn’t want to keep it out of the water longer than necessary but I took a few and a brief video. I couldn’t believe what was in front of me. It spat out a small pouting too!!
The rest of the evening was a dog fest but I didn’t mind, a new pb always brightens the mood!! View attachment 81402View attachment 81403View attachment 81404View attachment 81405View attachment 81406

Cracking fish that mate! Congrats on the new pb I went out myself to Eastbourne this Saturday night on the hunt for a Ray but only managed 12 Whiting. Would have been well chuffed with a Conger like yours

 

[chesilpete]

Well.... that's a cracker too.
Interesting these odd decent fish.
I have only ever caught two spurs, one from the boat which was 10lb in March when they should have been no where near the South Coast.
And another double from the beach (no scales) in October cod fishing.
I have been to Clovelly a few times trying for them but never had one when targeting them.
That eel is decent given the context of how and when you caught it.
If you target them down here on Chesil even then 10lb is quite easy but bigger than that is a lot harder.
For me it's all about the context and the skill involved and how rare it is to get that particular fish.
For example a big old skate is going to come from Chesil at some point..... in the same week no doubt 20 bigger ones will come from Scotland.
But the bloke Cod fishing on chesil is going to be the one that has to work out how he's gonna land it.
Anyway top bombing dude ..... here's hoping for more PBs.

 

[Stormtrooper]

Well.... that's a cracker too.
Interesting these odd decent fish.
I have only ever caught two spurs, one from the boat which was 10lb in March when they should have been no where near the South Coast.
And another double from the beach (no scales) in October cod fishing.
I have been to Clovelly a few times trying for them but never had one when targeting them.
That eel is decent given the context of how and when you caught it.
If you target them down here on Chesil even then 10lb is quite easy but bigger than that is a lot harder.
For me it's all about the context and the skill involved and how rare it is to get that particular fish.
For example a big old skate is going to come from Chesil at some point..... in the same week no doubt 20 bigger ones will come from Scotland.
But the bloke Cod fishing on chesil is going to be the one that has to work out how he's gonna land it.
Anyway top bombing dude ..... here's hoping for more PBs.

I lost 3 common skate in Scotland. One of them I had on for 3hrs and lost it on a ledge at my feet!!
You’re absolutely right about context though, if this conger was caught at Chesil or Devon somewhere, it’d still be a nice fish but not anywhere near the same calibre as catching it from the south Kent coastline. I’m sure someone will tell me they regularly get bigger ones from somewhere here but fish of this size are not often reported from the shore.
That spur was my first ever, I had another at 6.7lbs later that day though.

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Well done on all the PB's

Btw, you can turn the adds off

 

[Stormtrooper]

Well done on all the PB's

Btw, you can turn the adds off

So you can!! Awesome!!
Thanks btw.

 

[Gold’nOldie]

Well done on your two pb’s, always good to get a surprise of that nature.

 

[Mr Fish]

Well done mate!

 

[Squiditch]

Hi all. I’ve not posted here for ages!! I apologise, it’s for no other reason than being lazy and forgetful if I’m honest but this tale needs telling!!
So, I headed out on Saturday night as I always do and although the tide was good for N.Kent, the biting NE wind put me off. So, I headed south to a mark I’d fished earlier in the week. I was looking for rays and although I didn’t have one on that session, I was catching whiting and dogs so figured there was at least life there.
I got set up and it wasn’t too long before I was getting a few nods. My first retrieves resulted in a good size whiting and a dogfish. Blank beaten, so now to be hopeful for something better.
The next hour or so of the flood was fairly quiet with just another dog to show for it. I’d not long returned it and re-baited the rod. As I picked it up to go and cast, the other rod viciously slammed down 3 times. I waited a moment as the bite was definitely a curious one.
I stood poised but still holding the other rod, debating whether to go and cast or to focus on the bite. It hadn’t moved again.
Then there was a subtle twitch which was enough to persuade me to leave the cast for the moment and I put the rod down in the rest, swapping it for the other. As I stood holding it, I could feel something on it but it still felt odd. Suddenly there were a few good pulls and I lifted in, the rod immediately bent over and fish on!!!!
I couldn’t work it out though, it was pulling at times like a hound or a big bass but at other times it was just stopping me dead like a ray. I’ve only caught thornbacks before and have heard blondes fight harder, could it be? Still unconvinced it was even a ray, I continued to play the fish in for what felt like a lifetime and as it got towards the surf, it went ballistic, swimming along the shoreline, eventually I caught my first sight of the fish and was amazed to see an absolute tree-trunk of a conger in the surf!!
I managed to get hold of my line just above the trace and started to drag the fish out of the surf. Then to my horror, it came unhooked!! I scrabbled around in the water trying to grab the impossibly slippery beast and couldn’t get hold of it. A massive wave washed over us both and I was gutted, assuming I’d lost it. As the wave washed back though, it was still at my feet!!! The scrabbling ensued again and the same thing happened! This time though I was able to push the fish out of the breakers using my feet as much as my hands and finally made the capture!! I was knackered and dragged it back up to my tripod.
Once I calmed down I got it on my scales and was made up when it tipped off at 14lbs on the nose!! Not massive by conger standards I know but a fine specimen from any Kent beach to be sure and smashed my previous 5lbs 9oz pb.
I couldn’t manage to get any great pics as congers are quite difficult to handle and I didn’t want to keep it out of the water longer than necessary but I took a few and a brief video. I couldn’t believe what was in front of me. It spat out a small pouting too!!
The rest of the evening was a dog fest but I didn’t mind, a new pb always brightens the mood!! View attachment 81402View attachment 81403View attachment 81404View attachment 81405View attachment 81406

Great report and well done on the conger

 

[Trampster]

Fabulous report & photos Stormzy - well done on the PB's!

As Shirls said, you can turn the Ads off, but I never get any anyway as running Adblockers on the Laptop. Some sites are impossible to use without them.

 

[chesilpete]

I lost 3 common skate in Scotland. One of them I had on for 3hrs and lost it on a ledge at my feet!!
You’re absolutely right about context though, if this conger was caught at Chesil or Devon somewhere, it’d still be a nice fish but not anywhere near the same calibre as catching it from the south Kent coastline. I’m sure someone will tell me they regularly get bigger ones from somewhere here but fish of this size are not often reported from the shore.
That spur was my first ever, I had another at 6.7lbs later that day though.

There's a lady angler who gets whopping eels of bognor pier but she def targets them.
So not quite the same as getting one up the shingle when you don't expect it.

 

[Bass&Chips]

Thanks for a great report. Hopefully these bleak months are coming to an end now. Congratulations on your 2nd pb in 2025.