[Kev Danby]

Any one know if there are many macks about I'm wanting a few to smoke. Tactics will be beachcaster and feathers accompanied by the fly rod.

[Jim Eddie]

Kev

I belive there are some to be had off the breakwater at Peterhead, they were late in arriving this year and have not turned up in expected numbers.

 

Jim

[Ross]

There are virtually none going about Peterhead!

The odd one that is caught, is usually a long way out, on the ground! If you fancy a trek, Portknockie and Portsoy have HEAAAPPPS! Water was fizzing with them the other day 

[Kev Danby]

Cheers Portsoy is about the same as Phead for me as i lve in Insch. Out of interest which side of peterhead harbour is accessible to fishing. with work I usually visit the ASCO base nearest the power station.

[Jim Eddie]

Kev

You can take your car right along the break water at ASCO South which is the one nearest to the Power Station.

 

Jim

[Ross]

No Mack? No bother! Just head to a spot close by for some Sea Bass

[Noel Kelly]

No Mack? No bother! Just head to a spot close by for some Sea Bass

Ok you have got my interest, can I come

[Kev Danby]

Are we talking cooling water outlet it does look fishy. Where do you park?

[Ross]

You can park at Boddom Harbour and walk around! or if you can find it, Sandford Lodge! Either way, there's abit of walking and it's 6n2/3s

As for fishing, 8.6 to 10ft rod, 20lb+ pref braid (Some large pieces of kelp come out) and some jelly eels (White seems to be the flavour at the moment) - size, about 9cm do nicely!

Use a float, pref bubble! Or if you have, 2" wide bouncy balls!

Cast out into the flow and let it go for a fair distance, stop and retrieve slow! Best I've had is a 4.2lber, tasted beautiful!

You also get Mullet on the outsides of the flow...depends if you have the patience to course em out..

I'm down there quite abit, so drop me a PM and I'll meet yous

[Paul Rankine]

Ross,
        You can also catch them there (and at other places ) with a fly rod.

Much more fun that way .

Beware though of the numbers of undersized schoolies at this location and don't be tempted to take the wee ones .

I know that the Fisheries Officers are keeping a keen eye on things here , mainly due to the amount of publicity the outfall (and it's catches of undersized fish) has received over the Internet .

Not to mention the commercial rod and line "fishers" you find there. If you get my drift .

No pun intended.

[Ross]

I've fished there many times over the years and I never take anything below 3lbs!

That said, I have been down when our "polish" friends have taken everything and anything! I would have had a word but me vs 3 of them isn't going to solve anything

[Paul Rankine]

Hi Ross,
            Cheers, no slight intended.
Yep, some folks don't seem to realise that power station outlets like PD and Cockenzie (!) are bass nursery areas ,(or maybe they do and ignore the 40cm size limit ?),
like the gill netter .

Paul.

[Rob Brownfield]

The "Leagal" limit for Atlantic Bass in UK waters is 36 cm measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin.(important this, as I have heard of people measuring to the fork of the tail...wrong)....however the NFSA "recommended" minimum size is 41cm measured the same way. Some areas, notably Cornwell and Devon have local bye-laws increasing the legal limit to 37.5cm.

These legal sizes apply to regions 2 and 3 of the European Community waters, these regions cover the entire UK coast from the Shetlands down to Gibralter.

As these fish are such a  slow growing species, especially up here I hope the only taking of Bass from you know where would be the taking of pictures. I know I have no right to tell folk not to take fish of a legal size, but I would urge folk to think twice..we have already almost wiped out the Bass at Peterhead once...would hate to see it happen again.

[Paul Rankine]

Rob,
       Thank you for your supporting comments re-bass conservation.
 
I was under the impression that the UK legal limit  (not locally applied limits) was 40cms from 2007 ?

http://ukbass.com/2006/08/bass-mls-more-comment.html

 Admittedly there does seem to be some conversation on at least one sea angling site   
 regarding this.

Paul.
   

[Rob Brownfield]

Paul,
It seems the same website is not sure as the 36 cm limit came from the same site..lol.. 

"Minimum landing sizes
Any bass landed, ........ taken from the waters surrounding the United Kingdom, must be at least 36cm in length as measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin. ........ Any bass below 36cm must be returned immediately to the sea."

As far as I am concerned, no Bass from NE Scottish waters should be removed as they only come to certain spots (very localised) in this area for spawning/nursery...so we should really be doing all we can to protect them.

I have a horrible feeling that the damage has been done on various websites already and that "word" has got out