Fishing Dunbar - Cod, Pollack and Mackerel in Early Summer 

I'd try the bigger tides in November and December for Sunart - the larger fish tend to be taken around then. I've had some good days from the boat on Sunart off Salen and in Laga Bay - but equally some pretty terrible results, so it's rather hit or miss!

Hi Calum, I was back out again in July and there were loads of mackerel about, although not so hot on the codling front. I haven't seen many ling myself this year, apart from a few small ones - still plenty of time yet though 🙂

Thanks for watching! Just wading through lots of kayak clips at the moment trying to edit the next video 😀

It's been bumped up to £20 this year 🙁

@Corkwing-DougK thank you for your help. Great videos

Hi Eddie, I think all I'd do is show you how not to do it! Mine need quite a lot of rework to tidy things up and get rid of stray wires - once I do that I might be less embarrassed doing a walk round 😳. Sounds like you know what to do anyway - although I'd add tinned wire to the list, to avoid corrosion on connections.

@@Corkwing-DougK thanks. We are coming up near Craobh Haven in June for a few days. Looking forward to it.

Well, since the skipper managed to miss most of the clues, I reckoned it was only fair to give my viewers a decent chance of spotting the action 🙂🙂

It depends 😀😀 Generally you want to be moving, either with a decent bit of tide or a (little) bit of a breeze. Small tides and calm conditions mean you don't cover much ground and the fish are generally not as keen. A swell from the NE can be a pain, as the inshore water can become coloured which tends to reduce catches. I guess my preference would be a mid-range tide and 5-10 mph W/SW breeze.

@@Corkwing-DougK Thanks Doug! Keep up the good work with the videos

Thanks 👍 I was just a little disappointed not to pick up a larger pollack, but the larger tides are generally much better for them.

Cheers - I'd a fine time thanks, and it was my first trip out of Dunbar in ages. I should really try more often as it's my local harbour and the season doesn't last that long!

@@Corkwing-DougK I didn’t realise you were from over that way, I always thought you were closer to the west. Anyway it’s a lovely venue with a stunning harbour and it was where my boat fishing all started as I’m originally from Edinburgh, keep up the great work as I always look forward to your videos👍

Thanks 👍 The next one should show a paddle in one of the few places I don't think you've tried yet 🙂 You've also reminded me that I need to get myself a smoker too, as my other half likes the odd mackerel.

Yes it was - I quite enjoy just picking away on a flat calm day. You don't expect too much so anything decent is a bonus!

Thanks Jovana, there's nothing quite like fishing on a quiet summer's day! Given it's chilly and windy for about 9 months a year around here I really appreciate a little warmth when I'm out on the boat 🙂

Hi, this was just near the end of June - was out again this last weekend and there were loads of mackerel about, plus decent numbers of codling. I generally use XCWeather for forecasts and Magic Seaweed if I need surf conditions. I find middle of the road tides are more reliable, and prefer SW wind. Haar is one of the biggest problems over the summer, and isn't forecast too well, so you can get caught out sometimes. I'm not consistent with an aux engine on shorter trips - sometimes I do, sometimes not. Longer or more exposed trips and I'll usually take one along. In almost 40 years I've only had to use an aux twice - once for a flat battery (I now carry two) and once when a steering cable failed (I could have bodged that one, but I wasn't too far from home). Basically a modern 4 stroke is pretty reliable, and I find it tends to be the smaller ones that have more problems with salt build up or being bounced around in a car, etc.

@@Corkwing-DougK thanks I'm extremely impressed by your ability to go out alone(that's why I've been asking so many questions) I may have to do it myself as others are getting older and not very reliable. If it was up to me I would give you a six part series on TV, you have far too few viewers for the great content

Actually I think I only fish alone on a boat about half the time, as I quite often fish on friend's boats or have them on mine. It's just that it's much easier to play around with cameras when you're alone and not disturbing anyone else's fishing. Most of my shore trips and all my kayaking is solo though. Obviously you need to be comfortable in your own company, but the most common problem going solo with a trailed boat is simply launch/recovery - particularly parking your car and leaving the boat. A good roller trailer that allows you to solo launch onto sand is a huge advantage, and making sure you can anchor or leave the boat whilst you park/fetch your car is a must. If you take Skateraw as an example, I would normally only launch in the middle hours of the tide. At LW the ground gets softer, with a lot of bait digging activity creating holes, whilst HW leaves you on fairly soft sand. I drive a Yeti which has pretty limited 4WD capability so I don't want to take too many chances. Retrieving, I will always try and put boards under the trailer (just kitchen chopping boards will do fine, or even your floor mats from the car). This makes a massive difference by stopping the trailer wheels sinking into the sand - even an inch or two will make towing out more difficult unless you're driving a Tonka truck. Instead of driving straight up the beach I'll try and move diagonally to reduce the gradient a bit until I gain momentum. I often put boards under the car wheels too, especially if they enter the water. With the exception of a man overboard situation, I don't think there is much difference when you're afloat. You can stab yourself with a filleting knife I suppose, but I think that risk is actually higher with someone else onboard. I do carry a locator beacon and leave details of my plans with someone ashore (especially for overnight trips). I'll not say practice makes perfect, but the more you do this sort of thing the easier it becomes and you understand the limitations of your own setup. Even when I have other people with me, I generally handle all the launching and recovery solo - if you have a routine and follow it, than means you're less likely to forget something.

@@Corkwing-DougK great,thanks,going down skateraw maybe 30-31st so I'll maybe try,I have basic sand mats,with a 4wd on hand as well 😊

Just in case you didn't know - the access road has a 2.1m barrier on it. If you can't scrape under that then your next option is Dunbar. With a lightish boat and 4WD you shouldn't have a problem unless there is a decent NE swell running.

Thanks - there were plenty of mackerel around last weekend, with decent numbers of codling too. Most of my winter bait is now sorted🙂

Thanks 👍 I've pretty much got my set up as I want it, at least for now - but I wouldn't underestimate the hassles of trailering. Between dodgy roads and saltwater, both the trailer and the boat have a pretty hard life! You're right about the freedom though, and it's a great feeling watching her slide into the water early on a summer's morning before the world wakes up 😎