As with previous weeks mackerel are still around in good numbers, particularly from the North Gare, and with continuing warm and settled conditions, look to be staying very late this year. Assuming you are not tired of catching them by now, float fished baits and lures are producing plenty from most of the regions piers, and from some of the deeper beach and rock edge marks, and those anglers bottom fishing after dark are catching mackerel on baits intended for other species.
The river Tyne is producing lots of winning mixed bags in club matches, though sport is a bit slower than previous weeks with few double figure bags reported. Arthur Smeaton won a Tynemouth retired members match with five coalies and two mackerel weighing 8lb 5oz. Kenny Patterson won a Tynemouth Winter League match with three cod, two coalfish and a whiting for a total of 5lb 11oz. Scott Davidson won a Seaton Sluice match in the Tyne with four cod and a coalfish for 5lb 15oz, followed by Kevin Turnbull with seven flounders weighing 4lb 13oz. Cleadon A.C. had another good weigh in for their last match, with most members fishing either the Tyne or South Shields pier. 16 out of the 29 fishing weighed in various mixed bags of cod, whiting, coalfish, flounders, dabs, bass, sole, pollack, and a very rare shore caught ling of 4lb 6oz which won captor Steve Gordon the heaviest fish prize. Steve added a further ten fish to finish with the heaviest bag of 12lb 9oz while fishing from the pier. Runner-up David Carrick fished the Tyne to land six fish totalling 10lb ahead of Steve Elliott whose two fish bag weighing 5lb 10oz also came from the pier. Fourth spot went to Ray Edmonds with 4¾lb from the Tyne.
Rob Lees won a South Shields match with two cod and a coalie weighing 3¾lb, followed by Geordie Cooper with two cod for a total of 2lb 11oz, both were fishing South Shields pier. There are a number of coalfish present this year all along the north east coast and they are starting to feature a lot in competition results. Chris Kell won a Blyth match with six of them weighing 5¾lb, the best weighing 1lb 6oz. taken from Lynemouth, followed by Nigel Howitt with three for 3lb 11oz, also from Lynemouth.
Howick produced some nice cod last midweek when Willy Morton had one of 7¼lb, and Ian Hall one of 6¼lb in an Alnwick club match.
Hartlepool Pirates A.C. fished last week from the local piers and found sizable fish in short supply. P Shields won with a single mackerel, flounder and whiting for 1lb 11oz, Steve Swales had a single pouting of 9oz, and S Shields had a flounder of 5oz. The next match is on Saturday October 15th fishing from 7pm to midnight and the next club meeting is on Thursday October 27th in the Stranton Club at 7.30pm.
The last Seaham A.C. match saw 16 out of 27 anglers land 33 whiting, six flounder, two dogfish, a coalfish and a solitary cod for a total weight of 26.6lb. All the top bags came from the North pier where John Thompson found a dogfish of 2.11lb to take first place. Eddie Talbot finished second with one of 1.76lb and third placed Mick Davison had the cod which weighed 1.01lb. Jim Dobie had the heaviest bag of 10 fish weighing 4.83lb, followed by Dave Stoker with seven totalling 3.80lb.
The Newbiggin Open last Sunday saw some nice bags of cod and wrasse taken in the settled conditions with the rock edges around Beadnell producing most fish. Top rod was Paul Westmoreland who fished Beadnell Point to land four cod and a wrasse for total weight of 17lb 5oz, Ken West had three cod for 13lb 15oz in second place, the bag also included the heaviest fish at 6lb 2oz. Third placed Steve Williams had two cod, two wrasse and a coalie weighing 13¼lb, and John Watson was fourth with four cod weighing in at 11lb 11oz.
The Seaton Sluice Open is on Sunday October 16th with fishing from 10am until 2pm between Amble pier to Tynemouth pier, all rivers and piers excluded except Blyth West pier. Register at the Bank House Club Newbiggin from 8am until 9.30am; weigh in 2pm until 3pm. First prize is £500 plus a full supporting prize table worth £2000. Contact Mick 07974369897 for details.
The Seaham A.C. Open is on Sunday October 23rd fishing from 11am till 4pm between Hendon Groyne (excluded) and Dene Holme pipe at Horden. Seaham North Pier will have 100 pegs available weather permitting. No fishing areas include Hawthorne Point between the markers, the cliffs at Featherbed Rocks, Hendon Groyne and all Seaham dock areas except the North Pier. Basic entry is £10 all classes plus optional heaviest fish and team pools, and a sealed weight draw. One prize per angler for the heaviest fish prizes, with the best fish winning £1000. There are prizes for junior, ladies, and disabled anglers and there is a £3000 prize table. Contact Seaham A.C. 0191-5810321 for details.