LIC Best Specimen Fish 2004: Paul Maxwell's 14 pounds Catch off the Bournemouth coast

G'day LIC

Saturday George and I dived Bournemouth to Mudeford. Vis was generally good with about 20ft viz. We picked up a few Bass. All were in the strong tidal areas. Around 10 we headed off to the Isle of White. Viz was BAAADDD. After hunting around for a while we found a patch of 2m viz water. George did the Lobsters and I cruised the shallows. I saw a few good Bass from the surface but did not manage to land any. Just as we left I managed to forget the fish sack was in the water and cut up the net losing half the fish. Luckily the lobsters and crabs were in the boat or I suspect I would have had mutiny on my hands. Those that know George know how keen he is on his crusteaceans.

That evening we headed up to Shoreham - on - Sea and met up with Steve Batten and Lee Deighton.

Early Sunday morning we headed out to fish the slack off Church Rocks and some of the inshore wrecks. When we got there the tide was still pushing hard but the viz was good at around 25ft. We did drift after drift and landed some nice 5-8 pounders. On one of the last dives when the current picked up I dropped on a rock. On the lee side was a cave about 20cm high. I peered in letting my eyes adjust to the dark. Inside were shoals of pouting but nothing else. So as not to waste my time on a fishless cave I started to push out. As I did so I looked to my left and in a crack I did not see before was a great head silhouetted. He was sitting sideways to me. I put my Rob Allen 70 Tomahawk inside the 1st cave and angled it 90 degrees to the right. Praying it was not one of those shots that one comes back to the boat and says "you should have seen the size of the one I missed",I pulled the trigger.Bam. I had him. Knowing the tide was runing and I would struggle to get him out if I surfaced I stayed and I guided him thrOugh a slot into the 1st cave and had him in my hands. I could feel he was a big one by the Thump as he tried to get free. I called the boat, dropped him off and carried on diving. My next dive down I saw a fish and although I tracked him with my gun could not bring myself the pull the trigger. I knew there were other big ones about. After watching him for 5 seconds I looked about. Around me where 6 or 7 really big fish. I took a shot but misjudged the distance and the spear just punctured it. On return to the boat Lee asked me if I realised how big the fish I had boated was. I checked the box. He was a DONKEY.

After that we did one more wreck, saw some smallish Bream and got a few more Bass.

On arrival back at the shore we weighed the fish on one of our scales. I weighed 15 pounds on the dot. Later knowing it was a possible Club record we found an open fishmonger and weighed it. 14Lb 10 oz or 6.72kg.

PS Sorry Dave

PPS Sorry Colin

For John Penrith (Sporasub Mask, Cressi fins, DeSault Suit, Decathelon gloves, ROB ALLEN Float, ROB ALLEN float line, ROB ALLEN knife, ROB ALLEN stringer, ROB ALLEN weightbelt)