Headed out today with 8 lads on board of varying experience, with word of a few tope showing the more regular anglers were after a shot at them meanwhile the beginners were happy to see anything. We went for a mixed bag and started off for mackerel which most people are happy to see. We had a couple of drifts and were lucky enough to have 20 odd mackerel although again they weren’t thick and fast there were enough to make it worth while. We were soon anchored up and the lads got fishing. Some of the lads stayed tackled up for general stuff while others tackled up for tope.   We started off with the usual dogfish and a few more hounds than yesterday.  Then ian had a stonking bite which was either a tope or a big bass. Once it had done a lap (or two) of the boat we knew it was clearly a tope. After a lot of palaver she was finally in the net and a new personnel best 33lb tope for ian. She looked bigger and I would say she hadn’t long pupped but she was gratefully received and many of the lads aboard were pleased just to see such a nice fish. we carried on fishing and had a few more hounds and a few roker. We managed one more small tope along with some scad before we headed home.