Advice on Galway marks

[POC]

Hi Everybody,
I'm a relative novice looking for a bit of advice about Galway marks. I will be in Galway next week end and I'm hoping to soak a line for a few hours. Its a family break so I wont be able to disappear for too long though! I would really appreciate any advice which might point me in the right direction re location, best times to fish, best baits etc which will give me more actual fishing time. I will be based in Galway city so I could manage an hours drive or so to get to a spot.
All advice greatly appreciated.
Cheers
P

[corbyeire]

if you want a handy spot not too far from the city head out to spiddal pier - 20mins depending on where your based in the city

your bound to get a few whitefish

silverstrand can be hit or miss for a few flatties - again only out the road to spiddal 10mins

after that your talking connemara and more directions

[corbyeire]

High Tide is about 16.30 on saturday - so 2 hours up and down from that should see you right

[saltydog]

Howdy welcome to the site check out this link http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/shor ... ay%203.htm for some marks in close to the city.... The mark at Blackrock was fished yesterday and didn't produce if you chose to fish one of the mark close to town i'd try the slipway across from Kitty O'Sheas pub should produce some fish....tight lines

[POC]

Thanks for all the info guys. Much appreciated. I unfortunately only get to fish a couple of marks on the east coast (Newcastle/Kilcoole) a few times a year so it's very useful to get this type of information on the where/when/what for new places. Its the week end of the 16th I'll be down there so was trying to work out what time the best tide would be then. I presume the usual type baits work on the marks mentioned?
What would the most suitable type rigs be for those areas? Do I need to be a distance caster to get amongst the fish?
Cheers
P

[saltydog]

On the 16th HT's @ 21:05 height 4.59m 17th @ 21:54 height 4.30m
baits to use fish baits work best mackerel, squid, sandeel. If you can bring some rag with you as it's not available on the west coast and the novelty of it always works for me. Lug is available frozen "wraps" from Duffy's on Mainguard St. Rigs 3 hook flapper in close and a single out far if using two rods. If using one rod vary the distances and rigs. Generally speaking you don't need big distances at most of the marks listed simple overhead will do fine. The mark at Blackrock / Upper Salthill (to the right of the diving platform) fishes well over low tide the mark at Kitty O'Sheas better over high... but there are fish there at all stages. Silverstrand / Barna best fished on the incoming tide casting no more than a gentle lob with strips of mack and worm baits.

[POC]

Thanks again. That's great info. I'm not sure I'll get to fish the evening high tides but I'll certainly give the marks suggested a good bash. Do any of them fish well on a morning high tide by any chance?
Cheers
P

[saltydog]

Yep morning tides are fine Sat morning HT @ 08:37 height 4.94m Sun morning HT @ 10:15 height 4.21m ..... You'll still get fish over the low except at Silverstrand / Barna that one's only worthwhile on an incoming.... worm baits tipped with squid or mack should see you into a few fish.... tight lines

[The Austrian]

make sure to bring a flotation suit and an anchor, SSW winds are forecast topping 16 m/s on Sunday but al least it's promised mild with around 11° C
Monday should be fine though, isn't this typical?

[saltydog]

Howdy on Saturday day time wind forecast W 30kmph with rain showers. On Sunday daytime wind forecast WNW 48kmph with rain showers. Checkout the following sites closer to the time as the long range forecasts can be way out. www.accuweather.com/ukie www.magicseaweed.com they are usually pretty accurate.

[POC]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll have everything sorted but the weather! Was out for a while this morning on one of my very infrequent visits to Newcastle beach and unsurprisingly drew a blank. Would have needed the anchor today to keep things bedded in!

[POC]

Saltydog, The Austrian, Corbyeire or anybody else doing a bit of fishing in the west! I'm just checking before I start sorting out my gear and buying bait etc if anybody has any info on the prospect of being able to do a bit of shore fishing Sat morning. I checked the accuweather website and it looks like theres going to be pretty poor weather conditions for most of the week end. I only want to cancel the session as a last resort so I'm wondering if the same spots mentioned might produce some fish in such poor conditions or if there are some spots that might provide some shelter from the big gusts predicted? Or should I just put it down to bad luck/bad timing and stay in the scratcher?!
All advice, tips and help greatly appreciated!
Cheers
POC

[corbyeire]

honestly saturday is looking well bad - the gusts of 105km/hr on accuweather would have me leaving it to be honest

even if you have the wind at your back its going to be a chore baiting up etc.

sunday is supposed to be better could be the better option - still raining and windy but not as gusty!

[The Austrian]

solunar times for January 09 - big thx to cortaz providing these

7th. carp
8th. poor
9th. fair
10th. good.
11th. good+ full moon.
12th.v. good
13th. good+
14th. good
15th. fair/good
16th. fair
17th poor
18th. fair .last quarter. .
19th.poor
20th.poor
21th.poor
22th. fair
23th. good.
24th. good+
25th. v. good
26th. most excellent new moon.
27th v.good
28th.good
29th. fair/good
30th. carp
31th.carp

Apart from the rather nasty weather forecast for the weekend, the solunar predictions are not in favour of a decent day out either, speaking for myself, I stay in and sort out my tackle and make a few rigs etc., surely there is another weekend but having said that you can only catch fish if you go fishing and one never knows, that's the charme of the game
Anyway, if you should decide to go out make sure you are well wrapped up, there isn't a lot of shelter on the above locations available, maybe some of the local anglers is in the position to give you better advise on that, I only go there occasionally, but "Tight Lines", nonetheless

[corbyeire]

austrian - we gave those locations as they are near to town - with the SW winds - the other side of the bay would probably be better - or some other sheltered spots in connemara

but for bad fishing its probably now worth the extra effort to go south or further west

[The Austrian]

the other side of the bay would probably be better - or some other sheltered spots in connemara

you most definitely have a point there corbyeire, I personally just would not take the risk with the weather and fishing conditions forecast for this weekend as you have rightly said

but for bad fishing its probably now worth the extra effort to go south or further west

[POC]

Thanks guys. Im staying in a hotel in Salthill so if the weather doesnt look as bad as predicted I might take a chance for an hr or 2. Or else I might just use this week end to build up a few brownie points instead so I can free up a few other week ends when the weather will hopefully be kinder!
If I do brave it I'll let you all know how I get on.
Cheers
POC

[saltydog]

Howdy i'd definatley leave it till Sunday going the current forecasts. If you do decide to give it ago for a couple of hrs and don't feel like travelling too far Spiddal Pier like corbyeire mentioned earlier would give you some shelter. If the swell is too strong straight out off the end of the pier try dropping a line out to the left just inside the pier wall.... last time I fished it with vinycorrigan thats where the fish were sheltering small baits.... tight lines

[The Austrian]

Just in case you missed it, you can read more here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19512 for the weather conditions forecast for the weekend on the west coast. A definitive no go for me anyway.

[POC]

Hi Guys,
Just a quick note to say thanks for all the advice but the forecast unfortunately proved very accurate for the week end. I woke with intentions of travelling Sat morning but wasn't brave enough to face the elements. Thanks for the advice I'm sure I'll put it to good use at some stage in the near future!
One other quick question I have is whether the the solunar times listed by The Austrian are good for all around the country or just west coast?
Thanks
P