Duration: Various
Tide:
Weather: Thursday 8th: Calm, clear, warm evening; Saturday 10th: Sunny, Southwesterly breeze; Sunday 11th: Sunny, light northeasterly breeze
Bait: Lures
Rigs: Xlayers, Hazdongs, Patchinko, Asturie, Feed Shallow
Results:
Thursday 8th: 15 pollock
Saturday 10th: Me - Blank; Fish - almost 1 human
Sunday 11th: 2 bass
Report:
Thursday 8th: I headed out to a local mark for a short session in the evening after finishing work hoping for a couple of bass to bring my total for 2009 to 100. I got there about 6.45 pm and fished into darkness. On about the third cast I had a pollock just under 40 cm taken on an Xlayer. It was quite for a while after that until dusk and then the pollock really came on the feed. I had two in quick succession on the Xlayer - then shortly after another made off with my lure
I switched to a Hazdong - a bit smaller and looks a bit like a blenny (lots of them in rock pools at this mark). I recently got a packet of them from Padge73 but this was the first opportunity I had to use them. The lure was barely in the water before it was hit by another pollock of about 40 cm. Next cast I had a bigger one of about 44 cm (the biggest of the night). For the next five cast I had a pollock each time, although these were smaller, in the 30-35 cm range. As I was trying to catch a bass I decided to switch back to a surface lure - an Asturie - but if there were any bass there they couldn't get through the pollock - I had 3 more pollock on the Asturie and felt a lot more pollock hitting the lure or coming off before I landed them. I then tried the Xlayer again and the pollock onslaught continued. Most were between 30-35 cm.
I did loose one large pollock - probably a 4 or 5 pounder (I think I caught it on the hazdong), I had it reeled in and it was lying in a shallow gulley but as I bent down to pick the fish up it shook off the hook just as a wave was surging into the gulley and swam off
Saturday 10th: After the strong winds on Friday the conditions were not great for lure fishing. I tried a rock mark in West Waterford recommended by Padge73 but the water was fairly coloured. As low tide was late in the afternoon I decided to have a look at Dungarvan Bay to see what it was like. I got there a little before 4.00 pm. The bay was calm although the water was rather murky. I thought I would have a short session and leave as the tide began to rise as I knew it can be a dangerous place to fish on a rising tide.
I waded out, and there was the occasional splash of a fish close by - bass or mullet?? I chucked a range of lures at them but wasn't getting much interest apart from one follow. Then the activity seemed to increase and time passed quicker than I realized. I looked at my watch and it was almost 6.00 pm - Low tide was probably about 4.45 pm so I reckoned I better head back before I was cut off by the rising tide. I was on the crest of a sand bank but the water was only just above my knees. However, as I began walking back along the sand bank crest it was rapidly becoming deeper - suddenly I realized I was cut off - and I can't swim!!!!!. I began frantically waving at Melissa who was in the car at Ballynagaul - it seemed like 20 minutes before she spotted me (although probably a lot less than that). She ran down to the shore but decided I was too far out for her to swim out to rescue me. I saw her heading back to the car (to phone for help). I knew that the water was rising too fast - it would be well over my head before help would arrive. Soon it was over the waders and shortly after that I was bouncing on one foot to keep my head above water, then pushing down on the fishing rod to keep above water
The only thing for it was to get the waders off. Sometimes I find that hard enough when standing on dry land beside the car never mind while I am under water but I managed to get them off. Melissa had taught me how to float while we were on holidays in Crete earlier in the summer so I put my arms by my side and tilted my head back as far as I could and floated to the surface - getting a life saving breath of air. I got rolled sideways a few times but remained afloat. I must have drifted toward the shore, pushed in by the rising tide as at one stage I lifted my head my feet sank and touched bottom - and it was only shoulder depth
I made my way out - hoping that the sea bed would not drop off - fortunately it got shallower. As I approached the shore I realized that my Asturie lure was caught in jumper, still attached to the line and my rod. I began to pull the line to retrieve my rod. But about 40 m out it snagged on a rock - and the line snapped. Melissa had arrived back down at this stage in a terrible state - far worse than me as I was elated to be alive, and just as I was about to go back out after the rod -she kindly offered to swim out to get it.
The police arrived as she was getting the rod - and shortly afterwards a lifeguard boat from Helvick. Their response was quick but it would not have been quick enough had I not been able to get out of the waders myself and float.
So if i ever fish there again it will be on an ebbing tide. I knew it was dangerous to fish there on a rising tide - but I mistakenly thought that I had enough time to get back before the water got too deep. So hopefully anybody reading this will remember my near death experience and the moral of the tale is DO NOT FISH THE CUNNIGAR SANDBANKS ON A RISING TIDE. Get off there before the tide turns !!!
By the way if anybody finds a pair of waders and a small box of lures (Patchinko, Feed Sallow and Tide Minnow, along with a couple of Xlayers) they are mine !!!
Sunday 11th: Being a second or two from drowning did nothing to put me off the quest for Bass No. 100. I headed to a local mark early afternoon. It was a sunny day with a light northwesterly breeze but the sea was still quite rough with some sizeable swells and the water was highly coloured so it did not look great for lure fishing. But it was a nice day and it was just good to be alive and out in the fresh air. I tried the Asturie first with no success and then switched to a Xlayer. After about half an hour I suddenly felt a strong pull on the line - a fish!! It was putting up a good fight so I knew it had to be a bass - sure enough it was a 53 cm bass
No. 99 for the year I continued using the Xlayers after that but nothing was biting. I then stopped for lunch and just relaxed in the sun for a while. Eventually I got back to fishing. I switched to a hazdong and after a couple of casts, letting the lure drop close to the bottom, I had another strong bite. I was unsure if it was a big pollock or a small bass - as the sun was beginning to drop I thought the pollock might be starting to come in. But when it broke the surface I saw a glint of sliver - a bass
. I carefully played it in so as not to loose it and brought it into a shallow gulley before carefully picking it up. It was only 42 cm but that didn't matter it was bass No. 100. So I was delighted and it was good to get the 100th fish on a lure too.At the beginning of the year I thought I would set myself a target of 50 bass for 2009 - so I have now doubled that
Two years ago when I started fishing such a target seemed impossible. I would never have achieved that without the knowledge that I have gained from SAI.
, aint worth your life though. was it the first pole sandbank you got stuck on, aint fishing it more than a year myself as a rule (even if theres bluefin tuna in front of you 
