Duration: 18:00-01:00
Tide: HT@ 17:37 5m
Weather: Ckear wind W F4
Bait: Fresh Mackerel
Rigs: Heavy mono and wire Pullys
Results: Tope
Report: Jakes and myself got a call from Mike Curtain to see if we wanted to give
the Tope a go. So plans were hatched Thursdays full moon and big tide seemed to be a good place to start the years Tope fishing. Jakes was busy tying heavy mono rigs during the afternoon while I got 20 fresh mackerel and a bag full of fish heads and carcasses together. We arrived near the mark to find Mikes car already there, and after a good hour or so's walk we reached the spot little bit of weed in the water and the westerly wind was stronger than we would have liked but we could see plenty of birds diving around us and the water would bubble every so often with sprat. We set up and cast out game on.... first couple of casts were trying to find a spot that we could hold our big baits in without being taken by weed and current. We managed to find a couple of snags early on but soon things settled down and apart from dragging back in some weed on the retrieve the tactics were working well. We fished from HT nearly all the way down to low and had nearly admitted defeat... Mike had just broken down his gear i'd sent out a fresh bait and Jakes asked the "what do you ya reckon" question i said i've a fresh one gone out there grand i'll put this one out and we'll call it a day.... the 3 of us were standing there chating away and Jakes rachet fired weed again we thought then it went constant Jakes ran to it picked it up "Jesus Christ" or something to that effect was said
big bend in the rod and line peeling off the spool.... Jakes had gone with a slightly more aerodynamic bait for the last cast a mackerel fillet bound up into a big sausage and cast out about 80yards so he had some ground to make up after the fishes runs... after a good 10-15mins battle we could see the Tope on the surface about 40 yards out its dorsal fin breaking the surface and the moonlight catching it lovely.... i was the only one wearing chesties so in i went and a tailed it..... Hooked beautifully in the corner of the mouth i ran to my box to get my camera batteries low never before have my batteries been low couldn't believe it 
only managed to get one shot out properly but at least we got the shot. We weighed the fish a fine Male of 34lb 8ozs Jakes was over the moon the biggest fish he's caught from the shore and the biggest myself and Mike have seen taken from the sore a new club record for Galway Bay SAC too well done that man 
I brought him back out held him into the current for a few mins and he swam off on the surface for a bit before disappearing back into the depths..... we were all delighted to see such an amazing fish landed and swim off unharmed. Mike had his gear set back up in no time after seeing the big pack male and we all fished on for another couple of hrs with Mike getting a couple of dogs and a dog saving the blank for me..... I had a feeling things were going to go to plan and had brought 3 bottles of Heineken with me after the Tope was released we had a toast to celebrate an amazing catch and what is the start of a few interesting weeks ahead 
. It's my mission to get one this year, I have the spot picked I just needed the inspiration and you've just provided it.
class fishing! great report conor!