Lucky~B Estuary Tope

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mann
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Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#1 Post by mann »

At last I went and got my first ever tope, after telling a chap in Kilkee that I couldn’t find the hole that “Big Kev” told me about some time ago, the chap said I was going there at low tide when I should be there around high water,
He must have sensed how slow I was at taking the directions to the mark he was giving me so he rang to meet up with him the next day, when we met he gave me a log book with all the marks he found over the years and pointed out the 2 tope marks that I was looking for, He then gave me the log to copy other marks along the estuary and west coast, “How nice some people can be”

So off I went yesterday with a renewed sense of anticipation, I got to the mark at high water “I thought to myself I was late again”

Everything I read and heard about tope told me I needed fast water for best results, but here I was on the mark in flat calm water, all I could think of doing was rigging up a sliding lead rig, “4oz lead that ran up the 25ft shock leader”

didn’t feel too confidant, also didn’t want a double hook up while on my own in the boat so just set up one rod and sat back thinking I should have got there an hour before high, after about 5 minutes the rod tip started to quiver as it would on a sensitive beach rod when the crabs attack, so I got to thinking it was a small fish nibbling on the mackerel flapper so I let him have a feed for awhile then pulled it away from what I thought was a little fish… did this about five times before I realised he was getting more aggressive, “I would only pull it about 2 yards away each time thinking any bits this little fella rips off might attract the Tope,”

The last time I pulled it away I felt a nice bit of weight then noting so I let him play with it a little longer, this done the trick he got more confidant and ran about 20yards and I hit into this fine fish that I been wanting for so long, had a couple of nice runs but nothing like what I expected from a fish of this size, in his defence I have to add that it was flat calm so he didn’t have the run of water to help him,

Of all the fish I caught over the years I would say that this one gave me the best Buzz because after 15minutes of fishing I had to make a dash for Carrigaholt before the water dropped at the slip which would have meant waiting for the tide to come in again before I could take my boat home, on the journey back to the slip I found myself singing and yeehaaing at the top of my voice, so to say I was happy would be an understatement :D :D :D :D
First Tope 003 (Small).jpg
First Tope 001 (Small).jpg
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twinkle
SAI Megalodon!
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#2 Post by twinkle »

ooohhh yeahhhh . id be singing too well done on the first of many i hope .now you are loaded with the knowledge there should be no stopping you.
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KERRY1
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#3 Post by KERRY1 »

Congratulations on catching your first Tope - that is a very fine fish indeed. I'm really happy for you. I'm still trying to get my first one 8) When I do I'll be singing just as much as you where.
"Limit your Kill - Don't Kill your Limit" ><O>-><O>-><O>
gerryl
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#4 Post by gerryl »

well done...what a cracker to start with... :shock:
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The Austrian
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#5 Post by The Austrian »

8) pure magic and brilliantly told, big well done to you :)
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jw
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#6 Post by jw »

nice fish mann, looks to be in the mid 30's from the photo.
from what i see as well, high water seems to be the best time
Davebouy
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#7 Post by Davebouy »

Amazing fish and a great report. Well done. :mrgreen:
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andyfish
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#8 Post by andyfish »

well done lovely fish
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mann
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#9 Post by mann »

Many thanks lads,

I seemed to relive the capture while reading all your posts, I did a measurement while out and did a quick calculation when I got back to the van with pencil and paper, maths wouldn’t be my best subject so after multiplying the girth 23.5 then multiplying that be the length 54 inches, Then I devided that by 800 I somehow came up with 29.75lb

After showing my result to a few of the lads they said I should recalculate so we did but this time we used a calculator and it showed I should have stayed on at school a little longer by telling me it worked out at 37.276875lb ,

I read that this way of finding a round fish’s weight is accurate to 3% “but not if I do the sums” needless to say arriving at this new figure has really put me on a downer because now I will have to go out more often to try beat my personal best :roll: Oh man my life is so hard :cry:

Have to say that this fish scared the living daylights out of me when I placed him on the deck, it got a new lease of life and went crazy making me jump up on the seat hoping it would chill out for a picture, it “the fish” got its head under the splash tray and for a moment I thought it would bite threw the fuel line that was under its head to leave me stranded on the Kerry side of the estuary,

The words “up the creek without a paddle” comes to mind when I think about it,

Thanks again for your comments lads, and thanks to JW for giving me the final push I needed by telling about the four Tope they caught last time out,

I really need a bigger boat before I attempt going after the Blues, if this little fella put the wind up me I can only imagine what I would be like with a big blue nipping at my heels :)
hugo
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#10 Post by hugo »

A great result for you there, fine looking fish. :D Last August I just about ran over one that was sunbathing on the surface.... 8)

I'd invest in a spare pair of shoulders before going for the Blues, they're heavy work .....
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mann
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Re: Lucky~B Estuary Tope

#11 Post by mann »

Hugo wrote:A great result for you there, fine looking fish. :D Last August I just about ran over one that was sunbathing on the surface.... 8)

Sound Hugo,

I'd invest in a spare pair of shoulders before going for the Blues, they're heavy work .....
I know what your saying there man but I will be ready for them when the time comes :) It was about 2 years ago that I heard about the Tope on the Estuary and decided to try for one, so it took this long before I found the mark and went and done it, I think the wait made it all the more special so I’m in no real hurry for the blue, but I do feel I need to get one,

I read or heard somewhere that “once you get what you want you wont want it anymore” I find this is true with most things in my life so I learned to chillout till the time was right,

A good friend once said to me if I relaxed a little more I would be in a coma :lol: :lol: :lol:

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