I was over in skerries earlier in the day and noticed the pots were gone at the swimming place,so checked the tides all good for the evening,so hit the spot about 8 and set up ,nice evening flat calm sea,using simple rotten bottem with single match type bendy hook and big rusty bolts,so with the pots gone i was able to cast clear of the worst of the rough stuff ,i only got one decent bite which i struck into and hooked ,it felt ok not huge got it in most of the way,then all went solid,i presumed i hit the rocks ,but when i heard a loud snorting sound afew seconds later i realised id just feed a bloody seal ! ,but on the plus side the mark is fishable again and the rig worked great all i lost was 5 old bolts and blunted 1 hook,i will try again at least i know theres something out there
Well done for trying the spot!! was thinking of heading there soon last time I was there (report up somewhere) the pots were still in place..
I wouldnt quite count it as a blank it sounded to be a good session, hopefully its picks up, the harbour was fishing whitting last time I was there
list 2013 (10) Ballan Wrasse, (17) Smooth Hounds (6lb, 2oz, best so far this year), (47) LSD, (2) shore Rockling, (1) Long spine scorpion, (9) flounder, (8) Dab (2)Bass (3) Mackerel (2) lance (2) Plaice (2) Pollock (1) whiting
I tried the pier for a few minutes before i left,there was a razor boat in so thought id try an get a few broken ones but they had sorted it on the way in,plenty of whiting off the pier but very small ,they are bigger across the bay at north strand,im just waiting for a decent easterly it should improve the fishing a bit,if anyones gonna try i parked at the waterfrount outside the pubs,the carpark is pitch dark and a few scobies were hanging about and others were driving like gobshites around the carpark,its not too far a walk from the pier and you have peace of mind
I was over in skerries earlier in the day and noticed the pots were gone at the swimming place,so checked the tides all good for the evening,so hit the spot about 8 and set up ,nice evening flat calm sea,using simple rotten bottem with single match type bendy hook and big rusty bolts,so with the pots gone i was able to cast clear of the worst of the rough stuff ,i only got one decent bite which i struck into and hooked ,it felt ok not huge got it in most of the way,then all went solid,i presumed i hit the rocks ,but when i heard a loud snorting sound afew seconds later i realised id just feed a bloody seal ! ,but on the plus side the mark is fishable again and the rig worked great all i lost was 5 old bolts and blunted 1 hook,i will try again at least i know theres something out there
Plenty of them around north dublin i remember counting 80 + of them one evening in skerries,there was a big shoal of macks in,but ull always have at least 20 there and 15 in balbriggan,probably more in howth,the eu policys are keeping them well fed
I dont mind the seals, the ones in at present are young Grey male seals, the females are still about on the beaches with the pups getting them ready for their big swim, the Bull has about 4-5 females (cows) and the young males wait in the waters close to shore for their "chance" hence why they are about during the night pretty soon they'll feck off and leave the younger ones to it. major problem about "taking seals out" (a study was done in Scotland on a proactive basis... see a seal and shoot it, it didnt raise the figures of fish being caught... but what they did notice when they destoryed the seals in one area they got plagued with more seals as they opened a new territory..
The up shot about seals and Dolphins... them being Apex predators.. if their about the fish are about... looking at Mornington for a quick example... the sea bed is clean and I haven't seen a seal or porpoise around there in years... but neither are there fish
Another thing is to encourage people to STOP feeding seals as this is the major breakdown of seals not being afraid of people hence coming to damn close to humans, at the end of the day (yes the look like big ol labs) but they are wild animals and need to be treated as such.
So when I see the seals, porpoises, or dolphins out comes the rods
theres a couple of ways to keep a hungry seal busy, one is tieing a small mack to a coke bottle (seals like to dive to rip and swallow fish) as they grab the fish and go down they losin the grip and up pops fishy, they do this repeatedly.
Another one (which is fun) tie a small mack ( No hooks) to a strong rod, cast out beyond the seal and reel fast!! keeping the fish just out of range!! a couple of cast like that and the seal will move off
But heres a question though (normally seals love oily fish mack, herring etc..) has anyone reeled in a whitting with a seal chasing it?
On the other point about the Scobies... your damn right about moving the cars outside the pubs the only downside there is they tend to sit on the cars during the summer months... BUT I've away around that as well, Mud!! Find a big ol mud puddle and go through it then park up the car
list 2013 (10) Ballan Wrasse, (17) Smooth Hounds (6lb, 2oz, best so far this year), (47) LSD, (2) shore Rockling, (1) Long spine scorpion, (9) flounder, (8) Dab (2)Bass (3) Mackerel (2) lance (2) Plaice (2) Pollock (1) whiting
Species 2012 (14) Pollock,Rockling 3 and 5 bearded,Whiting,Coalfish,Sea Scorpion,ling,Flounder,Starry Smoothound.Common Smoothound,Launce,Lsd,Bull Huss,Cod
Species 2011 (21)
Yep lazy ol sH1^s!! the greys always remind me of my auld Lab damn thing would only do something if food was involved other then that just lie there like a big ol rug miss that dog
list 2013 (10) Ballan Wrasse, (17) Smooth Hounds (6lb, 2oz, best so far this year), (47) LSD, (2) shore Rockling, (1) Long spine scorpion, (9) flounder, (8) Dab (2)Bass (3) Mackerel (2) lance (2) Plaice (2) Pollock (1) whiting
,but on the plus side the mark is fishable again and the rig worked great all i lost was 5 old bolts and blunted 1 hook,i will try again at least i know theres something out there
miss that dog