North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

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chuckaroo
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North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#1 Post by chuckaroo »

People:Friday: me and Darren, Sunday: just me

Duration:Friday: 3pm - 9pm, Sunday: 11am - 8.30pm

Tide:HW early afternoon

Weather:sunny but chilly. fresh cold wind both days

Bait:mackerel, sandeel, rag

Rigs:3 hook flappers. 2 up 1 down

Results:flounder, dab, sea trout and turbot

Report: For the last while now I have been trying to get a turbot from the shore but have failed on each and every attempt, until yesterday. I eventually got one 8) 8) 8) I have been to North West Donegal, the Inishowen Peninsula, to the Whiterocks in Portrush, and now to Ballycastle. And, believe it or not, it was Ballycastle, the place closest to home, that produced.

On Friday I met up with Darren and fished with him from late afternoon into the evening. It was a fine sunny day, but cold, and the fishing was very slow, well, particularly for me anyway. It was Darren who produced the most fish as he managed a few flounder and dab, and he was happy with a nice wee sea trout of about 1lb that fell to a rag bait tipped with mack. I only managed two small flounder the whole session if I recall, things were just not to be and so I had to resign myself to returning on Sunday to increase my efforts.

Sunday came along and Darren met up with me in the morning to provide me with a nice box of fresh rag. So, with fresh rag, frozen sandeels and mackerel, and with it being another fine sunny day, I was all set to go for yet another attempt - I just needed the turbot to turn up as by this stage I was beginning to think that they were something of a myth... :roll:

I put three rods out, all with three hook flappers and all with combinations of different hook sizes, rag, mack and sandeel baits. And, so anyway, to cut a long story short,..... on my first cast.... I caught a turbot :shock: :shock: :shock: :D :lol: :lol: I couldn't believe it! Seriously, i really couldn’t believe it :shock: I had to take a double-take as i watched it come out through the surf (it had gone for a small mack bait). I thought eventually, after all this time and effort, here was a little turbot right here on my doorstep. Happy days.

I was well happy and with the spirits soaring after having been successful on my first cast, I was thinking that with whole day ahead of me then there would surely be more turbot to come... but there wasn’t :cry: :P I stayed in the same place for the next for 4 or 5 hours, only to stop for a bite to eat, and only managed just a few small flounder. I then took advice to try other spots along the beach which i did but having casted out all distances with all rods in all directions, I got not even one bite over the last few hours of the evening...

Alllllll good. Now to get a bigger one on the fly... :wink: :mrgreen:

A few pics below:
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Charlie

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40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod
chuckaroo
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#2 Post by chuckaroo »

few more:
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Charlie

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tomgrey
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#3 Post by tomgrey »

Well done on the turbo, I am after them too and cant seem to get em, good report and pics : )
Species 2012:

Cod, Whiting, flounder, coalfish, bass, pollack, sea trout, poor cod, pouting, dogfish, sea scorpion, 3 bearded rockling, blonde ray, painted ray, turbot.
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dave316
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#4 Post by dave316 »

Well done Chuck, thought you might get one there, congratulations!!!
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DGP123
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#5 Post by DGP123 »

Well done Chuck, I'm glad your effort paid off!!!

I've caught a few at Ballycastle in the past and I've always wondered how big they get to up there?

Great pics too!!!
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Al and Jordan
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#6 Post by Al and Jordan »

HAPPY DAYS! man.
so the turbo quest is finally over. what's the betting the next time you fish waterfoot you'll get another one :lol: :lol: :lol:
great quality pics and report as always man 8)
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#7 Post by weedave »

:lol: :lol: :lol: now theres a happy man!!!!

well down boss, glad to see you getting one.

dave
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fishy1987
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#8 Post by fishy1987 »

:P wicked stuff alltogether you caught your turbot congrats and had a few fish and some sublime pics aswell.
Species 2011 (25) :Cod 80 , Whiting 50 , Coalfish 42 , Sea Scorpion 6(3shortspined/3longspined) , (3b)Rockling 2 , Dogfish 72 , Flounder 32 , Bass 2 , Poor Cod 16 , Dab 16 , Ballen Wrasse 2 , Turbot 1 , Tompot Blenny 3 , Smoothhound 1 , Tub Gurnard 1 , Mackeral 78 , Pollock 10 , Corkwing wrasse 2 , Black Goby 5 , Pouting 4 , Cuckoo Wrasse 1 , Ling 1 , Conger eel 6 , Silver eel 1 , ( Year End 31st October )
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#9 Post by crazyfish1983 »

Good days sport. Always good to get your targets. well done
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#10 Post by polaris »

good going chuck well worth the wait,,,,,,nice fishing
2010 species----flounder,dab,whiting,doggies,coalfish,pollock,siver eel,sea trout,bass,ballen wrasse, thornback ray,mackerel,pouting,red gurnard,grey gurnard,conger eel,launce,mullet,ling,cod,tub gurnard,octopus,bull huss,3 bearded rockling,poor cod
2011 species----turbot,seatrout,flounder,whiting,coalfish,L s doggies,3 beard r
rockling,mackeral,thornback ray,pollock,ballan wrasse,

2012 species---flounder,coalfish,ballan wrasse,cuckoo wrasse,conger eel,,Ls dogfish,,Turbot,bull huss ,
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#11 Post by Monty156a »

Great fishing Chuck and cracking pictures, love those sunsets.

Monty
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the-ghost
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#12 Post by the-ghost »

well done on your quest for a turbo. in the next couple of months you will find them bigger and more plentiful..
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#13 Post by Sweetwrasse »

Well done Chuckaroo 8) :D Good to get one after all your effort. Lovely photos too!
It ain't easy but it sure is simple!
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#14 Post by fagan »

jump for joy chuck, u got 1. :D :D great result mate all the effort has payed off. :D

hope i get 1 now.

well done!!!
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SPIECIES LIST(2013):: SEA TROUT, (1st) BASS, SPECIMEN PLAICE (3lb), DAB, LSD, FLOUNDER, SHORE ROCKLING, COALLIE, POLLOCK, STARFISH, PAINTED RAY, BULL HUSS, THORNBACK RAY, 1st LURE CAUGHT BASS. 3 BEARDED ROCKLING.


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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#15 Post by FisherKing »

Well done chuck nice wee Turbot 8) & a new species for the list.
Cheers Brian
Species 2017: Flounder, Turbot, Coalfish,
chuckaroo
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Re: North Coast Turbot. Ballycastle Fri 27th and Sun 29th April

#16 Post by chuckaroo »

tomgrey wrote:Well done on the turbo, I am after them too and cant seem to get em, good report and pics : )
cheers tom, the persistence paid off eventually. class species of fish i reckon. keep at it mate
dave316 wrote:Well done Chuck, thought you might get one there, congratulations!!!
cheers dave. indeed, probably good a place as any to target them.. :mrgreen:
DGP123 wrote:Well done Chuck, I'm glad your effort paid off!!!

I've caught a few at Ballycastle in the past and I've always wondered how big they get to up there?

Great pics too!!!
was pretty chuffed man, thanks. well, all i can tell you is that there were a few caught a couple of weeks ago form the beach and they were considered keepers i.e. they were kept for the pan. heard they they were a pound or two in weight so that sounds promising..
darren talked about how his dad reminisced of the "dustbin-lid" turbot that apparently used to be caught off that beach regularly maybe 30 or 40 yearns ago, they were commonplace. not the case now of course unfortunately :cry: :roll: would say you'd be doing well getting one at a pound or two mate?
Al and Jordan wrote:HAPPY DAYS! man.
so the turbo quest is finally over. what's the betting the next time you fish waterfoot you'll get another one :lol: :lol: :lol:
great quality pics and report as always man 8)
cheers Al. aye, i'll probably get a couple at waterfoot alright :lol: hopefully they will be huge! :wink: :mrgreen: :lol:
weedave wrote::lol: :lol: :lol: now theres a happy man!!!!

well down boss, glad to see you getting one.

dave
cheers dave. happy man indeed :mrgreen:
fishy1987 wrote::P wicked stuff alltogether you caught your turbot congrats and had a few fish and some sublime pics aswell.
thanks fishy.
crazyfish1983 wrote:Good days sport. Always good to get your targets. well done
cheers crazyfish. a good days sport and a good days weather.. 8) cant complain :D
polaris wrote:good going chuck well worth the wait,,,,,,nice fishing
thanks polaris. now to get a bigger one.. :shock: :wink:
Monty156a wrote:Great fishing Chuck and cracking pictures, love those sunsets.

Monty
thanks Monty. was a fine evening indeed, pretty special sunsets over the bay, had to take a few pics :wink:
the-ghost wrote:well done on your quest for a turbo. in the next couple of months you will find them bigger and more plentiful..
thanks ghosty. hey, if i find them more plentiful and bigger then i'll be well happy. hope your right
Sweetwrasse wrote:Well done Chuckaroo 8) :D Good to get one after all your effort. Lovely photos too!
cheers Sweetwrasse. thanks
fagan wrote:jump for joy chuck, u got 1. :D :D great result mate all the effort has payed off. :D

hope i get 1 now.

well done!!!
thanks fagy :mrgreen: good luck on getting yourself one mate, hopefully they will start turning up more regularly now..
FisherKing wrote:Well done chuck nice wee Turbot 8) & a new species for the list.
indeed Fisherking. cheers!
Charlie

2025 targets:
40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod

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