Bass festival sessions, Wexford & Waterford, July 2012

[RockHunter]

Hiya lads id say there was alot more than 250 fish caught

You are probably correct - I didn't bother entering the single fish I caught.

I think the water temperature has a lot to do with the lack of bass catches on lures. The temperature is much lower that it should be for this time of year on the south coast. On Saturday while fishing the festival in a bay with a number of areas of shallow water I could see plenty of bass in close but they were not taking lures and were quite lethargic. I had a couple slowly follow a Feed Shallow but they made no attempt to strike it like they would usually do. Another slowly swam around a waveworm but showed no interest in taking it.

Pollock have also been absent. Normally they become a pest in the evenings at this time of the year at certain marks I fish.

However, a possible sign of an improvement - I was fishing yeaterday evening, got a 61 cm bass and lost another due to the line snapping against a jagged rock as a decent size bass dived with my lure (fortunately just a waveworm). Close to dusk the pollock appeared, first time this year I have seen them there in any number. So maybe its getting back to normal!!!

[Eoghan]

Hi John, the marks we fish are quite a distance from any estuaries. It helps too that we have never seen another angler fish them. Its my personal belief that its the water temp and estuaries will be a big factor with these, but who really knows. Kerry is one of those counties that bass seem to be about all year long in good numbers and doesnt seem to be affected as much as Waterford/Wexford. It also seems to be posted on very infrequently as its not as easy to get to as Wexford for most people.
My brother in law is down there this week and I will have a good idea of how its fishing.

[luanaigh]

lads...my buddy had seven fish he didn't enter due to size...

ok heres another problem i see with bass numbers..

I caught some l@ngers spear fishing one of my marks...

Guy on his own sitting in his red rib gutting six bass...then i confronted him (he said they were pollock...i started laughing..he got some fright as i was only fifty yards from him down a cliff mark)..he then motored off straight away, around the corner (another great mark) where he picked up his buddy then on again and picked up another..
i followed them to a local harbour where i got the reg and reported them...they had three fish boxes but i didn't want them to see my car as its often parked up on quite roads so i didn't go down to look.
these guys were in bunmahon the next day...silver merc vito van (kite surfing lessons on the side and on the front)--they're from dungarvan
all i can say is greedy wankers...
those marks haven't fished well at all this year..
watch out for them on calm clear days...they could ruin your marks too...
I'm sure some people know them on here...i found out who they were...i'll meet them again..and I'll be ready

[Tom H]

luanaigh thanks for posting that. as we all know that sort off thing. be it spearfishing netting or so called anglers is going on every day of the week. all we can do as you did iskeep reporting them.

[John D]

That's an interesting perspective luanaigh! I didn't think spear fishermen could have that much of an impact but if even half of them fish in the way the lads you saw do then they certainly could have a severely negative effect on stocks!



Thanks for the info.

John D.

[John D]

As exactly Tom H - well said!

It might get tiring, monotonous or frustrating even - especially when it appears as though nothing is being done to stop people carrying out these actions.

However may I please urge you all to continue to make the reports?!

Yours hopefully,
John D.

[luanaigh]

the balliffs are useless..simple as that...different story with they're precious salmon...
They have to catch these guys with they're pants around they're ankles which they won't...you might see the balliffs out the coast a few days later.Too bloody late.
We are broke, that will be the balliffs excuse...the spear fishermen are broke too so they gotta sell the bass along with the nets men...
I'm sick of it
so the couple of hundred quid i spent on bass fishing gear this year was like throwing in the sea

[Donnyboy1]

the balliffs are useless..simple as that...different story with they're precious salmon...
They have to catch these guys with they're pants around they're ankles which they won't...you might see the balliffs out the coast a few days later.Too bloody late.
We are broke, that will be the balliffs excuse...the spear fishermen are broke too so they gotta sell the Bass along with the nets men...
I'm sick of it
so the couple of hundred quid i spent on Bass fishing gear this year was like throwing in the sea

Did you see if the other lads brought bass onto the boat also?
Its possibly a long shot but there is an odd chance that they had their 2 bass each limit?

In either case, I'll pass on what you said to the newly formed spearfishing body http://spearfishingireland.ie/ , this is exactly the reason why it was set up to monitor this kind of crap as this gives all spear fishermen a bad name!

By the way, its illegal to sell speared fish in the EU. With netted bass, a restaurant might take a chance as its hard to prove anything, but with bass that have spear holes in them, it’s a lot more risky.

My guess would be that these numpties think cos they gut and fillet them offshore they will not be caught.
If you want to PM me some more details feel free.

[Mark]

Hi,
I have to agree with luanaigh (how you doing barra) . We come over every year to fish in your beautiful country where the bass fishing is so much better than ours. My observations are that it's getting harder and harder each year. I see more and more evidence of illegal fishing every time we come over and it's reported,but the information seems to fall on deaf ears.
You have done a great job in the past managing your bass fishery and thats why it's the best in Europe but lads your letting it slip,all that hard work is going to be in vain if you let these people carry on illegally fishing.

We went to Wexford 3 years ago and had 4 fish between us all week. Stood on fethard pier a local man explained that they had been netting the bay for 2 weeks constantly. It's a joke and it's got to stop. The fisheries protection officers are either on the take or there just not doing the job there getting paid for.


Mark.

[luanaigh]

John..sorry for highjackking your post...

Guys like Mark(hows it going dude) and his friends are vitally important to us all.They come over every year to see our bass fishing and spend alot of money in the locality..ie tackle shops...B&B's..Pubs etc...

The tourism angle is the only way to protect the bass from our commercials..and also if Bass fishing tourism is seen as revenue earner than maybe the powers that be will take our reports of netting and illegal fishing seriously..
The authorities act very fast when reports of salmon poaching are going on due to the fact that alot of companies make alot of money though angling spin off businesses..
I wish they would see Bass in the same light.

I hope, Mark you and your friends will continue to enjoy the bass fishing over here..and I hope we all will