Species comp out of Westport, 6th oct '13

[corbyeire]

A Shore Thing
Presents
24 Hour Species & Specimen Hunt
12PM 5TH -12PM 6TH OCTOBER 2013
Check In From 9am Saturday at A Shore Thing
Entry: €15 Seniors; €5 Juniors.
Entry Fee includes Dinner in The Helm on Sunday afternoon
Prizes for: Most Species, Heaviest Fish (% of specimen wt)
and Highest Combined Points Total
Shore Angling Only - All Fish Weighed & Measured - All Fish
Photographed on Card Supplied at Check-In - Cards to be
Returned to A Shore Thing by 12pm Sunday
For More Details Contact Doug in A Shore Thing - 098 28447

[kieran]

Interesting! I love species hunt competitions. Checking diary now!
You will have to do a lot of miles to win this...

Here's my "must have to not embarrass yourself" list: -

1. doggie
2. flounder
3. mackerel (for bait)
4. pollack
5. coalfish
6. conger
7-10 selection of wrasse

the "must have to feel competitive" list: -

11. thornback ray
12. lesser weaver
13. mullet
14. dab
15. coalfish

followed by the "I'm knackered, pass the red bull"... list: -

16-18. all the gurnards
19 plaice
20 turbot (or brill... let's not go there)
21 bull huss
22 bass
23 scad a.k.a horse mackerel
24 triggerfish
25 spotted ray

and then there's the "you caught a what!" list: -

26 tope
27 skate
28 john dory
29 topknot
30 sole


Anyone gets to 15, that's very respectable.
Anyone gets to 20, you're in the running...

bear in mind that small boat competitions are typically won in the 23-25 species range.
Just gives you an idea of what's available...

[Bradan]

Interesting! I love species hunt competitions. Checking diary now!
You will have to do a lot of miles to win this...

Here's my "must have to not embarrass yourself" list: -

1. doggie
2. flounder
3. mackerel (for bait)
4. pollack
5. coalfish
6. conger
7-10 selection of wrasse

the "must have to feel competitive" list: -

11. thornback ray
12. lesser weaver
13. mullet
14. dab
15. coalfish

followed by the "I'm knackered, pass the red bull"... list: -

16-18. all the gurnards
19 plaice
20 turbot (or brill... let's not go there)
21 bull huss
22 Bass
23 scad a.k.a horse mackerel
24 triggerfish
25 spotted ray

and then there's the "you caught a what!" list: -

26 tope
27 skate
28 john dory
29 topknot
30 sole


Anyone gets to 15, that's very respectable.
Anyone gets to 20, you're in the running...

bear in mind that small boat competitions are typically won in the 23-25 species range.
Just gives you an idea of what's available...

Its shore fishing only though, so some of those species are a bit unrealistic - all the gurnards would be a big ask from the shore, same for John Dory, skate, topknot. Oh, and coalies will only count once!
Add minis to that though and you could rack up a good count...

[kieran]

boats in westport will taxi you to islands - is that allowed?

spotted ray and bull huss can be taken from shore on those islands, fairly easily.
Bull huss easily taken (nothing huge) from shore on north Clew Bay marks.

poor cod
pouting
whiting
greater launce
two species of rockling and the unlikely possibility of a codling from kelp beds

Definitely 35 species to have a go for... before we look at gobies and that s***e

[Bradan]

boats in westport will taxi you to islands - is that allowed?

spotted ray and bull huss can be taken from shore on those islands, fairly easily.
The issue is whether you would be better off somewhere else.

Two marks on Achill where you can pick up all the gurnards from the shore, granted at distance but they are there. And I forgot garfish and greater launce... and maybe a codling from the kelp. (33)

the more I look at this the more I like the odds!

I'm hoping to do this myself too. Going out to the islands wouldn't be a great idea I reckon, you would only pick up a few species and then have to wait for the boat to return, missing time that could be better spent getting to the next mark and bagging more species... you can get huss from some of the inner bay marks without going afloat too. There's going to be lads talking serious strategy on this one til October!

[nige]

Wish I was home for this.

[kieran]

anyone hear how this one went - had to work (Grrrrr!)

[corbyeire]

Won by Shane Gilvarry with 9 species
Wasnt there myself thing around 25 took part

[kieran]

9

That's not bad but very do-able. Congrats to Shane. bet he fished the north side! ;0)