Last two years we've visited Cobh (Bella Vista Hotel) in september, and we've great fishing on blue sharks!
Sharks with lengths over two meters, and up to nine sharks in just three hours fishing. Like I said great fishing (another big thank you for that Kevin!)!!
But now we want to expand our luck to porbeagle or perhaps (when we get very lucky) mako or tresher shark. The more recent catches (mostly Britain) of those species do want us to have our lucky goal.
We're looking for some tips, advice or any (secret) hotspots to improve our chances on those species.
Don't worry about the gear, we've got more than enough sufficient gear
Is there anyone who can help me out?
Thanks a lot in advance!
While ive never caught any of the above, we have been been sharking since 03. Once off baltimore with skipper nick dent, we were sharking and a mate put down a pollock trace and started catching pollock. After a while he was getting his fish back with just heads on..... surgical like cuts.
Nick reckoned it could have been porgie but more likely six-gilled which he has caught before.... see his website for an old pic.
I think if you pick a very deep spot especially near structure and fish on the bottom you may pick something up...... its an outside chance.....but worth a go
I've heard of the better chances in the northern regions, but Donegal is a bit far off... We're planning the trip (again) to Cobh, because we just love it over there... Last two times we had over 20 species.
And did put three species in the title, but anyother species than the blue would be given more than loving welcome!
Some additional information:
We fish for shark in waters around 250 feet deep.
Normally we fish in the top 50 feet of water with the first rod just behind the dubby at 3-5 feet deep, to protect the dubby and have a goal for a cheecky set of teeth. And it's a marvoulous sight to see a blue shark circling your flapper before he/she takes the bait.
Second an third rod are at 15 and 40 feet deep, further from the boat. Those are both fitted with usual balloon
We normally use a flapper of a big mackerel, but I've heard I better use two of them to improve the odds.
So do I need to fish deeper, or are they well catchable in the upper layer of water?
And do I need to fish in deeper water as well?
Would injecting the bait with fish oil (and fish deeper, like up to 150-200 feet) do improve chances?
@ Tangelerat: what is the normal way to fish for porgies near Donegal?
Trawl a wee Pollock as a bait around a reef or a wreck or a headland. I've tried it at Horn Head, and had such an almighty thump that nearly pulled everything overboard. So set your drag right.... Half a 3 lb Pollock came back on-board from that....
Up around here there's dogfish (yeah, it's a shark!), Bull Huss (yeah, also a shark!) Tope, Spurdog, Blues, and Porgies.
Andrew Alsop has been searching for a long time for that mako from his boat. Don't know of any skippers over here doing the same. Why don't you do 2 trips one earlier in the year, maybe July, off the Donegal coast with a real chance of a porgie and then come back to Cobh for the blues in September. You should try a post on www.boat-angling-ireland.com as a few of the guys on there hunt the porgies off Donegal each year and would know more about it than I do. Good luck whatever you decide.
I know it's more like a lucky shot, and I know Andrew invested a lot of time (and even more money) in that mako.
The day before we left Cobh last september, there was also a mako caught. Even if this was a wrongly determined porbeagle, it could offer some opportunities.
Thats why I ask for several shark species, maybe there is a lad around who could tell me some more..
And if you never try...
@Yappo: I don't think my wife approves another fishingtrip, I'm quite lucky she let's me go that often. And we like the variety of Cork harbour too much
@Yappo: I don't think my wife approves another fishingtrip, I'm quite lucky she let's me go that often. And we like the variety of Cork harbour too much
I understand, that's why I moved here this year. Have never heard of porgies being caught down here but then who is putting the time into fishing for them? Good luck with your trip and if I hear anything I will let you know.
yes,as yappo said.have a look at bai,i know alister knows his stuff and mike barrie,they hunt porbegal,pat how are you getting on in cork,where are you liveing,eddie......
Jeroen,
There are porgies in the area. We can see that there were mako around this year too. I think the problem occurs as soon as you put rubby dubby in the water during the summer - It draws blues sharks in from all around therefore the chances of catching a porgie diminish because there are more blues in the area at that time.
I think you would want to target porgies before the water gets warm enough for blues.
To try catch one when you are here: It might be worthwhile to anchor near a wreck and begin to fish there. We have had takes from sharks in the winter while fishing wrecks, very likely to be a porgie. Trolling is also an option. I think that most people go shark fishing and just want to catch some sharks - the blues are easy from that perspective but could be a nuisance if you want to target something else.
There were some porgies tagged in on the north coast of Ireland. You can see from the link that there they have a wide range! http://www.irishelasmobranchgroup.org/?page_id=1005
I would think that "Bella" is down our way feeding on herring and mackerel and nothing to do with the "Bellavista"
A porgie or other species would be a nice catch.
Jim
yappo wrote:Hi Eddie, I'm in Rosscarbery.
Yappo
Did not realise you had emigrated Pat! Call in for a coffee when you are in the big smoke (that's Cork not Bandon)
Did not realise you had emigrated Pat! Call in for a coffee when you are in the big smoke (that's Cork not Bandon)
Yes Jim finally made the move will give you a call next time I am up that way, will be after Christmas at this stage as I will be up in Wicklow over the Christmas.
Sorry for taking over this thread I might give the porgies/mako a try next year with some advise from friends who know about this type of fishing.
As was mentioned before, Threshers & Makos are really just a chance occurrence. Makos frequent water that is 17 - 21 degrees, and due to our abnormally good weather during the summer, our waters fell within their range. Graeme Pullen has a couple of videos on UK Thresher shark fishing up on youtube which are worth a look, but it's still all standard issue shark fishing stuff, Rubby Dubbly, baloons, steel traces etc etc. If you're blue shark fishing in an area that may hold Porbeagles too, try adding sand to your Rubby Dubby, as it will help some of your trail sink faster, and might draw up a Porbeagle, as they tend to feed deeper than blues. They're also fond of reefy ground, and are more inclined to take a livebait, with Coalie being a popular choice. Certainly the north Donegal coast is probably your best chance of catching a Porgie. Quite a few are caught each year by people fishing for Tope over inshore reefs, and by people out deeper fishing for blues.
Half a 3 lb Pollock came back on-board from that....
You should try a post on 
