Carraroe, Co. Galway

[Tackleholic]

Fished a lovely spot yesterday. The scenery is always something to behold, particularly on a calm day like yesterday.
Beautiful weather for November. Bay was very calm. Lovely to watch the fishing boats motoring in from the Atlantic.
Fished rising tide from LW around 12:00 to 15:30. Had my father in law with me for company. He provided the tea and sanwiches. With a piece of brack in hand, life was good!
Bought some frozen lugworm with the hope of catching a late season wrasse. Set up a rotten bottom rig in amongst the kelp.
Fished another rod over sand at distance with frozen mackerel and lug. Father in law tried a bit of feathering and spinning.
All quiet for first hour. Deep water even at low water but as tide began to push in we saw the weedy margins show a bit of life. Plenty of small pollack. We rigged up a couple of floats and started catching them on small strips of mackerel. They also took the lug, whose effectiveness I was beginning to question!
We saw a good size fish pass in front of us in the turqoise water. It looked in and around the 3 lb mark. Could have been a good pollack but it seemed to be moving on rather than staying in around the kelp. Could it have been a bass? This was a very different fish from the mullet - quicker, with a real purpose to what it was doing.
Anyway, it didn't even look at our bait!
After another lovely cup of tea, I saw a good bite on mackerel bait fishing at distance. When I got to the rod, the line had gone slack. Previously, I've had flounder take the bait like that. Alas, I struck and failed to hook up! I've been reading since that perhaps there's no need to strike when flounder fishing...
Fished two rods over the sand to finish. No bites.
Caught a few small fish, returned them all, enjoyed the scenery and the pint on the way home!

[johnwest]

Sounds like a good day out despite the lack of wrasse. That missed bite, might it have been a Ray?

[Tackleholic]

Possibly, John. I haven't had them there before. I wouldn't have been targeting them before I suppose but a bigger bait, maybe a bit of sandeel, who knows? Sean

[kieran]

Rays are still around.
Was walking around Rosmoney over the weekend and stunned at the massive shoal of sandeel sheltering in the harbour at LW.
trying to get out this weekend despite the -7 windchill from the N forecast!

[Tackleholic]

Thanks Kieran. Only one thing for it so - thermal long-johns!

[seank]

Id say that fish that passed by was a sea trout Great report dude

I had a great session on the rays only 3 weeks ago, so id imagine they still about,,,

[corbyeire]

the fishing round carraroe hasn't been great for a few years, especially if youre fishing the bottom
as you say yourself you don't need to strike the bites
you can get pestered with plagues of whiting and coalies out there after dark - but you woulve connected with some of them if they were in it
out there the rays tend to be in slacker water not in the centre of channels

[Tackleholic]

Thanks v much lads.