Duration:2 hours (11.30 to 13.30)
Tide:HW @ 10.30
Weather: fine and dry
Bait: frozen black lug
Rigs: 1 up / 1 down
Results: 1 bass @ 5lbs
Catch and Release:: No
Report: With the permission of my fishing officer
, managed to get out for a quick couple of hours today. (cheers love ) With time not being on my side and the tide falling fast I headed to the far side of clonea (had intended on trying ballyquin).
Set up just below the steps and brought out my xmas presents of a 525 mag and a shakespeare hurricane rod.
With very little wind and good surf combined with the sun you could have mistaken it for a summers day.
Looking good for me I thought
Baited up and let fly- stood back and waited....
Endured the usual comments from the people on the beach (managed to keep my cool and reply with a nod and a forced smile
)Any bites??
What are you fishin for??
Would you catch fish there??
What bait are you using??
You should be using peeler crab - its the only thing to use
Anyway back to the report...
First cast resulted in loads of little knocks which dissapeared every time I went to put my hand on the rod. Reeled in and baited up again. Cast out again (backed off a bit on the magnets and almost got myself a fine birdie
) - Put them suckers back on full straight away .Had myself a smoke while checking out the various stuff washed up on the rocks (car baby seat/full front end of a honda). Went back beside the rod and within a couple of minutes I got a huge hit. The tip of the rod amost bent over to touch itself (well not quite but almost
).Picked it up and reeled in straight away.
Something heavy there I thought to myself.
Not being used to the reel I was concentrating on line lay and had my head down watching it. As my leader came on the spool I looked up and to my surprise I had a good sized fish on the end of my line.
Jeez, i thought to myself - thats a big coalie
.Had another look and to my surprise and delight it was a bass
on my hook.Man was I ecstatic - I hadn't caught a bass in clonea with over three months or more.
Got it in and had a good look at him. This guy had been in the wars
.He ?? had loads of fresh little bite marks on one side with a big cut on the other side. Something had a good go at him
.Decided to keep him for the table because of this.
Baited up again and sent it out (full magnets this time
)Again got loads of small knocks which came to nothing. Continued on for another hour or so but nothing was interested.
With the expiry time on my permission slip fast approaching I packed up and headed home. (best not to piss off the permissions officer
)Weighed him at home and he was just touching on 5 lbs - my biggest bass so far - ( not the 10lber I am dreaming off but we are getting closer
)Hope to get out again on Friday morning for another few hours
John.
