Duration: 3 Days
Tide: Various
Weather: Sunny and Clam
Bait: Plugs & Spinners
Rigs: Braid with Fluro Leader
Results: 10 Bass to 8.25lb A few lost and plenty of Follows
Catch and Release:: Kept one Bass each.
Report:
After many hours of household chores and hours behaving myself, I finally had enough brownie points for a weekend away Bass fishing. I was off to Waterford to see if I could manage my first Bass of the year.
With the weather starting to ease up I decided to go last weekend, even though the tides were slack. The plan was to camp out and fish as hard as I could.
Just to have someone to talk to, I decided that I better bring the bro in law (Ally or the African) along. Not that he'd let me leave him behind anyway.
We left Dublin on Friday afternoon, getting to Waterford with just enough time and light to get the tent up.... After a bit of a fight with the tent we had our accomodation set up for the weekend. It was too late to get a throw in, so we decided to have a glass of Vino and set the alarm for an early rise on
Saturday morning.
Note to self.... Bring camping bed next time... the ground was like concrete
Saturday Morning was to be a plugging session on a beach that had produced for me before. We were at the water fishing away for 6am. We tried every plug we could think off, but there was to be no electric start to the weekend. Conditions were nice and I was sure we would get a fish, but it was just not to be. There was some sprat and Mackerel activity a couple of hundred yards out, but other that that there were not any signs of fish around.
We were back to the tent for a bit of brunch at about 11. Ally put together another of his famous sausage and beans dishes.... He was a bit surprised at just how hot my masala sauce was :8 It tasted great, but I knew I was in for some hand stands in the shower that evening.
A quick trip to Argos in Waterford for a couple of camping beds and we were on for the next session.
For the afternoon session we decided to fish in the portabote.... This is a nice option as you can fish a bit further out that you can from the shoreline. You can also cover a lot of water. We were back on the water for 2pm and raring to go. It was very bright, which didn't give us much confidence, but there was a bit of a chop on the water, which always helps on these bright days.
The afternoon session yeilded a few fish. I managed two schoolies and all had a couple of better fish. I lost two decent fish, one being over 5lbs.
Here are a few pics
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00366.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00363.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00360.jpg[/img]
For those interested in tactics, the fish were coming to a varity of plugs. Ally had both his on one of the new thundersticks that henry has in stock.... I think it was a blue and silver, with a black barred effect on the back of the lure. These swim just under the surface.
I had a few follows to a new sandeel type lure I got in John O Briens... I'll post a pic tomorrow. I got both schoolies and lost one fish on the Rapala J13 and lost the decent fish on the J9... both Rapala plugs were the black and white version.
Ally was fishing 20lb Power Pro braid straight through and I was fishing 30lb powerpro with 6 foot of 25lb Flurocarbon leader.
The fishing started to slow in the afternoon and we decided it was time for Dinner. We hit Tramore for some Takeaway and had a Kebab out of the Italian place near the skate park... Decent enough Kebab.
Again feel refreshed it was time to meet up with Coaster (Paul) for a spot of fishing at dusk. On Paul's advice we were to fish a beach that never produced for me before.... However Paul was the man with the plan, so off we went. We arrived, just as the sun had set to see Paul was already on the beach.... Nothing doing yet, but he was sure the Bass would come on the feed quite soon. Kilty lures were the spinner of choice. The 3 of us began fishing and it wasn't long before we hear Ally shouting that he had a fish on..... After a cracking fight, most of it very close in, a nice bass of 8.25lb was beached.
Ally was chuffed to bits as he has shattered his PB by about 3 pounds....... The fish was lifted for a couple of quick pics and slid back into the water.......
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00370.jpg[/img]
While holding the fish Ally got a nice little wave down his shoes....
He was that chuffed he barely noticed......We started fishing again and it was only a couple of mins before Ally was shouting again.... Not the african again, I said to Paul as Ally beached a nice 5 pounder.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00376.jpg[/img]
Paul though it was a seriously bad show of form for Ally to get 2 before the Gillie even had one...
Over the next hour we all had a couple of bumps and knocks, but no more fish were caught. We headed off back to the tent, with Ally still grinning ear to ear... Flushed with his success Ally decided that we were HAVING a couple of tins when we got back to the tent. Not one to say no to a beer, I totally agreed.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00379.jpg[/img]
After the hectic days fishing and not getting much sleep on Thursday or Friday night, All I needed was 3 beers before I couldn't stay awake any longer...
Much to his delight, the african decided to take a couple of photos.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00383.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00385.jpg[/img]
We decided that a lie in was the way to go on the Sunday so After Breakfast is was straight into the Portabote for an afternoons fishing. We knew straight away that the fishing was going to be tough with Blue skies and not a drop of wind... There was the odd little bit of cloud, but not enough to reduce the light.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00398.jpg[/img]
After a few hours fishing we had a couple of follows but no hook ups...
We needed some refreshments so it was back into Tramore for some grub.... we decided to try the Kebab shop beside the Italian this time.... What can I say, what a Kebab... Not for the faint hearted though... We both had a Doner Kebeb that weighted more than a schoolie and 95% of it was meat... I only barely managed to finish the thing....
Sunday evening we decided to hit the same streach of beach again. Conditions were very similar, but the we no Bass to be had. Just a few mackerel and Ally had a nice Pollock about 4lbs.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00403.jpg[/img]
During the team talk on Sunday night over a Beer we decided to get on the Water early Monday morning so we could fish straight through. We would start on the Portabote and head back to Dublin at 1pm.
We were on the water just after sunrise. Light conditions were good. The water was flat calm We were hopeful that there would be a few Bass feeding given that it was early. After about an hour there were no follows at all, and things were looking very quite. The sun was starting to rise and we were loosing hope by the minute. The fishing gods mush have been smiling on us though, because a thin layer of cloud came in front of the sun and dropped the light levels significantly... The water was still flat calm, but at least there was hope...
It was a short while later I saw a few sprats breaking the surface. I quickly threw my lure (Yo-zuri Minnow 15cm Black and Silver) over them and worked it back through them. Fish On!! and after a nice fight I landed a nice 3.5lb fish.
The next couple of hours was just motoring from place to place to see what we could pick up. I had a 2 more fish, one on the J13 B&W and another on the rapala huskey jerk (Ghost, I think). I also lost one on the J9 B&W.
Tactically I think the Fluro leader proved the difference on the calm day, although Ally was doing a lot of fly fishing on the Monday.... He didn't manage any Bass, but was plagued by small Pollock.
I left the camera in the car on Monday, so I don't have any pics of the fish.... Here's a Pollock from the previous day to give you an idea of the size...
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/mcclean2k/Bass%200807/DSC00401.jpg[/img]
Huge fish....
All in all it was a very good days fishing
With the Portabote back on the roof of the car there was time for one more Kebab before we headed back to Dublin.... I can telly you the Shish Kebab was even nicer that the Doner and still weighted about 2lb
