Report: Decided to put the bait rods away for a change and do a bit of lure fishing. I knew that Browns bay is usually a good mark for throwing up a good mixture of species on the lure. Anyway, my first cast was a little wayward and I got caught up on one of the lobster pots! So I stuck another lure on and on my first cast I hook a nice mackerel, great sport on my light rod and 6lb line. After catching another mackerel and losing plenty on the retrieve I hooked into a different species, a small sea trout. He done his acrobatics and the hook came out. Another few casts and I hooked into something with a bit of weight, a lovely sea trout rose to surface probably between 4-5 pound. It swam toward me and as soon as it got close to the rock I was standing on it went crazy, after plenty of runs I had got the better of it but I had forgot my landing net and couldn't find anywhere for me to get close enough to grab the fish. Decided to try to lift the fish out of the water and of course my line snapped! I went on to catch another couple of mackerel and a few coalies but couldn't get the lost trout out of my head. I will be back armed with landing net next time.
Nice report man sorry to here about the sea trout sounded like a nice fish.Could you give me some info on how to get to Browns Bay and the methods best used there. I live in Belfast and usually go to Ardglass or up the Antrim coast to Glenarm and waterfoot etc but im looking somewhere a bit closer to home to do my fishing any info woulf be great cheers .Doc.
Browns bay is a very handy spot. Drive through Carrickfergus and Whitehead and look for a sign for Browns bay/Portmuck, take a right at this sign. Its well signed from then on in to Browns bay beach, there is a big carpark beside the beach to park. Fish either at the beach or the rocks to the right-hand side of the beach. Plenty of different species available form Dogfish, Flounder, Pollock, Coalie, Wrasse, Codling, Mackerel and Sea trout. All methods will catch fish.
nice going rab,sounded like a good session,fish the place alot living just down the road,was wondering why i would need a game license for the sea trout after all its the open sea you are fishing and not a estuary.have you ever been asked to produce a license down there?
I've never be asked to produce a license but you still need one. I like yourself didn't think this applied to the open sea but then I discovered a couple of years ago that you need a license to target these game fish no matter where you catch them. I thought I would add the post as I would hate someone getting a big fine because I advised them to fish an area.