Conger help?

[mcg2k]

I was wondering can anyone give me advice on catching a decent conger? Ive tried greystones, wicklow harbour, Poolbeg, Howth, Cloggerhead, Dun Laoghaire, Courtown without any success. I know these places have conger so maybe i was just unlucky.

I Used a standard conger rig with a wire trace 6/0 hook with mackeral.
Any pointers about marks, tackle, bait would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[choco]

i caught a monster on a hand line at howth in september .. use no rod no reel but a large strip of mack low tide at night on the east pier howth but be prepared to suffer when she bites!! pictures if your interested any more??

[rustyhookthomas]

regularly caught, and lost some monsters on the breakwater at roadstone
in arklow as a kid, boatrod and multiplier and steel trace and tope hook with
a whole mack and a sack of rubbydubby which attracts seals!!!!
tough fishing, can't wait to do it again. don't do it on yer own though!!!!
we never even had mobiles then! never mind common sense.
i saw a few accidents happen and i fell in once but luckily hopped out as quick!
4-6++foot eel hooked standing on rocks is a serious job and then the climb,
unhooking and release!! plan well and good luck!
low tide was best but rocks are very slippy below the tideline!

[rustyhookthomas]

meant to say, really looking forward to trying poolbeg for congers.
try some of my magic from the 1980's!!!!

[jonny gilbert]

don't know about the marks down that way but i can say i have found i don't get as many runs fishing for conger using wire i just 150lb mono and a 6/0 to 8/0 cox and rawle meat hook, also match you bait to the size of the hook cause you'll hook them alot easier imho. oh and you don't need deep water for them either i've caught them in 1.5ft of water before fishing between rocks at harbours and breakwater but as rustyhookthomas always plan everything out like if your fishing from a ledge wheres the best and a safe place to land the fish. oh best bait i think for congers is a whole pout, rockling, cuttlefish and the good old mac. hope this helps

jonny

[last cast lad]

one vital piece of advice I was given was to always have a good unhooking tool as forceps leave your fingers likely to get broken when the congor spins, a good T bar is a must.

[mcg2k]

Cheers lads thats great advice. Yeah post some of those pics.

Was out in Poolbeg on Sat and 1 guy showed me a pic on his phone. It was of a conger he caught down at the lighthouse a few days before. He wasnt a tall man but the conger was longer than he was tall. It was a great pic.
Thanks again

[jonny gilbert]

one vital piece of advice I was given was to always have a good unhooking tool as forceps leave your fingers likely to get broken when the congor spins, a good T bar is a must.

I find if you get a good grip at the gills they don't move. i have never used a t-bar or forceps when unhooking congers but then again thats the way i like to do it. get some funny looks for people sometimes when doin it lol

[fishermannum1]

got this guy last year at lenan pier, put up one hell of a scrap.
bait was a mac; head and a full squid.

gallery2.php?g2_itemId=2170

[Aaron Murphy]

as choco said, use handline on east pier in howth! some cracker congers down there! use a mackeral flapper for scent, and if you want groundbait, works like a charm well for me anyway


if your looking for smaller conger, on the west pier there is a jetty. if your throw your line (while facing the opposite jetty) to your left, be a few straps around! recomend pouting for them! even straps give a fight hope this helps.