Duration: Various
Tide: Saturday: HW at 5.50 pm; Sunday: HW at 6.20 pm
Weather: Saturday: Strong southwesterly winds, cloudy; Sunday: southwesterly breeze, calmer later, mild
Bait: Rag and various lures (Xlayers, Asturie, Pachinko)
Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, 4/0 pulley
Results:
Saturday: 1 bass, 2 pollock
Sunday: 14 pollock
Report:
Saturday: As a strong southwesterly wind had picked up I was unsure how successful lure fishing would be so I dug some rag just after low tide so I could do some bait fishing if the water was too coloured. I stopped for about half an hour at a Cork Harbour mark and fished using an Asturie and a Pachinko but nothing was biting so I moved on to the coast.
We got to the mark at about 5.00 pm and found that there were some big swells breaking over the rocks. The water was quite coloured so it didn't look great for lure fishing. I set up a beach caster baited with rag and cast it out as far as I could so as to clear the rocks. Then did some lure fishing with the spinning rod.
I had one strong bite on the bait rod but by the time I put down the spinning rod and picked it up the fish was gone
There was nothing happening on the spinning rod. At dusk Melissa said she wanted to go (ever since she was chased by the two "giant" rats she hasn't been too keen to stay after dark
). I said I would follow her back to the car in a few minutes. But just was she was climbing up the cliff I felt a fish hitting the Xlayer - presumably a pollock. So I reckoned I was going to have to stay a little longer. A couple of cast later I hooked a small pollock- saved from the dreaded blank. A few casts later I got another.I continued fishing with the Xlayer and then got hit by something much stronger - it was putting up a good fight and I just managed to stop it getting in amongst some rocks. I eventually landed a lively plump 53 cm bass
I had few more casts after that - but then reckoned I better head back as Melissa probably wouldn't be too happy to be left sitting in car waiting for me after I said I would follow her back in a "few" minutes.
Sunday: As I had a bunch of rag left over I thought I would try some beach fishing - the first time in over a month. We headed to a beach in West Waterford where bass usually appear just after low tide as the tide begins to push forward. There was a moderate surf, although weaker than any time I fished there previously. We got there about 12.45 pm and fished until 3.00 pm without a bite - not even a flounder nibbling at the bait
I decided to head to a rock mark and try some lure fishing. However, when I got there I found that there was quite a bit of weed about and the water was quite coloured. I fished for about half an hour using the surface lures but caught nothing other than seaweed.
I reckoned the best option was to head home, have dinner early and then fish a rock mark through dusk and into darkness. I got to the mark at about 7.00 pm. The water was not too coloured and the sea had calmed down considerably from the day before. I fished using an Asturie first but nothing was biting. I then switched to the Xlayer, but it was only when the light was beginning to go that I got the first bite - a small pollock. It was non stop pollock after that, for a while I was getting one on almost every cast. However, they were all small, mostly around the 30 cm mark, the biggest (or should I say the least smallest) was 35 cm. I caught 14 of them, and lost quite a few more, including one that bit my Xlayer in half
As the tide dropped I moved onto a mark that I have found to be more productive for bass - but waves were still breaking over the rocks. I had a couple of casts, but decided that it was too dangerous. I would either have to wait for at least another half an hour for the tide to drop some more or pack up and have a couple of beers at home. I opted for the latter.
Going to give the Silver fellas a shot on lures over this side in the next day or two fingers crossed...
