East Cork - 27th June 2010

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 11 pm to 2.30 am

Tide: LW at 1.30 am

Weather: Calm, clear, mild

Bait: Razor

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys

Results: 1 bass, 2 Dogfish, 4 Codling




Report: I havn't posted up a shore report for a while as I was on holidays for close to three weeks during the bass closed season. I had intended to have some long sessions after I got home on the 17th but that plan got trashed as I had a lot of work to catch up on and I had a very sore foot. By the weekend my foot wasn't too bad so I decided to have a good lash at lure fishing along the West Waterford coastline. But despite firing out a variety of plugs and soft plastics there was nothing to report. The wind and weed also posed a problem in several of the marks on Saturday so on Sunday I fished a more sheltered mark but again I could tempt nothing with my selection of juicy looking lures.

I decided to have a bait fishing session later on Sunday night. However, it was too late to dig bait so all I had was razorfish. I got to one of my old reliable East Cork beaches to find a nice surf rolling in. There was quite a lot of kelp at the eastern end of the beach but the center seems relatively weed free. I set up two rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys with a full razor on each and cast them about 40 m out. After all the lure fishing, clambering over rocks in my waders over the weekend my foot had got quite sore again so I wasn't wading out to cast, just lobing it out from the water line.

After about 15 m I had a bite on one of the rods - the fish was pulling strongly at first and I was sure I had a bass but as I reeled it in it soon gave up the struggle and turned out to be a dogfish

About 20 minutes later I had a bite on the second rod - again it initially put up a struggle but then weakened - another dogfish. At this stage I began to think that I was going to be plagued with them all night. I had a few more nibbles but nothing hooked.

A little after midnight I was sitting on my tackle box looking at the rod tips which were well illuminated in the moonlight - then I saw a subtle twitch on the far rod. I stood up and picked up the rod and found that the line was gone slack - I ferociously retrieved the slack - about 20 m of it - before I caught up with the fish, struck and then felt a very strong pull on the line - this was definitely not a dogfish. The fish put up a fierce struggle, surged to the left, I got it turned and gradually hauled it back. Then weed caught on the shock leader knot jammed in the tipeye - I walked backwards up the beach keeping the tension on the line and dragged the fish out through the surf. I could see it splashing about in a few inches of water - it looked to be a good bass. I walked a bit further up the beach to drag it clear of the surf and hobbled back as fast as my sore foot would allow to check the fish. it was a 63 cm bass, but a very well fed chunky fish weighing just over 6.5 lb

A little later I spotted some small knocks on one of the rods - I struck but thought there was nothing there, I left it for a few minutes then began to retrieve and realized that there was a fish on the end but nothing big. It turned out to be a small 30 cm codling I was still getting codling in May off the beaches but I thought by the last week in June they would be well gone. The codling then came on the feed as it got close to low tide. I had another two in quick succession, both a little bigger at 33 cm and 36 cm. As the tide began to push forward I got another bite - this felt a bit stronger but turned out to be another 36 cm codling, although plumper than the previous one.

I decided to pack up at 2.30 am, mainly as my foot was getting quite painfull - i should have taken it easier at the weekend and just eased into fishing with a couple of short sessions. But I was happy with the result, I will just have to defer fishing for a couple of weeks until my foot is back to normal.

[Figs]

That bass is in unbelievable condition Frank, nice bait session there.

[KERRY1]

Well done Frank - it's good to have you back and reporting again that's a mighty fine bass you got. Great report as always

[eyesreilly]

Well done Frank, thats a beauty of a bass ,,,got a few codling on Sunday night myself so theyre up here as well ,also the whiting seem to be a year long species for me .Hope the foot heals soon,,,,,,,,,,,,my back picked my few days away to act up,guess thats inevitable when you get a bit of mileage up on the clock

[mitch]

smashing bass frank good size codling as well for this time of year
hope the foot settles down soon .

[razor2]

Nice bass .Great result with no digging and a good size

[plumster]

another great session rock ,love that bass. i can just feel the power of him on my carp rods ,right got to go fishing

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

That Bass is in unbelievable condition Frank,

Yes it has been feeding well.

Well done Frank - it's good to have you back and reporting again that's a mighty fine Bass you got. Great report as always

Thanks, unfortunately it will probably be about another 10 days or so before I get out again

Well done Frank, thats a beauty of a Bass ,,,got a few codling on Sunday night myself so theyre up here as well ,also the whiting seem to be a year long species for me .Hope the foot heals soon,,,,,,,,,,,,my back picked my few days away to act up,guess thats inevitable when you get a bit of mileage up on the clock

It was very surprising to get the codling at this time of year on a south coast beach, especially on that beach!!!
You do seem to have a attraction for whiting alright - I remember that time early last September when you were down in Waterford and we were catching a few whiting - after that I only had a handfull after that all through the winter.

smashing Bass frank good size codling as well for this time of year
hope the foot settles down soon .

I hope it does too - its killing me not to be able to get out fishing

Nice Bass .Great result with no digging and a good size

Better than I expected alright from using just razor - might have been a really great session if I had some lug, rag and crab too

another great session rock ,love that Bass. i can just feel the power of him on my carp rods ,right got to go fishing

It was a very powerful fish alright.

[FisherKing]

Fine looking Bass & session nice one

[seanie35]

nice fish frank hope the leg heals , weed was brutal again last night plugging was home by 10pm

[KERRY1]

Well done Frank - it's good to have you back and reporting again that's a mighty fine Bass you got. Great report as always

Thanks, unfortunately it will probably be about another 10 days or so before I get out again

That sucks Frank but at least it will give the fish a break

[Al and Jordan]

with fish like that frank i'd just stock up on the pain killers and be hobbling back down there again good old razor saves the day . the bass is a cracker man

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

weed was brutal again last night plugging was home by 10pm

Probably won't be much better for a few days at least - there was a bit of a blow last night which won't have done anything to improve the weed situation but it would have been ideal for a bait session - if only I could have got out

with fish like that frank i'd just stock up on the pain killers and be hobbling back down there again

I made my mistake at the weekend by pushing my foot too much - the bass will be still there next week (I hope)