Time: 17.00 - 22.30
Tide: LT at 20.20
Weather: Raining at first but dry and windy later
Bait: Razor and mack
Rigs: Pulleys with size 3/0 and 8/0 hooks
Report:
After listening to a few anglers telling the usual tales of 5lb+ cod being caught in monkstown we decided to ignore them and go after a few real fish. Not just the kind you hear about being caught but never see
. We hit the same mark we fished on monday night and got off to a slow start. I ground baited the area and dropped a line for congers while cormac decided to try for a few codling. I got a few rattles on my rod but nothing major to tell it was a conger but the rattles kept up so i reeled in to find a whiting of about 30 cms that swallowed the 8/0 hook and neatly hooked himself in the lower jaw. Cast back out to be attacked by crabs so i changed rigs and cast out for a try at codling. I hooked up on first cast and reeled in but it was only a small codling. Things were quiet for a while so i carried on ground baiting and dropped a line for the congers again at about 9 o clock. Got a few nibbles and thinking it was crabs tried to shake it off only to feel the tell tail tug back of an eel. I got a good scrap off him and got him to the surface to see a nice angry more than likely dizzy conger. We chucked the drop net but the eel managed to wrap the leader round the net rope so we couldn't get him into it so i had to try and hand line the eel and the net up. About a foot from the ledge the obvious happened. Crack. Down went the eel. A few loud swears and a bit of rig tying later the lines were back down for another go. About 10 o clock i got a rod buckling bite and struck straight away and by god he wasn't happy. I've never had an eel fight in the manner that he did. Bolting for cover then coming to the surface doing a few piroettes, then holding in the current and pulling the arms off me, shooting up and down, right and left. Cormac had to pull his line in because the bugger was going so crazy. I managed to calm him in the end and get him safely into the net and up at ground level for a weigh in. 9lb 2oz. Not nearly as big as the one i landed on monday but a 9lb fish is nothin to be sniffed at in my book. The first eel that snapped the leader was a bit bigger but no giant. I reckon about 15lb. All on 12lb main line again. Great night. Glad we got out despite the weather and can't wait to do it again.
