A break from the wind and rain - East Cork

[RockHunter]

It has been a poor year for fishing for me hence my lack of reports. I did very little fishing over the Summer and Autumn and was hoping for a good cod season. However, the 2015 is proving to be my worst cod season since I started fishing. In early November before all the wet weather I did fish a favourite cod mark in the Youghal area. I fished from low to high tide without a single bite, normally at that time of year I would expect to get a minimum of 10 cod.

There was almost incessant rain for over a month following that session. As a result there has been a torrent of fresh water flowing down the Blackwater which has most likely flushed the few cod that were about well out into Youghal Bay.

With the strong winds/gales and rain I didn't fancy a beach session until last Sunday when the winds finally eased and the skies cleared, coinciding with a change to cooler fresher conditions. I decided on a beach mark which is well away from a river/estuary and one which which commonly produces cod at this time of the year.

I got to the beach just at dusk about 2.5 hours before low tide, checked it for weed. It seems clean apart from a few clumps of kelp attached to bounders strewn high on the gravel at the back of the beach. With fresh peeler crab been extremely scarce this winter I just had some razor and frozen crab, although I brought a fork with me so I could dig a few lug at low tide.

I set up two rods, one with a two hook flapper with 2/0 circle hooks baited with razor, the second with a three hook flapper with size 1 and 2 hooks with razor and crab. I don't normally use such small hooks but it has been so long since I caught a fish that I was determined to catch something, size didn't matter.

It was a nice night, a bright half moon illuminated the beach with a moderate southwesterly wind which was not too cold.

About half an hour after casting out I had a a strong tug on the two hook flapper, as I retrieved it was fighting strongly then surged in with the surf so I had to rapidly reel in the slack. It was behaving more like a bass than a cod and sure enough after a few minutes I could see the glint of silver in the moonlight as I landed a plump 3.25 lb bass on the beach.

Bass No. 1 - 20th December 2015.jpg

About half an hour later I had another good knock this time on the other rod. Again it gave a good fight and I has very happy to see a second bass, slightly smaller at 3 lbs. It had taken the middle hook which was baited with a small frozen crab.

Bass No. 2 - 20th December 2015.jpg

Close to low tide there was another strong knock on the first rod. I was convinced I had a third bass until I landed an angry seagull on the beach. It had got a leg and wing tangled in my line, but I managed to free it without too much damage and it flew off after giving a loud angry sounding squak.

I had hoped some cod might show up with the rising tide but my baits remained untouched. The only other fish was a good size coalfish about 2.5 hours into the rising tide.

Coalfish - 20th December 2015.jpg

The lack of cod suggests that they have probably moved well out of the bay and I would not be too hopeful of them making a return for a late run in the New Year. I packed up shortly before high tide, happy enough with the night's fishing after a long period of blanks.

[ste c]

This years been dreadfull knew nothing was gonna happen end of october and they defo wont just turn up in jan weathers too mild and wild

[SeanA101080]

Always nice to catch some silver, nice result Frank, even if they were by-catch [WHITE SMILING FACE]

[chuckaroo]

Nice report RockHunter
Would very happily settle for either of those fish up this way over the winter.

[tight lines]

Well done with the bass frank

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[saving private brian]

Hi frank,,,nice written report,, let's all hope and pray that them cod do show up,,,am hoping to get down there early new year but might just hold off yet,,,happy new year to you as well

[shortcircuit]

Nice report Frank