Fishing, leave the check-in at 08:30 back for 17:00
High water, 10:05
Low water, 16:40
Bait, Crab and lug
Rigs, 2 hook clipdown and pulley rig
Fished a competition on Sunday with anglers from a local pub.
Headed back to where I fished on Saturday to see if the cod were still around.
Got greeted by a sharp gusty northerly gale blowing across the venue and plenty of white water around.
This made fishing hard going and reduce the distance of the cast.
That’s my whinge and excuse out of the way.
The first hour was slack and no fish landed. As the tide turned I pull in a dog, not what I was after but as the club will allow 3 dogs once identified by another club angler so it was into a bucket of water with your man.
Next in was a double cod the game was back on track. How wrong did I get that for the next hour and a half I didn’t see a fish. The call was made and the move was on. As I reeled in up popped the head of a huge seal out in the water. There was the excuse I needed to restore my confidence. I could be wrong but when these ######## are around the fish either disappear or stop feeding. Ready to go 2 club members turned up the fish the same area. I gave the bad news and dragged out the dogfish out of the bucket of water to have confirmed.
You’d be amazed on how long a dog could stay alive in a bucket, a few twists and turns on the beach and off he went.
Headed to a spot that has produced fish on a dropping tide before. After an hour up there I had only added I more cod of 42cm.
Now the pressure was on to catch fish so it was back to the first spot with the hope that the seal had moved off and the wind had slackened. The 2 angler who were fishing there had nothing to show but had not seen any sight of a seal.
First cast went off into the deep blue as the rod was going back into the rod stand it gave a little double tap nah couldn’t be a fish that fast. No second rig ready so it was a case of wait your turn. Anyway letting it swim around out there inclines to tire them out and makes it easier to bring them in. In it came, a counter 32cm, no time for pics now there was fish to be caught.
Over the next 45 minutes it was madness 4 doublers of cod and a 34cm coalfish.
One quick family group photo and I was on the road
In all, one 3 pointer dogfish (returned alive) and 12 cod and a coalfish to go the scales.
Cod ranged from 32cm to 43cm
Yes, people actually standing around looking at bags of fish on the ground waiting to be weighed and not a word about how many under size fish John Do had on his score card.
Ps. I won the comp too
I can now officially confirm they are here. If anyone asks just say The All Ireland Cod Champion told you
