Shannon Town AC

[Donagh]

Shannon Town AC fished a competition in poulnasharry on sunday the 4th of july from 12 tp 4 pm with low tide around 2. 10 anglers fished with 35 fish caught. Majority were Dogfish with a few thornback ray caught. A 35lb sting ray won best fish and the competition. When the spring tide was flowing weed was a major problem with the venue being unfishable for the last 1/2 hour.

I caught my first thorny (only 2kg), a dog, had a missed bite and a fish fall off but It was great to see a sting ray in in the flesh.

Donagh

[Peter Kinsella]

Do tell us - what bait did the sting ray take ? Yes weed has been a major problem up here in N. Clare over the past 3 weeks.

[Donagh]

I just made the assumtion that it was caught on mackerel so I didn't ask. You can take it in any competition report from the shannon that mackerel was the main bait used. I'm sure though that the sting ray was coming in to feed on crabs as poulnasharry has a fair amount of them.

Donagh

[bigden]

Prime stinger bait on the English south coast beaches is the biggest king ragworm you can find on a 6/0 hook or a pennell rig. Problem is, the crabs usually get there first!

[Guest]

I have tried for those stingers in the Shannon they are a hard fish to catch there used to be smoth hounds or spur dogs in the estuary but were fished out during the late 80's or early 90's some guys were down in cappa pier off loading boxes of them for months over those years.
I remembed one time while fishing off a rock mark in north clare a number of years ago and some guy wound up an almighty pendelum cast and let it fly into the side window of a comercial fishing boat it was one shot in a million but your man in the boat didnt stay long.
I dont condone this sort of thing but accidents happen.