Duration:4am to 8pm
Tide:Rising
Weather:Not too bad, bit of breeze in your face with the odd bit of rain.
Bait: For me...Fresh Lug, Fresh Crab, Squid, Mack, Rag and Razor (all bases covered...
)Rigs:Various....I emptied my wallet through the course of the afternoon trying different things.
Results:Aross the beach there were Bass, Flounder and coalfish caught, I didnt hear of any cod. For myself it was 2 coalies, a 35 and a 32cm.
Catch and Release:: Yes
Report:
It was with high levels of excitement that the week leading up to this, my first open comp, passed with a flurry of bait organising, rig tying and tackle tweaking. I even went off and dug fresh lug the day before to ensure I had as good bait as anyone else. Awaking on the morning of the comp a disaster was narrowly averted when after discovering I had stupidly managed to kill my bucket of crabs by putting too much water in round them, after a couple of frantic phone calls managed to obtain a dozen. Cheers Dan
Arrived in Tramore and checked in, drew peg 36 and after a bite to eat with Mac, headed for the beach. Conditions were superb, a lovely surf running on a rising tide was inspiring confidence. Upon tackling up and awaiting the start, I introduced myself to my 2 neighbours. I realised there were to be no excuses over lack of fish when I discovered to my left I had Stephen Brennan (last years winner) and to my right Clinton somebody (didnt catch the surname) one of the zone winners from last year....
My plan was to begin by scratching in the suds with a 3 hook flapper and alternate that with a bigger hooked one up one down horsed out as far as I could with a flyer clipped on. As time passed, with no fish for me and with writers cramp developing from signing Stephens card who was building up a nice bag of Bass and Coalies a change of tactics were in order.
With under an hour to go and darkness upon us I put away the Triplex and geared up the 16' Longbeam and braid loaded FS. I clipped on a 2 up 1 down with size 2s and wellied it out as far as I could baited with fresh lug and tipped off, for the first time that evening , some nice strips of frozen mackerel. 15 minutes in the water and I had my first recognisable bite, a typical rattling coalie bite. I struck into the fish and somehow contrived to bump him off on the way back in.....
After much cursing and pebble kicking with about 20 mins or so to go, 3 hooks went winging there way back out, this time baited with plain mack strips. It took 5 minutes or so and it was with considerable glee that the blank was saved as I unhooked a coalie of 32cm. 3 hooks were swiftly dispatched into the darkness again with ten minutes or so left on the clock. 5 minutes to go and after returning from signing for yet another fish for Stephen the rod tip rattled again and coalie number 2 made his appearance, a fish which came in at 35 cm. With 2 mins left, I didnt even bother rebaiting but sent the rig out again as it was. I had a quick rattle virtually straight away but failed to hook up and that was the end of that!
With cards handed in, it was time to check out the accomodation. With accomodation being in short supply with the conciding long weekend and the Open being held, Mac booked us into a hostel. It was with a certain degree of surprise that we discovered we were rooming with 2 Korean girls and an Aussie girl....
A quick wash and brush up and we headed for the prize giving in the Sands Hotel. For the record, all my writing and initialling hadnt been in vain as the comp was won for the second year in succession by Stephen Brennan. From the SAI point of view, it was nice to see JP and Seaniebo featuring in the prizes. Myself, I was pipped to the prize table by Donal Domeney and a single centimetre......Its a fine line after all but I was pleased enough with actually having a card to hand in for once....
I have to say, although this was the first major competition outside SAI I have fished I thought the organisation and running of the competition and prizegiveing was nothing short of superb. Well done to Declan Flanagan and co at Rinnashark SAC for a super event which I thoroughly enjoyed.
There had of course to be a few post comp pints with myself, Mac and Coaster doing our bit to keep the local publicans happy
Nothing much that I can report on the rest of the night but all I can say lads is it was great to see Catch and Release being practised in relation to the couple of clonkers at the death. Thank god.... 
Myself and Pete had a fiver on the best card. We figured that at least one of us would be in the prizes this way 