Posts Tagged ‘lugworm’
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012
West Cork has to be a kayak anglers paradise, what with all the bays, inlets, and little slip ways dotted around the place, sure you would be able to go fishing weather permitting whatever quarter the wind was blowing from. Also there are locations where rock hopping is completely out of the question due to sheer cliffs, so these marks would now become accessible. When one considers that depths can reach 100+ feet in places just yards from the shore, big deep water species like ling now become a real possibility.
Gary Robinson is a superb “thinking” angler who looked at the kayaks fishing capability about two years ago and subsequently has put together a formidable outfit kitted out with fish finder/echo sounder, anchor, rod holders, storage facilities, and all necessary safety features, an impressive piece of kit and no mistake. Our trip down to the south west offered Gary the first real opportunity to test his boat handling and angling skills over fishing grounds that are far from depleted. His first day on the water not only blew his mind but this seasoned anglers’ too.
That day I was fishing for wrasse far out on a headland and could observe Gary, about a mile further into the bay, paddling and fishing away. At days end we met up and you just knew by his face and of course the two large pollack, one of which weighed 9.lb plus, that his day had been a success. “Ridiculous” is how Gary described it, just fish after fish until his arms got sore. Initially using hokais searching for mackerel which were scarce, he did boat numerous big launce though, every time Gary hit bottom strings of three/four pound pollack would come up. Changing to a single 30 gram jig head he targeted larger stuff and boated pollack into double figures, all bar the two fish above being released. Gary said that he lost count of how many fish landed, now that is some day. Ground fishing at anchor with large fish fillets is the next logical step, I can’t wait to see the results of that exercise. Bugger it, I’m off to buy a kayak too…..
Read Gary Robinson’s account of the above trip in his excellent article titled; Pollack Perfection in South West Ireland.
Tags: Angling, Fishing, Ireland, Kayak angling, Kayak fishing, Kill Devil Spider, Launce, lugworm, Lure Fishing, Mackerel, Pollack, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, Snow, West Cork
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Friday, June 1st, 2012
Lugworm baited hooks flew through the air in an arc before splash landing 100 meters out from the rock platform that I was perched on, rig now resting on the clean sandy bottom a few turns of the reel handle tightened line against gripper and my rod tip curved over poised and ready for the anticipated bite. Ten minutes pass then tap, tap, tap followed by a heavy lean. Sitting on my hands quelling the desire to lift and strike, again the tip goes tap, tap, tap followed by a lean. Lifting with a backward sweep of the rod I now commence reeling and feel a solid resistance.
Winding and pumping hard I manage to raise both fish and trailing weight above the shallow reef in front of me. One quick dive down close in then its planing across the surface, phew, a cracking dab knocking a pound, the first of six landed in seven casts this evening to include the double header pictured above. Catching flatfish of this caliber in today’s over fished environment is something to be celebrated, roll on dinner time tomorrow evening.
Large dab are the nicest fish to eat, seasoned with sea salt then par fried back and front on the bone in butter, before removing to an oven dish and placing in a preheated oven at 180 degrees centigrade. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top, cover with foil and leave cooking for about twenty minutes. They will come out steaming and the meat will lift off the bone, sweet and delicious with chips, mayo, and peas.
On the evening in question I fished a two hook paternoster baited with two day old lugworm cast into a secluded sandy bay. The dab residing here are plentiful and consistently large with many topping a pound, having only fished the mark on three occasions I’ve landed or seen caught at least two specimens. Bites came thick and fast for a period of an hour as the tide rose then died. Hoping for a codling to bolster the catch, this evening they didn’t show, maybe later in the year when the coalfish will be present as well……
For further reading, click on: The Humble Flatfish.
Tags: Angling, Dab, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, West Cork
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Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Finally after weeks of north easterlies the wind shifted and blew southerly, air temperatures rose, creamy white capped waves rolled up the strand, and the air so filled with ozone that you could taste it. A low four meter tide had me on the beach at 13.00pm, my task to dig six dozen large, fleshy, black lug, before meeting up with Joe Carley of South East Bait Supplies to purchase a dozen peelers, when targeting surf bass you need top grade fresh bait. As it turned out Joe kindly drove my order to me, his traps being placed nearby, now that is service and much appreciated, thanks Joe. As is the form we talked fishing and again thumbs up to Joe re little nuggets offered which helped in deciding my final choice of venue.
Having time to spare after digging bait, it not high water until 20.00pm, I drove around and sussed out a number of venues. Low tide is a great time to carry out this exercise as numerous tell tale features are exposed which help in deducing how a particular mark may fish. Today one thing was clear, a big tide combined with a strong southerly breeze has the potential to push weed close in, this factor ultimately deciding my fishing destination. On arrival, with a good rolling sea pushing a single wave up the incline and terns and gannets dipping and diving about 60 meters out my casting distance was decided. A low grey, menacing sky promised rain as I made my first cast, sea fishing season 2012 had begun.
Tightening up against the gripper I stood up to prepare my second rig when bang the rod tip thumped forward hard just once. A characteristic schoolie bite and so it transpired, other than an hour long period over high water shoals of juvenile bass averaging a kilo marauded up and down the surf line, I lost count of how many that I caught but it was easily a dozen, all scissor hooked and returned. At least I was busy and in any other circumstances a two pound fish would be well appreciated, so lets get real “the session was fun and productive“. As light closed in my rod hooped to a smoothie which tore off parallel with the strand, allied to a large plump flounder beached earlier my first sea outing of the year most definitely set a bench mark for the season ahead, a double figure haul with some quality fish and it’s not even mid May, bring it on…..
Tags: Angling, Bass, Bass fishing, Beach fishing, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Peeler crab, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Smooth hound, Surf casting, Wexford
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Sunday, January 29th, 2012
The 24th Winter Shore Angling Festival was held on the east facing beaches of Co. Wexford over three days, from Thursday the 26th to Saturday the 28th January 2012. Organised by EFSA Ireland this event annually attracts the cream of sea match anglers from both the UK and Ireland, and with many thousands of euro in prize money up for grabs divided between individual, team, zone, and optional pools, competition is keen.
Southerly gales battered the Wexford coastline right into the early hours of Wednesday morning resulting in some competitors being stranded in Pembrokeshire, South Wales due to the ferry not sailing. As luck would have it the prevailing winds abated and swung around to the west resulting in ideal conditions over the three match days. The lucky Welshmen boarded a later ferry, and although lacking in sleep pushed the numbers competing to sixty plus when the whistle blew for the opening joust.
Sea match fishing drives shore angling technology and methods, of that there is no doubt. Specialist rods up to 16 feet in length, matched to fixed spool reels enable seriously long traces with snoods averaging 2.5 feet to be cast effectively. Strong forgiving tips both allow for bite detection and the casting of delicate soft baits, of which on this occasion lug wraps and maddies reigned supreme. Cast into the gutter or channels between banks on rigs constructed with micro beads, size 8 swivels, size 8 fine wire hooks, and weighted with plain leads the matchmen hunted for their fish, speed and accuracy being of the essence.
Day one was fished on Ballinoulart, with Clone pencilled in for day two, and Ballinesker the beach which staged the memorable opening scene from “Saving Private Ryan” marked down for day three. The sun shone and competitors scratched, mainly flounder with a few dab, whiting, rockling, and school bass thrown in for good measure. At lines up on Saturday the winning result couldn’t have been tighter. Dave Roe won the overall event for the second year in succession, with Courtowns Joe Byrne taking second (one place better than last year), and Ballybracks Ian Knight in third.
It would appear that the English dominance of this event has for now been broken. To put icing on the cake both Dave and Joe won the two man team prize and also were members of the winning four man team. A feature of the results which reflects our depleted oceans is the respective size of the longest round and flat fish, a school bass of 37 cms and a flounder of 36 cms. That said the competition was well run, and other than the north end zone on Clone strand (day 2), fish appeared to be evenly spread along the various match stretches over the three days. EFSA Ireland’s Warren Doyle and his team deserve a pat on the back for their organisation, as do the weather Gods for the light winds and blue skies. Roll on next year….
For further reading click on: EFSA Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival 2011.
Tags: Angling, Beach fishing, EFSA, Fishing, Flounder, Ireland, lugworm, Maddies, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, Sea match angling, shore fishing, Surf casting, Wexford
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Codling have been ever present this winter and of a good stamp, most fish that I have encountered in the 35 – 40 cm bracket or bigger. With a four meter high tide at 18.00pm I headed for the Waterford estuary to fish a new mark that held promise. After digging bait at Duncannon and a much needed pit stop in the Strand Bar, nothing beats a toastie and a pint of plain, it was off to the venue for a 14.00pm start.
On arrival the flood had been pushing for two hours, a scarf of tide about 80 meters out marked the line of the shipping channel. A local fisherman tending to his nets informed me that I would be casting into 4/5 fathoms of water and that my baits would be landing on a mussel bed. Happy days, depth and feed, would fish be in residence. Casting two hook flappers baited with fresh black lug into the channel, no sooner had the grips settled in then the tips started nodding.
Breaking out was difficult I assume due to the mussel bank, but an even pressure released the grips and I could feel the fish. First cast a double header, codling and dab, followed by a codling, big whiting, then a flounder/codling double. What a start fish every cast, and that is how it went for the first two hours. I copped that my rig was settling down the side of the channel (where the fish were), but my main line was resting on the lip. This had the effect of masking bites and also was probably responsible for the difficulty in breaking out. That said, I wasn’t complaining and over the course of the session only lost two rigs.
Bites diminished as full tide approached however they did not stop. Normally I let a cast fish for 10 minutes before reeling in to re bait, invariably a fish would signal its presence within that time span. I lost count of the fish landed and the time just flew. Calling it a day at six bells there is no doubt, “it was a belter of a session“. Six species, codling, whiting, pouting, dab, flounder, and eel, all of a good size. The estuary has been good to me this year, and it seems that every time I head down I meet somebody new. “Hi Jim O’Brien, we had a good chat, hope you enjoy those codling“.
See also: Estuary Codling.
See also: Christmas Coalies.
Tags: Angling, codling, Eel, Fishing, Flounder, Ireland, lugworm, Pier fishing, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Waterford estuary, Wexford, Whiting
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Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Saturday the 7th of January 2012 dawned dull and mild. With winds to pick up from the south west by late evening I had planned the first trip of the year to coincide with a dusk high tide. Arranging to meet Frank Flanagan from the Menapia SAC on the beach at 16.00pm, I headed off initially to dig some lug. With six dozen yellow tail in the bucket and time to spare I decided to hit an estuary mark for a couple of hours in search of flounder.
Today they were not forth coming, two heavy leans gave an indication that fish were present but unfortunately no hook ups. At 15.30 pm I upped sticks and headed to meet Frank. The location we planned to fish had produced some fine codling over Christmas so hopes were high. A full tide mark, form showed that if fish were present they would take from high water to 1.5 hours down, and be very close in following the line of a gully. The venue had been good to Frank over Christmas delivering codling up to five pounds in weight.
Casting two hook flappers out thirty meters as light faded, immediately rapid fire bites signaled coalfish which ranged in size from half to one and a half pounds. Good fun, they kept us busy but their barbuled chinned cousins were noticeable by their absence, just the night that was in it. Further up the coast at a venue not four miles away a couple of friends beached two codling amongst the coalfish, the best going five pounds. Now that’s fishing….
Tags: Angling, Beach fishing, Coalfish, Cod, codling, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Surf casting, Wexford
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Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Substantiated reports of decent sized codling being caught off beaches close to Courtown in North Wexford highlight the excellent shore fishing south east Ireland has been witnessing in recent weeks. Southerly gales over the last few days pushed anglers onto east facing venues and they delivered. Swimming alongside the codling and very prevalent on some locations are coalfish. Considered a nuisance by some, they can make for an interesting and lively session when other fish are marked absent.
Saturday dawned crisp and white, a hard frost having fallen during the night. Taking it handy I drove towards a half eleven bait digging appointment, quality black lugworm being the target. Unlike my last outing the tell tale signs of blow hole and cast were very evident, and it was not long before I had six dozen fat juicy worms in my bucket. Dug individually using a fork, the lugworm even allowing for the frost were no more than a spit and a half down. That task accomplished, a quick bite to eat and it was off to the venue which delivered so well last time out.
Commencing fishing two and a half hours into the flood, a big four meter was pushing a lot of water up the narrow estuary. Casting out two identical paternoster rigs utilising long snoods and 2/0 kamazan hooks, it wasn’t long before a tap tap bite resulted in a nice flounder. Action was slow after that with just an odd small codling showing interest. As dusk closed in around five pm, an hour before high water, proceedings changed noticeably. Jagging quick fire bites signaled coalfish, known to play with a bait they dart in and out smash and grab like, very hard to hook with long snoods. Seeking codling and playing the percentages, or maybe just lazy I didn’t shorten my snoods so reducing my catch. Even so amidst all the frustrating missed bites I still landed my fair share of coalfish.
Reasonably sized they put up a decent fight on being hooked especially when rising through the water close to the pier. Their lightning fast turns of direction and dives combined with the current putting a decent curve in the rod, it was like boat fishing albeit on dry land. Bites were steady right up to seven pm when my bait ran out, numerous coalies were landed along with small codling by the double, flounder, and rockling. Two Enniscorthy based anglers fishing beside me, John Goff and his friend Pat, were having a productive time also. The larger codling didn’t show but no matter, their bottle green backed cousins provided more than enough entertainment. Another productive session in south County Wexford.
To visit a related post click on: Estuary codling.
Tags: Angling, Coalfish, codling, Fishing, Flounder, Ireland, lugworm, Pier fishing, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Wexford
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Friday, December 2nd, 2011
It’s been blowing a gale for the last few days and the beaches are choked with weed. The codling must be having a feeding frenzy but how do you get at them. Eureka, head towards the Waterford estuary, there’s plenty of shelter from those southerly winds and numerous accessible marks to fish. The beach at Duncannon shimmered under a glorious sunset, four dozen hard won black lugworm glistened in my bucket, their tell tale casts and blow holes only making an appearance shortly before the sun set on the Waterford shore.
Darkness was closing in as I made my way to the Strand Bar for a bite to eat and a pint of stout, before heading up the estuary to a mark that had been producing of late. A handy spot, you can drive the car up, step out and fish. Making my first cast an hour and a half into the flood, a two hook paternoster loaded up with fat juicy lug, the gripper dug into the mussel bank and my rod tip curved as the current took hold. Immediately, thump, thump, thump, the rod leaned over as the most certainly hooked fish swam up tide. I could feel the kicks and heavy knocks through the rod and shortly after codling number one was swung ashore.
“Nice fish”. “First of the night”, says I, before belting out cast number two. Pat Power, a local angler had come down to try his luck. While he was setting up my rod gave a double knock, strike two, “Hey you’re doing well”. “Yes, two in two casts, all on lug”. Pat using peeler crab found fish harder to come by although an odd codling, whiting, and coalfish came his way. So it went on, cast after cast bites every time, I lost count as to how many fish came my way. Double headers, dab, whiting, more codling, the sea bed must have been carpeted. Then an hour before high water it all stopped.
Now eight thirty pm, a hard frost was falling through the still night air. What a session, especially the first hour. Bites had been thick and fast, producing some fine codling. As the tide rose funnily enough the fish got smaller, by session end most were just on or over the 30cms. Waterford estuary has to be a nursery area for codling, and if so must be designated such. Retaining five codling for din dins, catch and release applying to the rest of my catch which easily topped twenty fish, I headed for home and a warm fire. Brrrrr.
See also: Christmas Coalies.
See also: Mixed Bag from the Waterford Estuary.
Tags: Angling, codling, Duncannon, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Waterford estuary
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Monday, November 28th, 2011
Frank Flanagan, a member of the Menapia SAC in County Wexford, kindly sent me a photo of a super cod that he landed during a recent beach session. Weighing eight pounds the cracking fish took Frank’s bait just behind the surf line. Southerly winds which had been blowing for the previous couple of days had obviously pushed feed inshore and the hungry cod followed.
Having enjoyed a productive session which included a nice plunp codling just a few days previous, and aware of similar catches there is no doubt that cod are running the shore in reasonable numbers this winter. They will most certainly be around until mid to late January, so get out there and enjoy what appears to be the best winter cod season along the southern Irish coast in years.
Tags: Angling, Beach fishing, Cod, Cod fishing, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Peeler crab, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Wexford
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Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
It’s the 22nd of November and the temperature reads 9 degrees, with only two mild frosts to date we are a far cry from last year when we entered the freezer for a month of snow and double digit minus temperatures. Codling are definitely hitting the beaches with reports of fish to 5/6 lbs amongst the general run of two pounders. On some venues bass to 7.lbs are swimming with the codling, mobile phone images do not lie this really could be the best season in many a year. The key is to get out there regularly and fish the correct marks, tides, and times, high water at dusk or one/three hours after appearing to be the optimum.
Arriving at my chosen location two hours into the ebb tide just as dusk was closing in around 17.00 pm, I quickly set up twin surf casting rigs utilising two hook (2/0 Kamazan 940′s) paternosters baited with lugworm, lobbing one in close and belting the other out. Using long (18 inch) snoods it quickly became apparent that schoolies and or coalfish were resident, quick single thumps of the rod tops announcing their presence. These fish tend to play with the bait, darting in for a quick nibble, shortening the snoods would have resulted in hook ups but I was after bigger things. A rattle and a slack line, rod in hand I tighten up and feel, a thump down is countered with a strike in the opposite direction, fish on. This feels like a good bass, pulling the rod around, quickly swimming in, backing up the beach and reeling like f**k I make contact, head shaking in the surf, a white belly in my headlight beam, MULLET? Now that’s a first, on lug of all baits, hooked fair and square in the top lip.
A few flounder, schoolie bass, coalfish, and dogfish follow in quick succession all on the inner rod before a classic thump thump slack line bite has me running up the beach again to make contact. Thankfully the rod heels over and I feel the kick of a nice codling, running 3/4 lbs lets hope that there is another. Shortly afterwards I get a repeat performance, another good fish on, the fight intensifies as the undertow takes hold then nothing. Reeling in I check the trace only to find that my hook knot has unravelled, you clot Ash.
Shortly after things went quite, I fished on until the bait ran out bang on low water at around 21.00 pm. It had been a good session with certainly the first two hours providing regular bites. In this day and age six species and two good fish in the three/four pound bracket is nothing to be sniffed at. With favourable tides over the weekend here’s to another crack at it.
Tags: Angling, Bass, Beach fishing, Cod fishing, codling, Fishing, Ireland, lugworm, Mullet, Sea Angling, Sea Fishing, shore fishing, Surf casting, Wexford
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