January

hey lads
I'm new to most of this craic and am still learning a lot, and wanted to ask something. I have transport for the next week or so and was looking to get out for a session (and hopefully break the jinx on the shiny new christmas reel, yes I did get it, thanks m.b3) , but I'm told (and I['ve read here) that fishing slows down big-time in Jan and feb. I was going to try a local estuary for flounder but I read somewhere that they may be all gone out to deep water to spawn at this time of year and I wouldn't be surprise if the xmas cold snap had encouraged them to do just that. Would I have any chance at them at all or would I be better advised targetting other species? The mark I'm thinking of also holds bass but again, is it the wrong time of year or am I in with a crack? What should I be targetting at the start of Jan?
Within driving distance are surf beaches, estuarys, rock marks and the wall at monkstown.
any ideas, input much appreciated.

Hi Rocky

If you talk to Bob Moss he will tell you that the best bass fishing is in the mid winter abd not the summer, mind you it ain't with lures except on very nice days! The flounder will not disappear completely but certainly the fish will be in poorer condition, some may be spawned out and down to skeletal remains (catch and release as they are no good for the table) but with that they get very hungry! Some species like Codling and Whiting come inshore in the winter, smallish Coalfish the same often in massive shoals (drive you cracked after the first hour)... and there is always the chance of a big mackerel - Jim Clohessy has one in January over the Turbot Bank in Cork Harbour last year, and there have been very good fish taken all around the coast in December.

I think the reel will get well christened! :D

as a general rule the fishing does slow down at these times. in saying that a lot of the larger flounder taken from estuary regions are often post christmas fish. now is a good time to target them if you know a likely spot. find out what bait works as this can be vital to catching and will also keep the confidence up in the bad weather! a settled overcast, mild day is good for flounder in the estauries with an evening rising tide a good bet. likewise from shallow beaches. some places will benefit from a bit of surf. otherwise fish evening into dark for a good chance. do your homework and ask around as some marks can fish reasonable well at this time. good dab catches can be had up to march if your on the right mark. where exactly are you fishing??

October tae December, for fish you'll remember. January and Feb, May as well stay in bed....

Arghhhh, The Sea, She be a moody thing....

thanks lads, sound words there and enough optimism to give me some confidence, which is probably the main thing I was looking for...
Mark I have some spots around courtmacsherry in Cork in mind, fished it a little while back and caught nothing but liked the scenery. The estuary itself there has some well-known flounder marks and I was going to give them a crack, but there's also a nice beach or two within a minute or two's drive so if there's no cooperation in the estuary I'll try the surf.

Kieran, did you really mean big mackeral?

anyway thanks a lot and I'll fish the bejaysus out of it...

Hi Rocky , a couple of my mates are just back from a few days fishing for the cod of monkstown , they're taking great delight in telling me how good the fishing was ,(apporox 90 codling averaging 1.5lb with a dozen or so in the 3-5lb range ) :cry: :cry: i couldn't make it due to work .
they were using lug /mussel ,might be worth giving there a throw in the new year .

i fished the mud flats on the road side of ferry point in youghal on tuesday last and caught eight well conditioned flounder two of which were over the two pound. all were caught on fresh peeler crab ( six of which i managed to collect on christmas day sad huh ) i tried lug and mussle also but they were not interested. i find it best about an hour after low water and a good tactic is to move back along the road a few hundred yards every hour or so as the flounder push up the flats as the tide pulls in.

hope this helps.

All dub anglers try to get out to lion's head between now and march with a few rolls of frozen blacks and some commons and enjoy some great dab fishing. Had them to nearly a pound here last year.

[m.b3]

Last edited by m.b3 on Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

forgot to say....i heard something about a new fence being put up here?? have you seen it???

well in the end I got out and had no luck with the bass around inchydoney but had a good few whiting off the pier at monkstown in a force 10 gale.

christened the christmas reel but cost me a bloody fishing rod. I was using a heavy enough beachcasting rod but had an 11-foot spinning rod with me as well on the pier, just in case, I don't know, I saw a salmon or something (lesson one, don't bring stuff you don't need).
So anyway, I put the spinning rod safely to one side. On the ground. You can guess the rest, that crunch of carbon fibre five minutes later when I walked very convincingly on the tip section and made sh*te of it.

The funny thing is, I then tackled down the rod and put it to one side, standing up, intending to find out the next day if I could get a replacement tip.

Five minutes later the wind blew it over and the butt section rolled into the drink and floated merrily up Cork harbour.

somebody up there is trying to tell me something...

looks like it! there trying to tell u not to stand on your fishin' rods!! sorry to hear.