Conger in Howth

Can anybody tell me where is the best place to fish for conger in howth and espically on the piers as i can fish them into darkness. Also I know I have to use a wire trace but wat type of rig do i use.

[m.b3]

how are you John65. i have met a guy that fshes for them on the short pier. try around the rocks to the right of the big steps around to light that's beside the sea. calm evening best (as far as i know). i saw the guy miss a take and have another drag him into the rocks. he told me that the week before he had 2, a 20 and a 25lb'er. short 12" snood of either heavy mono. or wire on a sliding legderwith a rotten bottom essential. all the usual baits worth a try, and i reckon a freshly killed pout would be a good bet as there are hoards of these little fella's around the rocks here (easily caught on a float with rag). hooksize is up to you, about 6/0 +. i have heard of anglers using 50lb. snoods for congers (Rodney Carter and Mike Thrussell). Carter ties 3 snoods to 1 hook incase one is cut off the rocks, but if your not confident use wire i suppose. hope this is of help and best of luck.

Last edited by m.b3 on Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thanks for that. Il give it a go and let u know how i got on .

You might be better to use heavy mono 150lb at least 2 feet long,it gives you something to control the fish with when your trying to land it ,wouldn't recomend a 50lb pound hook length ,when congers start to spin on the surface it does't take long for them to bite through the trace .
i find 8/0 bronze o'shanessys hard to beat for strength ,they are easy to get hold of for unhooking as well .

I've seen that 50lb 3 trace to a hook snood recommended else where. Conger don't bite through the nylon but ware it down so that it will snap when your pulling it in. The first few inchs on the snood get the worst ware the rest only gets chewed when you have to leave the line go slack when the congers holding on to an obstruction. Chose a very large rolling ball swivel as this will take care of the spin. Just because a swivel rated at a value doesn't mean it will rotate at that pressure so go up the scale.

Donagh

Yep

Gotta agree about comments the 3 trace to a hook nonsense, and anyone who has caught more than a strap conger know 50 lb is way too light....

I am not a fan of wire myself and prefer mono. I would also favour bronzed hooks but of particular importance is the rotten link to any weight you use. In harbours and off rocks, dispense with the weight. The bait will be enough.

Conor Hamilton has just sent me a a purpose built 250 lb mono Conger trace linked to what has got to be the smalled 10/0 hook I have ever seen (not his fault, clearly a typo, its a standard 6/0). I was also agree with the rolling ball swivel, very important for the last ten metres when they start whipping up a froth. For the record there has been a massive Conger in Howth Harbour for many years. The last time it was landed, about two years ago, my brother verified that it weighed in at a tad below 45 lbs so it should have plumped up nicely since then :wink: He has seen it since at low water... it tends to hunt around the east pier, behind the lighthouse.

FWIW...

I'm taking bets on Mb3 heading out to the East pier over the next two weeks looking for this conger! Blame Kieran if you blank Mark!

Is Conor selling those rigs Kieran? Or was it a special?

Handy to have.

ah i had a good one there before Wes but it was too dangerous trying to bring him up the rocks, he was scaring my girlfriend too! had to cut the line near the hook. i couldn't even lift all his body up. it probably looked like myself and the conger where dancing on the rocks as i tried to hold him up!

lads the 50lb. line is used as minimum and (i wish i could speak from personal experience) Thrussel reckons there is no need to go over 75lb. mono snood from the shore. anyway, we seem to care more than the congers what kind of snood we use. best not to take chances and leave big hooks in these fella's i suppose....but would a gaff not be a better idea than hauling a conger in by the snood!!! i have tried it and it's a little dodgy.

I have had a few from the pier in Howth last year and will be trying again over the next few weeks . Drop your bait between the rocks in the pier with a boat rod and reel . There are a few known holes . The key is to find a deep hole and pre bait it for a couple of nights before you head out . And watch out for the rats .

thanks 4dat lads il give a go.

I'm a novice at Conger fishing having caught only one before actually targetting them this year. I'm hoping to lift a shore specimen from Fanad or Downings before the summer is out.

Anyway, having lost a few while my pal was catching them I done a bit of homework. Conger almost always take the bait head first. I had been hooking my flapper by putting the hook in the mouth and out through the top of the head. All this managed to do was firstly to scare the conger off as the heavy line was interfering with his dinner, and secondly, if the conger did take the bait, my strike (or rather lift) only succedded in pulling the bait out of the mouth of the eel.

On Monday I went back to Fanad with my new-found knowledge and although it was still bright and the tide was still running, I duly lifted an admittedly small conger having put my hook through the head from the back of the bait.

Hope this wee tip helps any other novice.