Plaice around mid-west

Any advise on Targeting plaice around clare or maybe the Estuary.

What rigs and tactics? I was thinking golds and or wishbone pulleys. Maybe wishbone up and overs with beads and sequeins.
What bait tide and time of year around here?

you can PM me marks if you wish.

Donagh

Hi Donagh, in the same boat as youself, havn,t caught a plaice in 9 years since i moved to kerry, used to catch loads on east coast, love fishing for them ,rag used to be best for me,head hooked with plenty of movement red and white beads above stop knot best worked best for me biggest plaice a dustbin lid South Beach Arklow ,Ithink im getting withdrawals why did you bring this up Hey if you get a pm on this .............. A Tyrone man living in Kerry I need help.

Hi Donagh , me again forgot to mention rigs any thing that sticks to the bottom. wishbone rig with me fav beads worked well often two plaice at atime finickly bites but a nice rattle when they take , More or less a summer species , but dawn Ifound spurs feeding so be prepared to get an early shout hook size Inever went over 1/0 smallest size 1 ,H ave heard they can be caught around Castlegreg but have fished it many times no evid Good luck

have you tried ventry liamport? I've caught several plaice near the stream,also had a few at trabeg.

Hi Digger , havnt fished ventry before but fished Trabeg feww times didnt catch any plaice but will keep them in mind, thanks

odd one taken at beal during the summer donagh.. i had one last summer. estuary lad could maybe tell you more....

I was taking to Neilus and he said he got them at distance off the clare beachs and I think the north clare rock marks get them. I was taking the a fella a few years back that said he got plaice from Kilteery but I suspect it was just a spotted flounder.

Donagh

all the plaice I have caught at ventry have come at long range at low water,had several fish over 2lb ,biggest one I have had is 4lb 10z,allways caught on sunny days with very calm seas ,and I always fish near the stream.

Hi Digger,

Is that the first or second stream on Ventry? What baits worked for you there.

hi john I always turn down the road at osheas bar and fish the stream on the left,caught most plaice on lug or rag ,lug seems best as the dogfish seem to have a taste for the rag.I have always caught best on very calm bright days ,all the plaice I have caught have been in september.normally fish with a wish-bone rig at long range.also had a few plaice at trabeg,and the little beach near the caravans at wine strand.hope this helps

Thanks Digger, that would be the first stream so. I must give that a go sometime soon. Never had a plaice but then again never targeted them.

Weather seems perfect at the moment for them, might be a bit early in the season?

Sorry Donagh can't help you, but liamport - a friend of mine got a plaice on the beach up from Fermoyle (Kilcummin I think??) at the weekend amongst a good few flounder - he was using lug.

ballyreen supposedly gets plaice....never heard of anyone actually catching one there though.

i know fanore gets them, but i don't think they run to any great size. i could be wrong though.

For your rig a up-and-over sounds about right, as long as it has lots of bling. a size 1 hook would do. i would assume lug is essential.

hope this helps.

Alex.

just use your standard traces. if plaice are close to medium use 3 hook flappers, clip downs for meduim to long range and loop rigs for far out. size 4's upwards depending on what size bait. use snoods of 8 to 15lb or more if dogs and ray are on the same mark. lug mussel and crab tipped with small king rag usually work. tip off with mackeral sandeel or squid- small squares or strips. an impact shield can be handy for keeping small rag on the hook. dip them in the sea before casting. rag with a fillet of sandeel whipped alonside it can be productive. in saying all that straight lug or rag can fish well too. the hard part is getting clear seas with little wind and finding the spot! wishbones or up and over wishbones can work well. on some days beads have definately made a difference to catches on some of the venues i have fished(as much as i hate to admit it!). even just try a single floaty bead above one of your hooks. beads can put fish off some days too. try moving your rig at some stage during cast, can work sometimes. another option is to pull out the grips before your cast has been fished out and let the lead swing around in the tide, depends on venue though.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/markb3/fancyflasherplaicerig.jpg" border="0" alt="fancy flasher">

i have done well with the above rig(clip down into impact sheild or use bb clip on impact lead) when things have been slow when fished at range. not pretty but it works, for flounder and dab too. you can also try a loop rig but have a wishbone on the bottom snood. this puts 3 baits practically behind the lead and casts really well.

the diagram is muck, dont kirb my hooks anymore, use whatever dimensions you like, small flasher blades from veals or get circular sequins from a girlie shop with hole on one side similar job. the floaty above the wishbone wiggles the baits around and gets the flasher blades moving... best of luck.

I catch them while distance casting as far as I can on a one hook clipped down pully rig either with a fish bait or lugworm tipped with either sand eel or mackerel

Chuck it out as far as you can and as was mentioned earlier low tide is the best option during calm seas

The beaches in Clare produce from time to time but mostly at night which is kinda strange but thats the conditions I use this tactic for the plaice