What am I wrestling with?

Sadly I saw a dead conger maybe 2.5ft long left on the rocks in Dylans Park,Dalkey one evening.You might be able to shed some light for me,Ive never caught a conger before but last Monday (in Dalkey),I think I was getting conger bites,What sort of hit do you get on your bait from congers,One big strike or tap tap?Something was taking my bait (large mack strips) but not in a hard hit but a definate pull,The when Id strike I could feel the fish and get some line in,Then it would feel like I had the titanic on the hook,I couldnt move it,but I could still feel the vibrations of a fish up the line,If I kept tension on the line long enough,sometimes I could get more line in and Id think I could land the fish but then it'd hold fast again, I couldn't budge it,Id eventually get a snapped line or my rig missing the hook etc. This happened repeatedly, great sport but no fish,I was using a flowing trace (I usually use a 1 or 2 hook paternoster and get dogs or pollock) and the tied was almost right in around 8.30 and following the line it looked whatever had me was near enough at my feet in the rocks.So was I on conger or was I out in the dark too long and the kelp was playing tricks with me???????? Was I getting conger and they were getting back to their boltholes? My rod is fairly sturdy but Im not risking another break,I smashed an expensive rod I had for three years in Colliemore on a snag and nearly stopped fishing completely for a while then only to replace it witrh a cheaper beech caster and it snap on a snag on the a cast!

Sounds like conger to me.

I've caught a couple. The problem is you are not using wire trace.

By the way, you think you are stuck on the bottom and it's not budging but it's usually just the power of these fish.
They can sit in the one position for a good bit no matter how hard you pull. You just have to keep the pressure on and wait it out.

i got a conger last week and even tho it was pretty small(about 2 foot) it seemed pretty strong. not a great fight but very strong. it holed up on me twice and i thought i was snagged on something. id leave it for a minute or 2 with the rod bent a little and wait. eventually it came out only to come stuck again. after about 5 or 6 minutes of hooking it i got it in. a quick photo and it was back in. i can only imaging how hard a big one would be to land.

they are most definately a very powerful fish,the most important part of the fight is getting it moveing and once you do that dont give an inch if it gets back to ground or a hole its goodbye.and if there is any weakness in your trace or knots it will be found out big time,i think its best to use a multiplier reel as it gives you direct contact with the fish and set the ratchet when the fish lifts the bait and moves of,set the drag and knock the ratchet of and hang on tight.best rig is a running ledger with a size 6/0 to 8/0 hook bait a full makerel or head and guts of a makerel hooked through the head,the trace i use is either 100 or 150lb mono,and always check it after every fish,most good size congers i have had bite very shy like a small fish at the bait.good luck and good hunting.

i would agree with everything beachcaster said but i would use 250lb mono.a decent conger can even make short work of 150lb mono so i take no chances.never use wire as it kinks and breaks easier than mono

i used 100Ibs mono on portaferry peir for 'em a couple of weeks back only to hook one that bit through the line in a couple of minutes of fightin it but it faught very well for the time i had it on.

Thanks lads,Starting to think it was most definately a conger messing with me the other night,So going to give it a go tonight or tomorrow. Don't think Ive anything stronger than 60lb in the box so Ill have to use wire trace. just re: the mackerel flapper,Hook in through the mouth out the top of the head?

Mackeral head would be sufficient. Save the rest of Mackeral.

Back to Dalkey Rocks (Dylans park) last night, Lovely and calm bit of an eerie fog. Started off well with two mackerel,taking small mackerel strips then two codling (new species for me) Then probably the biggest LSD Ive caught from shore. Then it started happening again! PLEASE NO LOLS! THIS COULD BE ANOTHER SET BACK IN MY FISHING ENTHUSIASM. 4 times in the evening, Id feel a bite,Let it take,feel the strike and the fish,Start the retieve then whollop,Itd stop dead in its tracks and I might get maybe a foot more line.All four times I had wire trace and eventually my line was snapping above my boom. Id had about enough. I could see a headlamp down at Colliemore so I decided to pack up and move down and see if I could squire some knowledge! I set up at Colliemore and cast out, Got a bite,felt like a doggie,On the retrieve,Bang,snag and eventually SNAP! How could this be happening to me again? So I went and had chat with the other chap, Then it all came together,He told me not too cast out to far and asked had I just been snagged and why? LOBSTER POTS! Please no giggles! So I fear my elusive conger has been a string of lobster pots that so Im told run from Colliemore all the way down through Dalkey Sound! So bottom fishing,Ive been getting one fish or another then on the way back catching the pot ropes,dragging the pots a few feet through the water and snapping my line,I though I wasnt snagged because theres no kelp or weed that strong! So the joke is on me! I never saw the bouys because I was fishing in the dark! I feel like quite the fool and even worse theres a good hadful of fish probably now dead with my rigs lodged in their mouths.

I cast out again,Got one LSD which cheered me up slightly untill the little fecker ripped a nice patch of skin off the back of my hand. Think Ill just have to find a new spot. I heard of lads in Wexford lobbing in slash hooks and towing in the lines but Im not that rebellious yet and if its the lads in Bulloch Harbour,Id rather not cross them.

So anyone in need of a fishing partner from Poolbeg to Bray and doesn't mind a tag along some evening or at the weekend,Gimme an ould PM, ,My old buddy has gone to Oz the fopper. Anyways Im off to Westport tomorrow for a few thorneys and hopefully a Huss.

At least the mystery is solved I dont think i would have been that honest fair play

Did you have a UFO? - an unidentified fishing object