Miscellaneous questions

Hi folks,

1) What is the preferred holdall/box of the average sea angler? I have a fairly large cantilever box but it's quite heavy (full of lead and other things) and doesn't offer enough space to store reels etc. I was considering buying a seat box - do many folk use these?

2) What do you use to stop your lures from rusting? In my cantilever box they are exposed every time I open it and I find I am constantly chucking out rusty lures. I'm considering spraying them with WD40 when in storage - does anyone know if this will put the fish off?

3) I have bought a prawn trap, I had my trap in Port na Blagh pier all weekend sitting on the bottom however all I caught were loads of crabs and some really good 3 bearded rockling!! Can anyone advise the typical habitat and season for prawns? Can they be caught as far north as Donegal?

4) I fished Killahoey beach for a few hours approaching low tide using mackerel, lug, sprat and sandeel and didn't have so much as a bite (at least, the bait came back every retrieve). I was fishing the mouth of the channel at the corner of the beach which is famed for flatfish and the odd sea trout. Am I out of season for the flatties at the moment or could it just be a case of bad luck/wrong tides?

5) When fishing a heavy surf in strong winds, how do you guys manage to detect bites? I had a 12' beach caster set up on a tripod with a 6oz lead holding firm, but the tip was wobbling all over the show with the force of the wind and waves and there was always a slight bow in the line no matter how often I tightened up. Do you just have to concede that in rough conditions bite detection is virtually impossible and just reel in every 10-15 min?

Sorry for the rookie questions, hope someone can point me in the right direction!

Rob

hey rob i can help answer 3 of them questions
1: a seat box is very handy for sea fishing and i use the shakespeare beta box which is strong lots of room and popular amongst us shore anglers. It also can also be converted into a back pack and comfy seat with the aid of the Breakaway coversion kit.. i have 1 on mine and must say its a gift... a good tackle shop will be able get you the set which works out at about 80/90 euro for both the conversion and the box (expensive i no but vital)
2: if your storing lures buy a special plastic lure box that will keep any water or salt away from your lures ( an air tight plastic lunch box is perfect) and wash your lures in fresh water after use changing the hooks when needed.
3: when trying to hold bottom in a rough sea dont tighten up to the lead immediatly, give it some slack and let the lead find its own position on the sea bed.. fixed grip sinkers and lighter main line approx 15lb +60/70lb shock leader will help hold bottom an create less drag on the line by the waves..


i dint know the area you named but ask around this site im sure there is some1 living close that will shed more light on venues and tactics for you hope this helps

Hi folks,

1) What is the preferred holdall/box of the average sea angler? I have a fairly large cantilever box but it's quite heavy (full of lead and other things) and doesn't offer enough space to store reels etc. I was considering buying a seat box - do many folk use these?

If the box is full of lead and other things then I’m not surprised you cant fit the reels in, I think you should dump half the lead as this will make your box much lighter,
Failing that you should get a seat box.. Too expensive for what they are but they do make life a little easier,


2) What do you use to stop your lures from rusting? In my cantilever box they are exposed every time I open it and I find I am constantly chucking out rusty lures. I'm considering spraying them with WD40 when in storage - does anyone know if this will put the fish off?

Bring a plastic milk bottle with fresh water in the car and when you finish fishing dump your lures in and give them a shake, Then a quick spray of WD... It dont put the fish off.. i sometimes spray it on fish baits and it works fine,

3) I have bought a prawn trap, I had my trap in Port na Blagh pier all weekend sitting on the bottom however all I caught were loads of crabs and some really good 3 bearded rockling!! Can anyone advise the typical habitat and season for prawns? Can they be caught as far north as Donegal?

Hang the trap from a rope so its off the bottom and if Possible keep it out from the pier wall… this will help stop the crabs,


4) I fished Killahoey beach for a few hours approaching low tide using mackerel, lug, sprat and sandeel and didn't have so much as a bite (at least, the bait came back every retrieve). I was fishing the mouth of the channel at the corner of the beach which is famed for flatfish and the odd sea trout. Am I out of season for the flatties at the moment or could it just be a case of bad luck/wrong tides?

This is because you’re a rookie, and its not the best time of year to be starting out, but as the weather picks up so will your fishing,


5) When fishing a heavy surf in strong winds, how do you guys manage to detect bites? I had a 12' beach caster set up on a tripod with a 6oz lead holding firm, but the tip was wobbling all over the show with the force of the wind and waves and there was always a slight bow in the line no matter how often I tightened up. Do you just have to concede that in rough conditions bite detection is virtually impossible and just reel in every 10-15 min?

Sounds like your lead is shifting and not gripping, use a heavier lead or wait till the wind drops before you go out,
And yes keep checking and changing your bait every 10minutes in these conditions as the wave action will soon wash out the scent from your baits which in turn will mean less fish in the bag,


Sorry for the rookie questions, hope someone can point me in the right direction!

Rob

No problem, nobody was born with a rod in there hand “cept me” we all had to start somewhere,
A few of the lads should be along to help you out with anything you need to know,

Good luck to you,

hi rob,i was going to reply but sea serpent beat me too it on killahouy beach you might be doing what i did last year and be using the wrong size hooks,no 4 - 2 hooks are the right size hooks for the flounder and fresh lug isthe killer bait, altho down here in mayo/galway frozen lug/mack sliver cocktails work too,and iys a good idea to let your baits move a bit in the surf as flounder hunt visually, and a moving bait will catch more fish,so twitch the rod every 5 min or so,if its turbot or plaice you are after then you can up the hook size to 1s but there is no need really,and fish baits are best,and of course sea trout will get hooked on these hook sizes too,IF there around.

on strong winds/surf, then its wise, if you are not seeing bites, to check and refresh your baits every fifteen/twenty min.and as sea serpent said wait a few min to tighten your line to give the grips a chance to grip.

on the lure question,a good waterproof box will keep your lures in good nick,and wd40 works well,remember some anglers ADD wd40 to there baits for extra scent,wd40 breaks down quickly in the water and leaves a scent trail

prawns can be caught in donegal,i collect them myself for salmon fishing ,i normally start at the end of may,killeybegs is excellent i dont use a trap i use a small meshed landng net ,just scoop it around the seaweed ,please return any egg bearing prawns you catch.

don't worry about the rookie questions most of us on here are still rookies ourselves,there is always some thing new to learn

i sent you a pm about a seat box I ordered on line,Shakespeare beta box,Cushion,Carrying strap and side tray for €45.54 postage included in that price,i thought it was a all right deal but others might know cheaper ones
as for the other questions i think the lads have given the right answers already

hi scrob, here is a bargain in the for sale section
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26964

my uncle swears by the wd40 he drills out holes in balsa wood lures and soaks them in wd40 for his lake fishing,and hes caught plenty of wild brownies over the 10 lb mark this way

prawns can be caught in donegal,i collect them myself for salmon fishing ,i normally start at the end of may,killeybegs is excellent i dont use a trap i use a small meshed landng net ,just scoop it around the seaweed ,please return any egg bearing prawns you catch.

Hi John, that's great to hear, I would definitely put any egg bearing prawns back but to be totally honest I don't know what I'd be looking for Maybe if I was in the Killybegs area in a couple of months time I could drop you a pm if you were about?

hi scrob, here is a bargain in the for sale section
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26964

Cheers Don, hadn't seen that, mulling it over here....

hi rob,i was going to reply but sea serpent beat me too it on killahouy beach you might be doing what i did last year and be using the wrong size hooks,no 4 - 2 hooks are the right size hooks for the flounder and fresh lug isthe killer bait, altho down here in mayo/galway frozen lug/mack sliver cocktails work too,and iys a good idea to let your baits move a bit in the surf as flounder hunt visually, and a moving bait will catch more fish,so twitch the rod every 5 min or so,if its turbot or plaice you are after then you can up the hook size to 1s but there is no need really,and fish baits are best,and of course sea trout will get hooked on these hook sizes too,IF there around.

on strong winds/surf, then its wise, if you are not seeing bites, to check and refresh your baits every fifteen/twenty min.and as sea serpent said wait a few min to tighten your line to give the grips a chance to grip.

on the lure question,a good waterproof box will keep your lures in good nick,and wd40 works well,remember some anglers ADD wd40 to there baits for extra scent,wd40 breaks down quickly in the water and leaves a scent trail

Hi mate, good to hear on the WD40, I'll be using it now in earnest As for Killahoey, it was size 1 Aberdeen's I was using with a single lug and a small mackerel tip. I didn't actually have any grippers left so was using 6oz bombs but they did appear to be holding bottom ok. The only other thing I would say is that I was using a pulley rig and the snood seemed to tangle around the shock leader a bit so perhaps the limited movement and lack of visual beads killed my chances a bit. Have you fished Killahoey much before yourself? I have a house nearby and am determined to crack the beach - so far I've just been flogging the boat fishing and pier/rocks, but would like to master the sand for the chance of a trout.

I find best way to catch prawns / shrimps is with a child's bamboo seaside net... swirl it around rockpool seaweed at low tide and you should get some.