Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:24 pm

Hello all, I'm trying to plan a trip up to Donegal/ Sligo to have a go for a few sea trout on lures in a couple of months. I will be fishing estuary marks and will have a rod license!
Just wondering what people's opinions or experiences on the best states of tide and times to fish for sea-trout in this kind of environment? Would spring tides be best or do the fish remain active across springs and neaps. Any general pointers much appreciated.

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:47 pm

Best of luck at it rob, let me know closer to the time, i may join you

for whatever reason the few trout ive gotten always seem to be on the rise and high water

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:02 pm

Which bit of Donegal? Bait or artificals? A couple of months is mid March, ish. you may be hitting a lot of spent and half-mended fish.

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:54 pm

Cheers Brian. I'll definitely be on to you once I have a better idea of dates etc.
corbyeire wrote:Best of luck at it rob, let me know closer to the time, i may join you

for whatever reason the few trout ive gotten always seem to be on the rise and high water

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 9:03 pm

Will be fishing single hook metal lures and maybe experiment with a few soft plastics. Inishowen area in mind regarding marks but willing to move around.
Tanglerat wrote:Which bit of Donegal? Bait or artificals? A couple of months is mid March, ish. you may be hitting a lot of spent and half-mended fish.

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:43 pm

Give me a shout once you have a better idea of times & areas, I could jump in too. Bottom of Sheephaven will produce, Ballyness would be worth exploring. I don't know much about St down in Inishowen - Inch might be worth a look.

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:53 am

I'd be up for this. would like to have a go with a fly rod too maybe
like the idea of the venues as mentioned above as i have never fished them before for sea trout

all i can say is that the entrances to estuaries or rivers can be best - especially at low tide when fish are congregated in less water. the fish will move in and out of an estuary with the tide, they try to expend as little energy as possible (swim against as little current as necessary) and so they literally move with the moving water. so at low water the fish, in theory, should be near the mouth of the estuary.
as a result, and from past experiences, fish are often caught at the mouths of estuaries as the running (draining) water from an estuary starts to slacken approaching low water, stops and turns, and then starts to move back in again.
otherwise, if not fishing the mouth of an estuary, then its a matter of working shorelines, looking for sporting (jumping) sea trout, and having a chuck! :)

would agree too though - fishing for s.trout in March/April can see a lot of fish just returning from spawning. they can be in poor condition (spent / half-mended) and may be (too?) easily caught because they are starving. they can also taste like crap in this state too..
either way

Re: Sea trout tactics?

Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:02 am

Thanks for the replies lads. I'll get back once I know the score.