wesport trip easter week

hey guys

hoping i can get some advice on marks near westport whilst im away with the family over easter, willing to travel and up for any type fishing im bringing all my gear i think just in case. i dont get down that direction too much and only know 3 or 4 places fished ok but usually later in summer, just wanna get out again and kick start the year and know its bit early season. bait shops might be needed too or bait spots. pm me if u dont like to disclose here, any assistance welcomed guys, doing the usually intel with sites and forums. 2 guys im with are new to fishing and id like to suprise em with new species, they summer guys only ever caught mack, pollock and wrasse.

pm sent

If you want to stay close to Westport your best bet is the rocks past the Old Head on a rising tide. In early April, thornies will arrive but it will need to be 2 + hours into the flood before they show up, and you only have a two hour window. They are rarely caught at high tide or on the ebb. Frozen sandeel or mackerel will do fine as bait. Dogfish are exceedingly common, at any stage of the tide, and you can pick up congers close in, some quite large. If you follow the path over the hill and stiles all the way around, you will be able to scramble down to deep water rock marks, the best is just shy of the last big cove. People have indicated triggerfish caught here but I have never seen them on this mark. You can usually pick up some small Pollack and coalfish on lures, reckon its too early for mackerel. Mullet will cruise by at low water from the harbour.

If you follow the path only some of the way, and fish from just past the "elbow" you have a better chance of more species. Can't explain why but there you go. Dabs, flounder, small gurnards, wrasse close in under the weed (bit early?), whiting coalies and pollack are all possible. Fire the baits out a long way under low water conditions and look for fish closer in as the water rises. I don't bother fishing here on the ebb, at all. I have seen sea trout here and there are rumours of bass which I ignore. Warning: I have caught lots of weaverfish here, especially in the harbour area.

There is a pod of dolphins in Clew Bay and they are regular visitors to this spot, often playing with the boats from the harbour. Amazing sight.

If you want to drive farther than Westport, all the storm beaches past Louisburgh are best fished at night. Far too shallow during the day to get any action. Mostly flounder, sea trout and occasionally bass. Please return them as they are rare as hens teeth in Mayo. There have been some nice rays taken off these beaches - mostly thornies but Doug Priddy had a picture of a small eyed one in his (closed) shop which he swears came off Cross Strand. You can also pick up mullet in some of the smaller coves and beaches. Lugs works really well - you can dig it in a crappy muddy "beach" in front of the old abbey down a laneway from the famine memorial in Murrisk (opposite the entrance to the Croagh Patrick car park). I would not bother with any of the listed "marks" from Murrisk in towards Westport - they are not very good and often very snaggy.

The only possible exception is the beach and "cut" at Bertragh Strand. The spine of rocks pointing west are a known bass mark - darkness and bit of a chop in the water helps - but the beach is very poor. At the "cut" at the very far end, pollack and in season mackerel get collected by the current and depth of water. Stories of big predators in the deep water pool at just that, from a long lost bygone era. Sorry but that's the truth.

All the shops in Westport are closed. The nearest is in Linenhall Street in Castlebar and he stocks frozen baits. There is a new "outdoor" shop on the main street run by his brother, but its not for angling really. Hope this helps...

That's good advice.....never had much luck between Westport and Bertra....some luck at the end of the beach but not in main channel...very strong flow either side of tide.Old head or beaches further south.