First Comp, Youghal-Feb 5th, 10am

if it is hard to hold bottom here it maybe worth trying out gemini's with the uptide inserts fitted? they seem to work well up here on venues similar to what you describe this to be seaniebo?

Your right phill. Its just very hard to find them in any of the tackle shops down here. Its as if breakaway have a monopoly on leads in these parts!

I hope to see ye in youghal on Sunday so you can add me to that list lads.

Fair enough Sean. We'll see everyone at the venue then.

Donal.

Weather forecast for Sunday,

Sunday, too, will be dry for the most part with some bright or sunny periods. Winds gradually freshening from the southwest and cloud increasing later.

Doesn't look too bad. Touch wood.

Donal.

Lads,

Are any of you staying in Youghal on the Saturday night?

Donal.

20 Points for per species.
10 points for each fish (above minimum)
1 Point per centimeter length of fish. The minimum counting length is 20cm.
All fish, except Ray to be measured from tip of head to end of tail. Ray
are to me measured across, from tip to tip of each wing.
All measurements to be rounded to the nearest centimeter. Anything under
and up to half a centimeter gets rounded down and anything over half a
centimeter gets rounded up.
All Dogfish will be awarded minimum size, e.g. 10 points for the fish and
20cm's.
All Conger will be awarded 45 points. 10 for the fish and 35 for the
length.

All fish measurements must be witnessed and initialed (signed) by another Club member. In the event of a dispute,
another club member or
committee member can be called to make a judgement on the measurement.

Mac won this, with M.b3 second and coaster 3rd..I'll write up more/scores tomorrow
jd

Well done MAC, Congrats :D

So what happened lads? Were there many fish caught?

How many fish did the winner have etc?

Well done by the way Kevin! Good start to the new season!

seaniebo, if you have problems finding the gemini bits and pieces, try here-
[url]http://www.gemini-tackle.co.uk/sinkers3.php[/url]

<pre>
Mac

Flounder 31 38
Coalfish 21 23


40+ 40+ 114 = 194

=====================================

M.B3

Flounder 31
Coalfish 22 21


40+ 30+ 74 = 144

=====================================

JP

Coalfish 23


20+ 10+ 23 = 53

=====================================

Coaster

Coalfish 21


20+ 10+ 21 = 51

</pre>

Thanks for the cudos guys.......

To be honest the day looked perfect. The venue was good there was just not that many fish in front of us. Sometimes this happens. :? There might have been some better fishing into the channel, but we would have had no hope of pegging 8 lads there. Given the current rip, there would have been crossed lines for the duration of the comp. For me things started well. I was getting a bite a cast for about 8 - 10 casts, from about 20 mins into the comp. I only managed to hit one flounder (31cm) I was pleased enough with that. Things slowed off a bit with just the crabs stealing the bait for about an hour. I had a small coalfish in between. I think it was about 1:30 or so when I was chatting to Donal beside the rod and I got a nice bite that slacklined me. This was the 38cm flounder whice was a PB for me, so I was chuffed. Nothing again for a while then another small Coalie. Then it really was nothing for the last hour. Mark caught his flounder with about 20 mins to go. I put a fresh bait in the water and waited..... I managed to get the win. I was chuffed to bits to be honest, but realy felt for the lads who didn't manage to catch.

The two flounder and one coalie was caught on 1/4 or 1/2 a peeler Crab, with one coalie on Lug. All fish came on the bottom hook of a 1 up 1 down rig with size 1 hooks. I was using snood lenghts of about 18 inches which I think helped move the bait a little in the clear water. I'm far from being an expert on this stuff but that's how they were caught. :?

Thanks again for a really nice days lads. One thing about the club comps is that there is always a bit of craic regardless of the fishing.

I'm looking forward to the hiding off Sean and Mark at little killary already :D

Kev

Well done Kev. Thoroughly deserved win, as you said there wasnt a lot of fish but you still managed to get the most out of what was there, which with a hangover was no mean feat! Congrats again.
Meslf and mark went further up the river after the comp and had a cod a cast on the rising tide to 3lb. Good craic and the leftover baits came in handy (thanks for all the donations lads!). They were taking pretty much anything even plain ragworm!

Cheers Sean,

Was that spot full? Could we in retrospect have had the comp there?

Kev

The spot wasnt full but we would have had the same problems of crossed lines with the way the tide pushes through here. Alright if theres 2 or 3 fishing, anymore would be difficult.

Just reading through this and a thought occurred which is to fish the southern facing shoreline on an ebb tide next time around, you can certainly fit more than 8 and bar the one hotspot that would have to be excluded to be fair to all, it is a better venue. Any thoughts?

BTW, next competition is the day after my wife's birthday and to cap it all she is working the previous night shift. If it rained soup, fork etc. :?

Kieran, if you think up an excuse that allows you to get away without getting divorced, feel free to share it. :lol:

Just read your post Kieran....

I think we chose correctly with the Venue. Just wasn't that many fish in front of us. Apparently Peg 8 (Mark's Peg) was the hot spot. I was the opposite end (Peg 2)

I suppose there's always some after though when a venue doesn't fish too well. I think next time in this area we might look at a neap tide a little further up the river, or as Pete mentioned, we might just fish "De Wall" :D

Kev

or as Pete mentioned, we might just fish "De Wall"

Hooray!