Why are not many big fish caught on our North coast and why

dublin is actually improving slightly over the last few years with some good flatfish and big bass up to 10lb being taken in the bay mostly due to water quality improving on the down side bait digging for lug is harder work as lug thrive in water of poorer quality(they eat sh*t)i also beleive there was an excelent run of tope around dunloire and dalkey this year as with all bass fishing actual marks will be kept secret but good fishing is there to be had if you put in the hours and do a bit of home work

the bass fishing has gotten better. good numbers of fish last year. mixed feelings on the flounder fishin. smoothhound making a good show of themselves too.

Thankyou all for replying , i was trying to get some feed back as to why stocks have declined, yes Conger and Pollack do still get caught in large sizes but flats do not seem to. Twenty years ago you didnt just turn up either, i like many of the rest of you have stood out for hours on end in cold and rain for the prospect of a good sizes cod or the like.

By my post i was trying to get a idea of how anglers feel around the coast about their shore sport, is it what they think it should be or how it could be improved. I have seen Salmon rivers improve by improvements to spawning beds and habitat etc and trout also, i know the sea is a much larger place but what is being done in order to protect and help species such as plaice and cod and what can be done to protect habitat, breeding ground. Areas for young fish can only suffer as a result of constant trawling its not just the taking of adults by trawlers that does the damage. Yes large fish may still be caught at times but such a resource as the North coast or even the whole coast around Ireland needs to be managed and helped if future anglers are to enjoy a days sport like i and others have over the years, it can be done for lakes and rivers so why not the sea.

By my post i was trying to get a idea of how anglers feel around the coast about their shore sport, is it what they think it should be or how it could be improved. I have seen Salmon rivers improve by improvements to spawning beds and habitat etc and trout also, i know the sea is a much larger place but what is being done in order to protect and help species such as plaice and cod and what can be done to protect habitat, breeding ground. Areas for young fish can only suffer as a result of constant trawling its not just the taking of adults by trawlers that does the damage. Yes large fish may still be caught at times but such a resource as the North coast or even the whole coast around Ireland needs to be managed and helped if future anglers are to enjoy a days sport like i and others have over the years, it can be done for lakes and rivers so why not the sea.

Now please do not take this as dissing your idea, but there are problems. And these are the problems as i see them.

1. Money. seeing as the sea is a much larger habitat it would need larger nursery areas or habitat improvement etc...

2. Commercial fishermen. These people will always have the excuse "we need to make a living" so i cant see much happening on that front until the politicians actually do something instead of saying they will do it.

3. The sea bed is constantly changing, so it would be difficult to create any constant habitat.

Also please do not take no. 2 as an attack on commercial fishermen. i understand that these people do need to make a living, but i cant understand why they need to take so many fish to do so.

The only option i see is breeding fish on captivity to make sure that more of the young fish survive than in the wild. However i am sure this poses its own problems that i don't know how to solve.

join an organization that will promote conservation issues and tackle issues such as the inshore fisheries bill, such as SACN

north coast - shore fishing has declined, but still can be fun with good fish turning up at times - not many beaches around ireland that throw up turbot to double figures occasionally, also in the last couple of years 3lb plus flounder, specimen bass, double figure pollack, huss, conger, etc etc

most of the good fish are in the rough ground though, the likes of your wrasse, huss, conger pollack etc, where the commmercial netters/trawlers etc cant get at them too easy.

with anglers changing their tactics on the boats in recent years we are now getting skate, blonde, cuckoo, spotted rays etc etc, most of these were missed before as boats nearly always drifted off the north coast....
take a look at portrush on the boats the ast few years - drifting on the sand has been a waste of time in general, the only sport to be had was in around the skerries etc for pollack on light gear, some boats anchored on the banks and done ok with blondes etc.
ballycastle produces a wide range of sizeable species
going over to culdaff produces good wreck fishing and excellent tope sport
as does the swilly.

everyone knows that its now a waste of time generally to target the likes of sizeable codling off the shore on the north coast, and instead spend their time going after the fish they know that are there, and fish for them when they know they are there.

in answer to your question, yes - general size of fish is down compared to years ago, but keep the chin up and adapt tackle etc to get the best sport out of the decent fish that are still left.....and if we all do our bit by returning them, then hopefully in another 20 years we might see a difference.

[alannelson]

must say have to agree with Bigphil spot on with what he says most of my fishing is on rock marks these days with conger eels your easiest and best bet for catching something over double figures and if you do your homework a few hefty Pollack are possible.

Last edited by alannelson on Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think the way you've got to look at it is, 99.5% of North/Antrim Coast marks are Ultra Accessible, and with the number of anglers on that stretch of Coast, every weekend, Word of a mark throwing up big fish isn't that long in travelling, So naturally an Area will be fished harder...

Have a look at Co. Down, Its Relatively untouched, It doesn't get half as much attention as Antrim, and this is where I have come to realise, its not because the fish arn't there... its Because Co. Down has, Pure, Unlocked potential waiting for whichever anglers are happy enough to get off there ass and try new things... Trust me, I have only scratched the surface here... But I reckon Co. Downs potential will soon be realised.

yes drew mate. i think fmcn for one has showed everyone the quantity and quality of the pollock he caught last year from his ballyhornan/ardglass rock mark proves u r right. also there has to be some good spots along strangford lough just waiting to be fished. so the lesson here is don't fish the usual marks week in, week out that r completely fished out by every fisherman and his dog. try a mark completely new to u every so often and c what it throws up.

Some great rock marks along the co.down coast that can hold big pollock and still throw up codling, whiting, dab and flounder and once you finally do get that biggy it will be all the more rewarding.

Tight Lines

Its a pity when they did that recent sea programme that they didnt do more filming in fishing areas, we all seen the big fish around the Salmon cages but would you say they were natural or pumped up to that size through eating wasted pellets it would be interesting if we had set aside areas around the North coast where no boats were allowed for say 2 years and these were well patrolled to see what would happen in those areas after that time had passed but i think we know thats a dream, remember the Haddock and Cod that used to come off the Causeway bank what happened there are any Haddock caught there now?