Bass Fishing Reality

[quote="John D"]By and large I'm very encouraged by what I'm reading on this thread.



beachbuddy - did you actually ask those old/new faces 'what did they expect?' because that's what I'd love to say to a lot of Bass anglers. It's actually quite frustrating and downright maddening to think that they just can't see the effect their fish kills are having on their own angling pleasure!

Hi John,
hope alls well with you?
To answer your question that's exactly what I asked and I wont go into here what was said next .With regards to the rest of your comment something that for me anyways really sickened me actually occurred not so long ago in the lurefishing section of this website.Its not a personal attack on the individual ,more an observation of how bass angling [acceptance]has changed in a short few years.
Not long ago a person would not have dared post pictures of dead bass that don't look over the size limit for fear of a backlash,yet that's exactly what happened.It actually epitomises the change in attitudes of lots of anglers that its ok to kill any fish regardless of size .

Crevan, I thank you for your initial post.
My experience is eerily similar except I have had NO fish yet this year.
I have had 12 sessions since the ban. One hookup, one follow and none landed.
I fish lures at the same marks (N Dublin) on the same tides each year for the last eleven years.
This year is by far the the worst. Depressing even.

My catches echo Jim H's diagram earlier - although no where near the same catch rate. I am deeply saddened that his business may not survive - I have followed Jim's success from the start. Again, utterly depressing.

I have kept off the fishing fora for the last few years, bar some good, unexpected catches. I had an experience about six years ago whereby someone posted an excellent catch on one of the marks I fish that completely showed the location. For the rest of that season, the mark was fished out. I pulled up three anglers one night with four Bass of no more than half a kilo each - they pleaded ignorance of the law. Shameful.

How much damage is being done by unscrupulous anglers I can only guess at. I am positive that it is much worse than any of us dare imagine.

This year and the end of last year, I have noticed three seals patrolling all of the Bass runs I fish - to me, this is the more likely cause of the utter collapse of Bass stocks in my location. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I am no keyboard warrior, nor do I have the answers, but discussion like this can only help us all.

We must recognise that there is a problem with Bass stocks in our waters.
We must act sensibly to rectify it.

Regards
JK

i have yet to see any scientific study that documents seals decimating a fishery. i think the opposite if they are there, there must be plenty of food for them. i hear this line all the time all over the country. the trawlers are the problem

now i can see how if a seal steals a mac or god help us a bass on - you would be well peed off - but i wouldnt be balancing on rock outcrops wading to my chest flinging stones at them over it (as i see happening a lot at a well know SE mark)

far more significant is the anglers slitting the throats, banging the heads, suffocating etc. bass, which is well covered here to be a local population, along with the netters and the trawlers

you see 10 lads out anytime on a popular mark and most take - its the same on the SW coast
i dont like the illegal netters and it has a huge impact - but as is said here before, we should get our own house in order first

great thread by the way

i have learned im a terrible angler, i dont get the lure fishing for bass down here in the SE - probably out 30 times now, no bass over 2 years on a lure, so for some of you my opinion probably doesnt count for much - ive had one follow!!!

but ive caught plenty on bait down here - and know how to catch them on the lure in clare/galway

id like to think its the bass decline that is my problem

but in all seriousness when top lure anglers on here says theres a problem im willing to listen

Put bass on the salmon and sea trout licence and limit tags to ten per angler per year.

Or, rejig the salmon and sea trout licence into a sport fish licence to include bass, and mullet, and pike.

It sad to think we are fishing hard for bass from the shore and spending money on gear, while these f*ckers go and murder them in nets. Wheres the enjoyment in that?? I release EVERY fish I catch. But whats the point in releasing them if these fellas just net them up??? I also noticed the pollock fishing is terrible this year. I hope thats nothing to do with lads netting!

It sad to think we are fishing hard for Bass from the shore and spending money on gear, while these f*ckers go and murder them in nets. Wheres the enjoyment in that?? I release EVERY fish I catch. But whats the point in releasing them if these fellas just net them up??? I also noticed the pollock fishing is terrible this year. I hope thats nothing to do with lads netting!

I have to agree with the sentiments expressed. What is the point of catch and release where a commercial free-for-all exists.
I have no reason to think that the attachment of bass to a particular locality is any different to that of mullet. My own spot is now (August) devoid of mullet having been netted at the end of April. Prior to that, I was able to catch a mullet or two on the fly just about every day.

Once they are gone - the recolonization may take decades due to the common slow recruitment of bass and mullet. Therefore the fishery is over very suddenly - the commercial fishery is out of business as well as the sport fishery. Everybody ends up a loser.
Try explain that principle to our politial masters and get something done about it and you quickly find out you talking to a self-serving Idiot who only wants to to look good for as long as it will take them to qualify for an index-linked pension. In the meantime proper longterm fisheries management can go to hell in a handcart.

I speak from experience.

Poaching not a problem...

Tourists contacted me today from the uk, going to dingle all there lives fishing, they found dog fish in gill nets in dingle, nets in ventry and nets in cloghane... all pictures have been made public and all info is being sent in to the IFI...

They claim to have things under control but things are completely out of control...

www.facebook.com/dinglepeninsulafishing

And here was me thinking beachbuddy, that we might be taking a step or two forward when it comes to the size of fish we take home for the pot? It seems I am unfortunately grossly mistaken!

I must say I absolutely love Tanglerats suggestion! I'd gladly pay money for a bass licence.

Well done on your catch & release ethos breamers boy & salar. I wouldn't let netters stop you from releasing your fish. Put it this way - if you release 10 fish a season but 9 end up in nets, that 10th fish that eluded being caught in a net could go on to produce thousands of juvenile bass next year!

I strongly believe that catch & release is the only way forward for anglers. We quite simply must have our own house in order before we start making claims and demands about and of others.

I was at a spot in Cork over the weekend. I brought a friend of mine lure fishing for bass who hadn't fished in a few years. The water clarity was good, the water had lots of fizz, the tides were big and the weather and water were warm. We were fishing over extreme bass ground. Unfortunately we didn't catch or even see one bass between us. We did see about 5 other anglers crammed into one particular zone of the coastal stretch we were fishing - apparently it's a local hot spot. I wouldn't say there are many fish left there. I was speaking with a few locals the next morning (I think they said they were I.F.I.?) and they said they see plenty of non Irish anglers throwing lots of very small fish into their buckets. They said they thought about saying something on a few occassions but then decided they wouldn't

Onwards and upwards we must soar though!

John D.

Looking forward, what's a good time and where's a good location to kick off our fledgling Irish Bass Stock Interest Group's inaugural meeting? I'd say initially somewhere midland-ish like Athlone, Tullamore, Birr, Port Laoise or Roscrea so it's within half a day's drive for everyone, and at end of current season after Halloween, into November, so we can look back on the full season and bitch about it.

Who wants the Chair?
What's the agenda items?
Who'll organise the split?

Personally I'm conscious of the already in place group 'Irish Bass' and I think it'd be a good idea if this was a reinforcement of 'Irish Bass'. This could be an opportunity to increase numbers and create a new strategy. However if you guys don't want to go along with that (and Irish Bass might not want to either, but I doubt that) I'll still turn up willing to contribute to both groups.

I just think we'll be stronger and more effective as one cohesive unit, I wouldn't like to dis-joint things.

Any thoughts?

John D.

Personally, I'm not going ng to be involved with anything or anybody that works at cross-purposes with Irish Bass. I'm hoping they come along and offer leadership, because this meeti g idea is just to keep the show on the road and maintain any momentum from this thread.

Honestly name the time, place and i'll be there...

One more thing remember Skype people, very easy to use and we cold all be having a meeting? Yes or No? I don't know if you can do conference calls on Skype!!

But anyway i am up for that after Halloween, no problem, i would go along with the idea of keeping it within Irish Bass, i mean theres no point setting up something else when theres already an organisation set up...

I just think like minded people need to get together and smash a few ideas up..

Personally, I'm not going ng to be involved with anything or anybody that works at cross-purposes with Irish Bass. I'm hoping they come along and offer leadership, because this meeti g idea is just to keep the show on the road and maintain any momentum from this thread.

Im not sure Im understanding you correctly.

Is it because JQ works as a fishing guide?

Personally, I'm not going ng to be involved with anything or anybody that works at cross-purposes with Irish Bass. I'm hoping they come along and offer leadership, because this meeti g idea is just to keep the show on the road and maintain any momentum from this thread.

Im not sure Im understanding you correctly.

Is it because JQ works as a fishing guide?

I'm certain I'm not understanding you - is what because JQ works as a guide?

Personally, I'm not going ng to be involved with anything or anybody that works at cross-purposes with Irish Bass. I'm hoping they come along and offer leadership, because this meeti g idea is just to keep the show on the road and maintain any momentum from this thread.

Im not sure Im understanding you correctly.

Is it because JQ works as a fishing guide?

I'm certain I'm not understanding you - is what because JQ works as a guide?

Sorry Tanglerat I completely misread what you were saying.

Well said danbrosnan!

I love the way Crevan and Tanglerat got their wires crossed but then immediately realised they were both misunderstood. Humility, calmness & awareness - it all makes for effective communication!

I actually misread Tanglerat's comment too. I thought he meant he didn't want to have anything to do with Irish Bass.

When Irish Bass was initially set up, the focus point was mainly the challenge of poaching i.e. illegal localised netting. That then evolved to an emergency response to the threat of re-opening the commercial fishery. The focus of Irish Bass was very clear at that time i.e. quickly get as many people as possible around the country to campaign for the rejection of the proposed re-opening of the commercial fishery.

At present it seems like that particular threat is not as prevalent but is still bubbling dangerously away just under the surface! Therefore I think this is where and why Irish Bass became slightly stagnant - it basically lost a bit of focus and didn't really know where and how to channel its energy.

So I see this present passionate call to arms as a fantastic opportunity for Irish Bass to re-align itself with a re-defined set of objectives (but still constantly maintaining vigilance towards the threat of a re-opened commercial fishery).

Anyway they are just my independent thoughts on what's happening - hopefully John Q and the rest of you guys agree.

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. –Napoleon Hill

John D.

Agreed John.

I think that the interest level within this thread is a clear indication that anglers are willing to come together and support Irish Bass to do their part to help protect the future of bass fishing. Onwards and upwards from here gentlemen.

Im glad now I had that little moan in the beginning

Here-here Crevan!
Top man.
I'm glad you had your little moan too, I'd say we all are.
Tight lines my friend,
John D.

"Among her most popular dishes are the sea bass, (caught fresh that morning), and the pulled pork – cooked for 12 hours and ‘nursed overnight’ with a spicy rubbing sauce and served on an Arbutus brioche bun."

Taken from here.
http://www.southernstar.ie/News/Why-Cou ... 072014.htm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=typqgN2mOV8

No wonder I blanked on fermoyle yesterday......hate that bloody red boat.

I believe the Bass Policy and other species policies too, is being announced/confirmed at IFI headquarters in citywest on friday morning at 11:00.