West Cork, 6th-9th August 2018.

[johnwest]

At the risk of offending the Tourist Board, I must say the fishing was disappointing this year. I managed three trips before the weather broke and the second week was a series of windy days. Mackerel proved elusive over the three short trips, those which I managed to find were all mini-macks including the smallest I have ever caught. I even sought, and got, advice from a couple of local skippers; the mackerel were still tiny but at least I got them quickly!
First day out produced some small coalfish and pollack to about 2lbs along with 6-7 mini-macks, this “only” took about 1.5hrs so I made do and headed off to try some bait-fishing. I set up 2 rods, one with a spreader bar and 2 small hooks with matching baits to try for flatties and the other with a spoon and large slice of bait to try for rays. It took a couple of drifts to find where the fish were lurking but eventually 2 thornbacks showed up simultaneously at 3lb and 4lb 12oz. Another 2 smaller thornies came to the boat along with one very small dab which had the temerity to take the large bait. By now it was time to head for the slip before the ebb left it dry.
Second day out saw almost perfect conditions with very little wind. First stop for bait produced lots of pollack and coalfish to 2.5lbs but no mackerel. A move to another spot produced about a dozen mini-macks and a surprise small herring, something for this year’s species list. A third mark yielded a small codling about 3lb, a male cuckoo wrasse and the best pollack of the week at just under 4lb. I headed out to a deep water reef to fish baited muppets. With a flooding tide and no wind, the drift was perfect and I could keep contact with the bottom with only 6oz leads. The only thing missing was fish; no cod or ling or decent pollack which I would have hoped for. When the big boys are absent, this mark would usually give smaller stuff like cuckoo wrasse, pouting and poorcod but today there was nothing. I headed in to the sand and on the way the sounder showed a solid ball of fish in mid-water; I back-tracked and dropped a set of feathers into the shoal. Up came a full house of four good sized scad including a p.b. at 1lb 2oz. Scad make good bait but I already had enough bait (more than, as it turned out) so they all went back. Several long drifts produced only 2 fish, a thornback, but at 7lb 4oz it was the best fish of the week, and a small grey gurnard. This mark has produced good thornies, spotties, plaice, turbot and big dabs along with tub gurnard in the past but not this year.
The third day out saw me eventually get my daily complement of mini-macks just before the wind switched from NW to dead calm and then southerly. This freshening wind combined with a rising swell gave me a choice, head in now before the slip dried out or stick another 6 hours of possibly worsening conditions and a return involving wind and swell against tide at the barmouth? “Home James and don’t spare the Mercury!”
Like I said at the start, disappointing, but with a p.b. scad and a herring as an unusual catch….. any more straws I can clutch at?

[ecleary]

Great report and pics. Lovely Scad! Thanks Johnwest.

[chuckaroo]

Nice scad. Would have eaten those!

[pajo]

Thanks johnwest great report and pictures. Nice ray, and the herring and scad are an unusual catch.

In terms of the fishing in general I found it promising earlier in the year but generally poorer than average for cod, ling and pollack since the warm weather kicked in. Having said that I'm seeing good reports for mackerel, tope and shark.

Hopefully September and October will be better.

Pajo