Bass & Cod sessions - Cork 31st Jan, 1st & 2nd Feb 2011

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration:31st January: 8.30 pm - 12.15 am; 1st February: 9.00 pm - 1.00 am; 2nd February: 9.15 pm - 2.00 am

Tide: 31st January: LW at 10.15 pm

Weather: Moderate to strong southwesterly/westsouthwesterly winds, some showers

Bait: Lug & Razor

Rigs: 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 pennel pulleys, 2 hook flapper (size 2/0 hooks)

Results:
31st January: 2 Bass, 2 Codling, 2 Coalfish, 1 Five Bearded Rockling
1st February: 6 Codling, 1 Flounder
2nd February: 2 Bass, 4 Codling




Report: Fishing had been poor over the last two weeks of January with the calm seas and NE winds, so with a return to southwesterlies predicted for the start of the week I headed out early Sunday morning for the low tide to stock up on enough lug to last me for a few sessions. Although it was a frosty morning I managed to get a load of big jucy worms that no fish could resist

31st January: I arrived at the beach to find a nice surf rolling it. It looked good for bass I set up two rods with pennel pulleys baited with lug/razor and cast them out, one a moderate distance the other as far as I could. Then set up a third rod and lobbed it out a short distance. All the bass I had caught so far this year had been in very close. Not much happened for the first hour then I spotted a sharp strong pull on the rod cast out farthest. I grabbed it, struck and had a reasonable fish on the end. It was pulling quite hard so I reckoned it was a bass. When I hauled it out of the surf it was indeed a nice bass, 51 cm and well fed

About half an hour later I had another strong knock, this time on the rod at intermediate distance. The fish ran a slackliner but I eventually caught up with it and it put up a strong fight in the shallows. It was another well fed bass, slightly longer at 52 cm

Shortly afterwards there were some twitches on the rod in close, I wasn't sure if it was a fish or just the breaking waves catching the line. I retrieved and found a double of a coalfish and a five bearded rockling.

I had a couple of codling and another coalfish as the tide began to push in. High tide was about 4 am so I resisted the urge to stay and fish all the way through as I was intending to head out the following two nights.

But I was very pleased with the nights fishing, 2 bass, bringing my January total to 9 The first time I have caught bass in January, so a very good start to the year.

1st February: I headed back to the same beach mark, intending to fish the same stage of the tide. However, this time there was a strong westsouthwest wind blowing almost parallel to the beach and it was flattening out the surf. It was much weaker compared to the previous night. From past experience this beach only seems to produce bass when there is a good surf but I decided to give it a go anyway.

I used the same set up as the previous night. Not long after setting up I had a small codling of about 1.5 lb, with bite marks on its tail. A succession of codling followed, nothing of any size, mostly around 1-1.5 lb. I had a total of 6. The smaller ones were in close but most were caught on the distance rod. I also had a 32 cm flounder.

2nd February: The wind had slackened off compared to the previous night so I headed to a different beach which I reckoned should have a good surf. Sure enough there was a nice surf, but not too rough and weed free too The wind was quite light, it was clear and mild so quite a nice night to be out.

Again I set up three rods so as to fish a range of distances. First cast on the middle distance rod I had a small codling of about a pound, followed soon afterwards by an even smaller fish on the same rod. I was thinking that this was looking good, but then it died. I didn't have a nibble for nearly the next two hours It was only when the tide turned and began to push in that the fishing picked up. First was an OK codling of 48 cm on the distance rod. Then I had a strong tug on the intermediate distance rod and a better fighting fish. This was a 46 cm bass

Shortly afterwards there was a knock on the rod in close, it didn't feel too heavy and I thought it was probably a codling until I hauled a 38 cm bass out of the surf

I had one more codlng (45 cm) after that before the bites died off again. I struck it out for another hour before packing up.

I made an attempt to head out last night (3rd Feburary) as I has some lug left over, arrived at the beach, but there was gale blowing and horizontal rain. There looked to be a good surf but the wind was blowing parallel to the beach so the conditions would have been very difficult, so I thought better of it and headed home to the warmth

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Last edited by RockHunter on Fri Feb 04, 2011 2:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Some more photos

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Some more

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Great bit of fishing and braving the elements too,well done

Fine fat looking bass you have there frank your still picking them up well done

Some fine fish well done, cant wait to get out myself for a session

Some nice sessions there Frank, you've had a cracking start to the new year.

more great results frank well done.every 1 of those fish are beefy bucks.no wonder shore fishing is ur favourite hobbie with results like that

brilliant!

great report and pics as usual frank and sure what can i say about fish like that
ye even have bigger coley its only a matter of time before one of yis catch a monster down there ,probably a double figure rockling

thats super fishing frank if i got that many bass for the whole [summer ] id be
a happy camper .

Well done Frank , braving the elements paid off , some nice fat bass there and good result

Great Fishing, Well Done.. Should be some very good fishing when the storm winds start calming down

Good Stuff Frank,

I need to get out fishing !

Thanks guys,

Great bit of fishing and braving the elements too,well done

Well done Frank , braving the elements paid off , some nice fat Bass there and good result

The weather was fine, a bit breezy on Tuesday night, but Wednesday night was a lovely clear, calm and mild night - a pleasure to be out.

Fine fat looking Bass you have there frank your still picking them up well done

Cheers Ray, they have been feeding well.

thats super fishing frank if i got that many Bass for the whole [summer ] id be
a happy camper.

You will just have to spend more time fishing on the south coast

Great Fishing, Well Done.. Should be some very good fishing when the storm winds start calming down

There should be provided the weed is not too bad - there will probably be masses of it washed up after these storms

I need to get out fishing !

You do

[quote][/quote]You will just have to spend more time fishing on the south coast
[quote][quote]


just booked the gold coast for a week in may

some fine looking fish ther,,well done, nice fishing,,,

just booked the gold coast for a week in may

Hopefully the conditions will be good

Thats some cracking fishing. Well done. Lovely fish.
A nice tally of bass for January!!

great report and fishing frank cant wait to get out fishing again looking like monday or tuesday when it staarts to calm down, i was out on a beach we both like (but opposite ends ) on wednesday night not a tap but the surf wasnt as good as i had told it to be