PB Pollock

People: Mise

Duration: 10am - 12.30pm

Tide: Low at 09:30

Weather: Overcast, light winds, light drizzle

Rigs: Senko & Slug-go soft plastics

Results: 6 Pollock to 8lb.

Report:
I was out a couple of times in the past 2 weeks and blanked on all occasions when targetting bass, I couldn't handle another blank so I decided for a change of tack and to go looking for a few pollock instead.

I headed to a deepish water rock mark in the West Cork direction which has produced for me before, and is known to have some good wrasse and conger at the mark as well as pollock and mackerel. Arrived an hour after the low water mark and got set up. While I was rigging up, I heard a noise behind me, turned around and saw a glimpse of a porpoise / whale only 50 or so yards out as it was going back down. It seems as though it came up, breached the surface and blew some air out of its blowhole before going back down.

I started fishing with the soft plastics and put on a white Senko rigged weedless. All was quiet for about half an hour and then I started to feel the odd tentative pluck at the lure but no takes yet. Around this time I started seeing lots of flashes of silver darting in every direction under the surface. I wasn't sure what they were I guess sprat, but soon after they appeared the pollock came on the feed..

I got a mighty hit on the white Senko about 10 minutes later, the fish crash dived towards me and took refuge in a big outcrop of submerged kelp. I ended up giving the fish some slack until he made a bit of a move, and eventually coaxed him out of the kelp. Landed, quick snap and weigh in at 3.75lb. and back into the drink.


On the next cast I had another hit and landed a nice 2lb'ish pollock. Around this time I spotted a shoal of something breaking the surface about 80yards out. I immediately switched to a metal 1oz. Toby to be able to cast the distance and fired out in the direction. Unfortunately I didn't connect with anything and whatever they were (mullet probably) seemed to go back under and didn't surface again.


About 15 minutes later I had another subtle hit followed by a fierce take and line started stripping off the reel fast. Whatever it was was going to ground and felt like a very good fish. The fish again went into the kelp and took a bit of convincing to come out, which eventually it did and at that stage helpfully swam slowly in towards me. I could see it was a good pollock, and on landing it came in at 5lb, a personal best (at the time).


This fish was followed by 2 more pollock around the 2lb size. I had made my way through my last few white Senko's at this stage which were getting mangled / lost on fish takes, so switched to a black/silver Slug-go, with a 7g jig head.

Another while later I had a subtle take, followed by a definite tug tug tug, followed by insane line stripping... I tried to lift into the fish, but couldn't make any headway and the line was peeling off the reel like mad. I'd never before felt a fish this powerful on the other end of my line and new it had to be a good one. I managed to tighten up the drag and finally put a halt to the fish making ground/depth on me, but at this stage it was of course, deep in amongst the kelp - keeping tension on the fish and gradually getting bit by bit of line, eventually he swam out of the kelp and 'floated' up towards me, before rocketing back down when he was close to the surface. The fish must have been tired at this stage and came up again fairly easily. I eventually landed him, and weighed as quick as possible with the boga at 8lb, photo snap and I placed him back in the water. It took him a minute or two to recover but I was happy to see him powerfully swim back out after this.


So 2 personal bests in one session and the biggest fish I've ever caught in my life to boot I had to leave soon after but it didn't matter I was one happy camper

congrates, brilliant fishing and a few fine fish to boot, 8lb pollock from the shore is a fantastic fish well done

nice fishin ronnach.2pbs in one day

that's realy good fish, well done

Well done on the 2 PBs in one go, very good pollack fishing. 8lb is a cracker. 5lb no small fish either.

Nice one!, same rod as myself, had a 6lb Pollock in April on it, lovely piece of kit.

it doesnt get much better than that

good stuff

great fishing there and well done on your pb pollock

Lovely fishing and report

great fishing well done

brilliant made up for the blanks of late!cant say the for me though lovley pollock
tightlines
fergal

congrats on your PB and the informative report makes excellent reading. Well done, looking forward to your next

great report mate and super fishing a 8lb pollock from the shore is a great result well done on the pb

Thats a fine Pollock & a great pb they give a mighty scrap, a 8 lbr will be hard to beat got one myself last year but still haven't managed to any bigger but they are there, just a matter of time well done & great report, keep them comming

what a clonker!!!!

congrates, brilliant fishing and a few fine fish to boot, 8lb pollock from the shore is a fantastic fish well done

Yes, i agree from the shore is a great fish

great report there. interesting to hear how you coaxed tehm boys back put of the kelp.
fantastic pollack at 8lb. fine fishing!

so what sort of rod it that? and thats mad looking line, what sort is it?

i want

Cheers for all the comments folks. I think it will be some time before I get another fish like that one, although I'm heading to Beara this weekend with the missus so who knows I might get a few casts in.

so what sort of rod it that? and thats mad looking line, what sort is it?

The rod is a Teklon Concept 802ml, I bought it 2nd hand recently and it is a brilliant spinning rod. It's far lighter than any other rod I've ever had before and seems to be able to take some punishment!

The line is 20lb PowerPro braid. I had a 2foot fluoro leader at the end of that, I'm not sure what strength the leader is off-hand, probably around 12-15lb.

Very nice fish, always glad to step through a blank with 2 pb's
Tightlines

Well done, that's a great pollock - great report too!