Ballycastle for 3 nights fishing

Hi all,

I am visiting coleraine, ballymoney and a few other areas this week but now decided to stay in ballycastle and fish around there, i have read many reports etc. that i can find and is sounds good, but what i could really do with is:

Any marks that would be worth me tryin out around that area.
Not sure what to target yet as been targetting Cod over here in scotland and also had a few doggies at loch etive. so any help on bait would be good, and especially a good bait supplier as i wont be bringing any over.

Just checked the tides and they are very low so probably need a low water mark or deep water mark

I will be bringing 2 rods, with heavy line easily changed for lighter line, flotation suit and usual night gear so any location is good for me, only thing is it will be dark (Depending on when i get finished work), so it needs to be safe to get to and easy to find in the dark.


Any tips / advice would be greatly appreciated and if anyone is up for a spot of night fishing on 21st, 22nd or 23rd feb PM me and we can sort it out.

Forgot to mention i usualy report on the WSF website with the fishing trips i have, and met up with loads of the guys off there.

Hello epoch.
Let me be the first to welcome you to SAI. Afraid I cant help with specifics as I'm not from that neck of the woods but I'm sure you will get plenty of good advice here.

Pity you weren't over last weekend, You could have et up with all of us... Ballycastle Pier was fishing quite well. 8)

[url]http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bulletin%20board/viewtopic.php?p=27105#27105[/url]

Hi Epoch,

If your staying in Ballycastle have a word with Danny in the Moyle Outdoor & Angling shop its on the main St just opposite the Northern bank. You should be able to get some bait there.

Check the shore marks section, you can find some info on marks there.
But easy access at night i would say the Pier in Ballycastle where the guys from the forum just had a meet, also along the beach on the opposite end from the town parking space on the road beside the beach.

Ballintoy just round the coast is easy access to fish from the large white rocks on your right hand side as you drive down towards the harbour. Might still be the chance of a codling straggling about. Though its getting bit late for them.

I'm from that area of the coast but unfortunately haven't the time for any fishing this week, a lot of organising stuff for 4wks fishing in OZ from next wk! :D

hi, thanx 4 the welcome and i have read your meet report shame i couldnt be over for that.
i am over every month so hopefully meet up next time.

thanks ryan, perfect thanx for the tips, always best to check with the locals first. i travel all over the place so the forums are superb for local info. i am in orkney isles next week not as good as oz though. good on get snappers in bruce.

oopps 2 post.

Hi matey If you are interested in cod you could always try one of the beaches within range of ballycastle eg. cushendun, waterfoot or even carnlough all these beaches through up a wide range of species or you could try some of the deep water rock marks like garron point which is an extremely rough ground mark and could always produce a decent fish or two, there is some excellant fishing to be had from ramore head right round to the antrim coast but if you dont want to travel ballycastle is a good beach with flounder, turbot, coalfish, whiting a chance of bass , sea trout, dogs more so in summer, fish in very close off the beach for the flats and bass as it is full of deep gullies like evrywhere at this time of year it is best to fish into darkness , ragworm lugworm tipped with mackeral good all round baits at most of the venues mentioned
good luck

thanx stuarty, will have a look at as many a i can b4r dark, may try beach tonight, since i have been up since 04.30, and will be tired, i am staying in a hotel near the beach so can nip back to the restaraunt in my floaty suite and boots and keep an eye on my rods.lol.

LET US KNOW HOW YOU GET ON MATE
CHEERS

the local tackle shop is now just called D.MCAULEY at the front if you are looking for it. fishing likely to be poor enough this time of year so dont set your sights to high!! :)

Don't be so sure Bigphil, I had 8 fish at Ballycastle on Friday night....

GG

sorry gg, didnt mean that fishing would be a blanking session or anything,plenty of fish around but mostly small, just that not much of any real size and quantity perhaps as compared to other months. .....not to put him off trying again later in the year if he's over!

Fair point mate.

I'm just happy as a pig in sh1t because I had a great night on Friday and got two new species :shock: :shock:

I'll probably blank for the rest of the year.

GG

Plenty of species to :D

NIGHT1.

fished the pier.

bait frozen squid, macky and sandeel.

weather light winds and and seas.

caught nowt.

fished from 21.00 till 01.30.

need to get some worms from somewhere today, in coleraine today then back to ballycastle.

if you are looking for rag in coleraine try the great outdoors on society street, alternatively flying tackle on main street portrush or causeway bait and tackle in bushmills. they are probably your handiest options if danny doesnt have any in ballycastle.

Hi All, Night 2 i never fished due to strained shoulder.

Night 3, got some rag, mussel, sandeel and razor from flying tackle in portrush, good shop, £2.00 for a small bag of about 5 rag, expensive for all the bait but he had it in stock.

I then went to the ledges eventually that is, bit of a nightmare to find and cast out 10 times and lost 8 rigs had 4 knocks but could not get them in due to snags, i cast out far but on bringing it in it got snagged up, i decided enough was enough and left at 20:30 went back to bally castle beach this time.
i fished the right hand side of beach just down from first car park to the left of a big rock.
caught 3 Seat trout just behind the breakers all on sandeel.
2lb, 3lb and 4lb in that order lol..

returned them all as i dont think easy jet would apopreciate them.

Ballycastle beach is absolutly stunning, clean tidy snag free and plenty fish, only issue i had was a couple of cars at the car park with hash heads in them, so had to wait a while before venturing on the beach on my todd.


NOTE ON FLYING:

I missed my flight home because security (xray machine bit) could not decide wether or not to let me through with my grippers and a few spools of line.
eventually they let me through with grippers but took my line (wankers) anyway i missed my flight so went back and demanded it back, they gave me so 3 hour wait for my next flight.

I hate fridays, only just got on that flight as stanby on easy jet (strange i know) the wee mangeress must have like my fishhy smell. LOL

Nice to know you had a good time mate, lol :lol:

IF YOUR BACK OVER TOWARDS THE SUMMER GET IN TOUCH AND WE CAN ARRANGE TO MEET YOU AND TAKE YOU TO A COUPLE OF THE EAST COAST VENUES MATEY
TIGHT LINES