Antrim rocks (21/08/11)

just back from a local session there now. No codling in the lough yet although there was the motherload of juvenile doggies (pitch black in colour), double-shots of 3/4lb coalies and a few small flounder and rockling. Not a bad wee session to use the bait, but not what I was hoping for. Wish I could avoid the dogs for a while, i've unhooked a few hundred this year already.



Remember that documentary a year or two back about the 'shark smell of death' Pity someone couldn't bottle it and sell it as a bait additive!!!

outstanding session man. quality and quantity in the one session. well done

Thats some haul of pollack i would usually fish blackhead for them there is no good codling fishing in the lough if your realy lucky you might catch one at a couple a pounds.

I'm sorry the codling fishing in the lough hasn't worked out for you, but I have had many good sessions over the years. I have hit into big shoals out from Whitehead and Muck Island in my boat. From the shore I have surprisingly caught most of my biggest ones here, rather than Red Bay, at 5-6lbs and last year was very very positive indeed with numbers of 3-4lbers turning up close in at a few locations late Summer to early Autumn. I know others who have done well and have 1st hand witnessed a few fish of around 8lb being caught over the years (one of that size was even caught by a child down the side of Bangor Harbour, along with his mates they had about 30 of around 2lb in plastic bags. This was during the daytime while I was down for a walk a few years back). I know what you mean though, it can't really be relied on like clockwork, but it's all about being in the right place at the right time and certainly for a limited time. I have even had occasions spinning for Mackeral at Blackhead when it ended up being a cod a cast. Over recent years I have made a point of fishing local more often than I had progessively been doing so as an adult and have been pleased and sometimes very pleasantly surprised by the results. I have even tried some unusual marks that I never would have considered in a million years to find that a decent session there was far better than many trips up the coast involving 4+hrs travel. I also find it extremely satisfying, almost like a personal mission, to succeed as close to home as possible. Would you believe that decent Plaice were caught in our own home town last year, I got good ones back when I was a kid (20-25yrs ago) off Whitehead Promenade and the White Harbour, but admit I was a bit shocked by that and can see definite improvements. Pity the ragworm have left us, for the most part, though!!

Yea you know what your talking about cloughnan point beside white harbour is good for wrasse there has been a few codling thru the years but not recent carrick harbour in the summer sometimes produces codling over towards the winbreaker after the peeler crabs my mate got a nice codling from the shore in redbay a few weeks ago