East Cork Beach, 04/05 + 07/05

People:Me

Duration:6pm - 8pm

Tide:HT 19:36pm

Weather:Clear skies, light WSW breeze

Bait:Plugs

Rigs:

Results:zilch

Catch and Release:: N/A



Report:Fished a rocky outcrop not far from the beach. From the moment I started fishing weed was a problem. Everytime I reeled in the plugs were coated in that light green weed. This was a pity as conditions seemed ideal with a little bit of colour in the water. I wasn't fishing long when I spotted a number of bass homing in on the lure. I'd say they were about five in a group with the biggest quite sizeable. However, they ignored it. I may have spooked them, after all if I could see them, they could see me. Moving to the lee side in a vain attempt to avoid the weed I saw several more signs of fish. Twice fish jumped close to where I was putting the lure. I tried every colour combination I could think of, went thru nearly every lure in the box, but to no avail. Finally the weed got the better of me and I called it a day - a fishless day!!

People: Me

Duration: 8:30pm - 11:30pm

Tide: 21:27pm

Weather: Clear skies, stiff WNW breeze

Bait: Lugworm

Rigs: 1 Hook Clipped

Results: 2 bass, 1 codling, 1 flounder

Catch and Release: Yes


Report: Conditions seemed ideal. After the strong winds of today there was a great surf on the beach. However, from the word go weed was a problem. Within minutes of my first cast the line is draped in weed - that green fine weed that hangs on your line like a curtain. It wasn't long before all the gear was dragged back into the beach. To try and overcome this I decide to cast short. Less line in the water, less weed. I lob out about 10 yds. This seems to work. At least I'm fishing. Within minutes I have a bite and land a small flounder (25cm). Despite this the line is coated in weed. Only one thing for it, either pack in and go home or find a new venue - a weedless one. I decide to trek to the next beach just around the headland. Hopefully the rocky outcrop will hold back some of the weed. When I get to this beach, different problem - surfers. There's about a dozen of them. This beach is unfishable. Back to square one. I decide to head back to the original spot. Normally I'd have gone home at this stage. Tonight I'm determined not to let the weed beat me! I change my lead to a breakaway so I can anchor my rig to the bottom. This isn't a tactic I normally use as I prefer to let my end gear move around. However, this tactic may give me 10/15 minutes fishing at a time before the weed breaks me out. Within minutes of casting out I get a good bite. This fish seems to have a bit of weight - its hard to be sure with the weed. I land him - a nice bass. Go to weigh him - sugar, the battery on my weighing scales is dead. He measures in at 52cm! Anyone any idea how to approx weight on basis of length? The tide has just started to ebb and its just got dark. Cast out again and another few bites almost straight away. Another bass. This ones smaller at 38cm. (Weight?). After that things go quite and I make a mental note to pack in around 11:30pm. On the last cast I land a small codling. With the weed I hardly know he's there. All in all, though, not a bad night and I'm glad I stuck it out. Just hope the weed clears before the weekend or else it may get worse with next week's big tides.

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Hi Pat, I fished a beach a bit further south there on Saturday night and weed again was a problem. Had a nice 4lber and a 40 cm flattie for my efforts though. I found wellying the bait out and popping the rod as high as I possibly could definitely helped. Fishing with a buddy, who struggled a bit for distance, he couldnt keep his line in the water at all with huge clumps of stuff sweeping his line away in a matter of a minute or two. It seemed to collect in the first 40 or 50 yards but once a bait was popped over the back of the breakers and the rod stood up it was kept to a minimum. I didnt have my tripod with me so I had to stand it upright in the bull bar of the jeep, did the trick though.

at a guess about 5 - 6 lb lovely fish and well done on fishing when alot would give up with the cabbage u where fishing in :D

Hi Pete,
I'd agree with you and I have done this in the past. However, I was fishing my bass rod and can't get extreme distance with this vs. my normal beachcaster. Plus the cross wind was a howler. However, I would normally do what you suggested and put the rods in the rod stand at as high an angle as I could. This can do the trick.

Thanks for that Roger. It's nice to know what weight the fish are. I was like a demon when I discovered that the weighing scales was dead. Must look back on the threads in the forum. I can remember Cortaz had a method for calculating weight on basis of length.

Hi Pat,
WEll done on putting up with the weed. A tip for getting it off the line is to cut your line at the shockleader knot. slide the weed off your line and shock leader and retie your shockleader. If you get used to it, you can have this done it a minute...... beats trying to pick the weend off the line for about 5 minutes.... :wink:


From the looks of the pictures the fish are a small bit on the lean side......

I'm guessing 4.5lb for the 52cm and about 2 - 2.5lb for the 38cm fish.

Thanks for that Mac. Good tip. The only drawback for me (and its only probably me) is I'm not the best at tying leader knots and if I get one that doesn't break I'm inclined to hang onto it.