People: Me
Duration: 2.45 - 6.00 pm and 9.30 pm - 12.45 am
Tide: HW at 12.30 am
Weather: First session, strong SW wind, a few heavy showers
Second session - wind change direction, strong Westerly or WNW but dry
Bait: Peeler crab, squid, ragworm, king ragworm, mackerel
Rigs: 2 hook 3/0 flapper, 2 hook, size 2 flapper, 4/0 pennel pulley
Results: 2 coalfish from first session, 1 cod from second session
Report: After blanking on the last few fishing sessions (damn east and north winds) I decided to give Youghal Pier a go as I have always caught something there. There was quite a strong cold wind blowing directly in from sea which knocked over the rod stand a couple of times. I had some fresh peeler crab, baited up the first rod and cast it out. As I was preparing the second rod there was a strong tug on the first, but the fish wasn't hooked and got away.
Shortly after a very heavy shower started so I sat into the car - that's an advantage of fishing from the pier, you could almost fish from the car window. The wind was whipping the rod tips around a bit but then one of the rods started vibrating vigorously - but by the time I got out of the car the fish had managed to free itself. But at least it indicated that there were fish about.
About 30 minutes later I hooked the first coalfish - on the 3/0 flapper baited with crab and tipped with ragworm. It put up a good fight and was a little bigger than the ones I usually catch in East Cork- about 38 cm and 1.25 lbs.
The second coalfish was hooked about 20 minutes later from the same spot on the same rig again with crab bait. It was a little smaller, about 36 cm and just over 1 lb.
No further bites after that. But with 2 coalfish I was happy enough - at least it broke the streak of blanks I have had over St. Patrick's Day and over the Easter weekend.
Since I had a few peelers left I went out for some beach fishing later. The wind had changed direction, there was a stong cold westerly or WNW wind blowing so I tried a small East Cork beach that would be a bit more sheltered. There was a good surf, clear skies but nothing biting for a long time. I tried various baits and rigs, crab/squid, king rag/mackerel, crab/rag and was beginning to think that a can of Guinness at home in front of the fire was a much more attactive proposition than freezing my ass off on a beach after Midnight.
I was beginning to pack up and had actually dismantled the first rod and taken it and the bait bucket back to the car. When I returned there was a pull on the second rod. I thought it was probably just a ball of seaweed but when I started to retrieve I realized there was definitely a fish on the line - and it was heavier than a typical coalfish. At first I though it might be a bass but when I got it ashore I discovered it was a cod. It was just under 3 lb, 47 cm long.
That was a surprise, I thought the cod were well gone by now - but I guess with the cold weather we have had for the last couple of weeks they have started to move closer to the shore again.
But I went home very happy - a good end to the month.
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Last edited by RockHunter on Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.