East Cork Beach - 16th April 2008

People: Me

Duration: 11.30 pm to 3.00 am

Tide: HW at 4.20 am

Weather: Very strong cold easterly wind, dry, broken cloud

Bait: Peeler crab, lug worm, razor

Rigs: 4/0 single hook flapper, 1/0 two hook flapper

Results: 1 coalfish




Report: As a strong southeasterly wind building up during the day and east winds forecast for the remainder of the week I decided to get out and fish the beach mark where I caught two bass last Friday night, aiming to fish from low tide up.

However, by the time I got there the wind has shifted to an easterly. There was a strong rip which made the beach unfishable. 5 oz gripper weights held for just a few minutes, and my line was dragged along parallel to the beach. I tried a few casts but just could not hold bottom.

I then moved to a more sheltered beach. it would not have been my first choice but the conditions there were much better and I had no problem holding bottom. The surf was not as good but built up as the night progressed. I got set up about 12.30 am. Half an hour later there was a small pull on the rod - a small coalfish caught on the 1/0 rig with lug/razor.

But nothing more - I thought I had a couple of bites but it may just have been wind/wave action.

I didn't stick it out to high tide - too tired and too cold.

At least it wasn't a blank

Nice one for going out. It crossed my mind to head out, but didn't fancy that cold east wind.

Sometimes you just wonder WTF.......hard lot us anglers... 8)

Sometimes you just wonder WTF.......hard lot us anglers... 8)

lol, yes. I once saw a guy fishing in St Andrews in Scotland in sub zero temps, snow falling heavily, off some rocks. Actually worse than ice fishing I'd suspect....now he was some kind of fishing hero...

ol, yes. I once saw a guy fishing in St Andrews in Scotland in sub zero temps, snow falling heavily, off some rocks. Actually worse than ice fishing I'd suspect....now he was some kind of fishing hero...

High praise indeed coming from the chap who goes barefoot wading on Kerry beaches in January and digs lug with his bare hands..... :D You Scotties are a different breed of angler..... :wink: :lol:

no just too mean to buy shoes and a bait fork :D

[ Half an hour later there was a small pull on the rod - a small coalfish caught on the 1/0 rig with lug/razor.

But nothing more - I thought I had a couple of bites but it may just have been wind/wave action.



At least it wasn't a blank

Well done on sticking with it,nice to get some return for your efforts. Were your baits being taken, or coming back untouched. Maybe try a rig with smaller hooks????
Dave

[RockHunter]

Hi Dave,
The bait may have been nibbled a bit - but after being pounded by the surf as you retrieve it is difficult to tell if a fish was at it or if it just got lost through the surf.

The reason I was using the 4/0 hooks was to target bass - that was the first night with a good surf since Friday so I thought it might have got the bass on the feed again. Unfortunately the wind swung around to an easterly by the time I got out to fish so that was probably not ideal. The second rod was set up with size 1 hooks to target smaller species. Although having said that I have had small coalfish get their gobs around size 4/0 hooks without too much trouble.

It was the rod with the size 4/0 hooks that was getting the knocks - so there may well have been a few small fish chewing on my bait which was a big chunk of crab wrapped with razor or lug worm wapped with razor.

The wind at second beach was not that bad - it was much more sheltered - I have fished in worse weather than that. However, a year ago if somebody told me I would be out standing on a beach, knee deep in surf with a strong cold east wind blowing at 3.00 am on a weekday :shock: :shock: I would have said they were mad - unfortunately this fishing is additive.

Last edited by RockHunter on Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hi Dave,
The bait may have been nibbled a bit - but after being pounded by the surf as you retrieve it is difficult to tell if a fish was at it or if it just got lost through the surf.

The reason I was using the 4/0 hooks was to target bass - that was the first night with a good surf since Friday so I thought it might have got the bass on the feed again. Unfortunately the wind swung around to an easterly by the time I got out to fish so that was probably not ideal. The second rod was set up with size 1 hooks to target smaller species. Although having said that I have had small coalfish get their gobs around size 4/0 hooks without too much trouble.

It was the rod with the size 4/0 hooks that was getting the knocks - so there may well have been a few small fish chewing on my bait which was a big chunk of crab wrapped with razor or lug worm wapped with razor.

The wind at second beach was not that bad - it was much more sheltered - I have fished in worse weather than that. However, a year ago if somebody told me I would be out standing on a beach, knee deep in surf with a strong cold east wind blowing at 3.00 am on a weekday :shock: :shock: I would have said they were mad - unfortunately this is fishing additive.

Got you now :oops: , I knew that you had this fishing lark well sussed out :lol: ,,,,,,,,me on the other hand :roll: ,,,,, i'm not at the targeting stage yet :oops: :oops: :lol: :lol:

However, a year ago if somebody told me I would be out standing on a beach, knee deep in surf with a strong cold east wind blowing at 3.00 am on a weekday :shock: :shock: I would have said they were mad - unfortunately this is fishing additive.

I can identify with that :lol: :lol: ,,,,,, all that time I wasted sleeping or relaxing in front of the fire :lol: :lol: