Wed May 28, 2008 4:17 pm
People: Me and Melissa
Duration: 8.00 - 11.15 pm
Tide: HW at 8.30 pm
Weather:Light easterly breeze then calm, dry
Bait: crab, sandeel
Rigs: Size 1, 1/0, 2/0 two and three hook flappers
Results: 1 dogfish
Report: As the tide would be on the ebb I thought Youghal would be a good as I had previously got some good flounders there on the dropping tide.
It was about high tide when I set up, so I was hopefully of getting a few flounder on their way back out of the bay as the tide dropped. I baited up three rods with crab on various size hooks and cast them out different distances.
However, weed posed a big problem - anytime I previously fished there it was never a problem but once the tide turned there were big clumps of it floating past. It was getting caught on my line too - giving the impression of a bite. At one stage I reeled in what must have been a 5 lb ball of weed - and it had about 7 or 8 crabs in it :shock: :shock:
The tide was dropping surprisingly fast too - I had problem holding bottom with 5 oz gripper weights. I swiched to 6 oz which were better.
I have never blanked in Youghal but as dusk approached it was not looking good. But I was hopefully of getting something after dark. However, the only knocks on the rod tips were due to seaweed. So I decided a change of tactics were required. I baited up a size 1 three hook flapper with sandeel, and mackeral strips and cast it out a moderate distance. Within minutes I had a bite - unfortunately whatever it was managed to drag the line across the line from one of the other rods but I eventually managed to haul it in after a bit of a fight - it was a dogfish - about 65 cm. Saved from a blank :D
He had managed to twist my trace and shock leader around the line from the other rod - it took me half an hour to untangle the mess.
I debated continuing with sandeel, but flounder was really what I was targetting so I switched back to crab - but the flounder did not show.
By the way, apart from masses of weed floating past methere was also a collection of empty beer cans, coke bottles, chip cartons, plastic bags, crisp bags etc - probably from a group of 20-25 teenagers congregated half-way along the slob bank :evil: :evil: