West Cork - 2nd June 2008

[RockHunter]

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 2.00 - 8.30 pm

Tide: HW at 5 pm

Weather: Warm sunny, light southwesterly wind, picking up for a while in late afternoon as small weather front blew through

Bait: Lug, mackerel, squid, sandeel

Rigs: Size 1, 1/0, 2/0 two and three hook flappers, lures, feathers

Results: 9 pollock, 2 mackerel, 1 rockling, 1 wrasse, 1 sea scorpion, 1 dogfish




Report: Fishing in East Cork has been a bit hit and miss for me over the last few weeks so I decided to head west down to the Mizen Peninsula. It was a glorious morning, warm sunny with clear blue skies so even if I blanked it was great to be out and by the sea.

I found a fishy looking spot, small bay with deep water between small ridges. As we climbed over the rocks there was a huge shoal of mullet feeding on the surface - Unfortunately we had just eaten our sandwiches and had no bread left. Regardless I had a go - put small segments of lug worm onto a set of small hook feathers and tried to float fish them - but all it did was spook the mullet. Those that remained paid no attention at all to the bait.

After that we continued across to a ridge which had very deep water along its southern flank. I set up 3 rods with different size hooks and bait and cast one close by into the deep water, the other at the mouth of the inlet and the other further out into the bay. Then did some lure fishing with the spinning rod.

Shortly after setting up we spotted a large dorsal fin about 200 m out in the bay - a large basking shark!

About 10 miuntes later I caught a small juvenile pollock. He managed to hook himself with all three barbs on the lure so it was difficult to get him loose although he swam away ok afterwards. I then hooked up a sandeel on a size 1/0 hook and tried some spinning with that but there were no bites.

Shortly afterwards I saw a small quiver on the rod at moderate distance, reeled it in to find a shore rockling - taken on sandeel.

A little later there was a small pull on the rod in close - I retrieved it to find a small wrasse - the first one I have ever caught - a new species for me :lol: :lol:
Could somebody tell me if it is a Corkwing Wrasse - it had a dark spot behing the eye and on the tail which makes me think it is a Corkwing.

A little later there was a strong knock on the rod at distance. It was putting up a good fight and turned out to be a 65 cm dogfish.

I had another knock on the rod in close - there was a savage pull on the line and the fish dived down under a rock ledge at the side of the ridge - then I lost it - maybe it was another, bigger wrasse?

I baited up the rod again and cast into the same spot. Maybe 20 minutes later there was a very slight vibration on the rod tip - I wasn't sure if it was just wave action but checked it just in case - it was a fish - a sea scorpion - another first for me :lol: :lol: I presume it is a Long Spined Sea Scorpion?

The weather changed after that, the wind picked up, and it clouded over as a small weather front blew through. There were a few rain drops but not enough to get seriously wet (as the day had started out so good we had left the coats in the car which was about a 25 minute walk away).

I gave up on any attempt at spinning at that stage and sheltered behind the rocks. Then we spotted some more basking sharks - 4 of them swimming close together.

The sun returned about an hour later and I started to retrived the rod cast at distance. As I was reeling in I felt a small hit - it was another juvenile pollock. So I decided to have another go at spinning, But I had hooked the fish further out than I could reach with the spinning rod so I put a set of feathers on the 13.5 ft beach casting rod with a 4 oz weight and blasted it out. Sure enough on the retrieve I got another small pollock. I cast it out a couple more times and then felt a double hit - this time I had caught two mackerel - one of moderate size the other fairly small. My first mackerel of 2008. :lol: :lol:

So I continued spinning with the beach caster - I got a juvenile pollock on every second cast on average but no more mackerel.

Then I felt a very strong hit - and a strong pull on the line - as I reeled it in I could see a good size pollock - 49 cm and just under 4 lb :lol: :lol:

Shortly after I had a pollock double one juvenile and one moderate size fish but unfortunately lost the big one as I was hauling it up the cliff face.

I had one more pollock double after that but again they were juvenile fish.

Packed up about 8.30 pm - the pollock were still biting but it would be a 2 - 2.5 hour drive home and we would have to stop for dinner on the way.

But I was happy - a good day's fishing, 2 new species, and the first mackerel of 2008 plus a good size pollock.

Last edited by RockHunter on Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Some more pics

Basking sharks

sounds like a great session and a lovely part of the country on a fine summers day too.

Hi Rockhunter,
nice report. Nice mixed bag as well.
You seem to be enjoying this fishing lark.

Good session there, great variety.

I reckon that is a corkwing wrasse, check the wrasse section on this link

http://www.cfb.ie/pdf/fishbook.pdf

The bigger wrasse give a great scrap, but I have found rag to be a good bait for them, they seem to like the movement.

I caught a ballan wrasse approaching 3lb yesterday, I'm just waiting for eric to put up the report.....and the pics of course

Keep up the good work

Thanks guys,

It was good to get a wide range of species for a change - and a great spot to be on a warm sunny day.

I wasn't sure if it was a Corkwing as the Species Guide on this website says that they are restricted to the SE and very rarely taken from the shore. But it was very deep water - I could not see the bottom despite the water been crystal clear. So maybe that was a good habitat for them. It does seem to fit the description given on the mini-species guide.

I collected some bait the previous evening but just had the time to get lug worms - I would have had to travel on to another location for rag but it was beginning to get dark at that stage. I did find a small hardback crab which I thought I would use for wrasse bait but he managed to climb out of the bait bucket and is now roaming around the car boot :roll:

Hi Rockhunter,

Yeh I find the species guides to be very confusing :? :? :?

Makes life hard for some of us, perhaps we have caught more species than we have thought :wink: :wink:

I had a session or two after wrasse last week.

Here's the report....

http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... hp?t=16518

I wasn't sure if it was a Corkwing as the Species Guide on this website says that they are restricted to the SE and very rarely taken from the shore. But it was very deep water - I could not see the bottom despite the water been crystal clear. So maybe that was a good habitat for them. It does seem to fit the description given on the mini-species guide.

I fished at Bray Head(from the shore) into no more than 6-12ft of water :!: :!: :!:

definetly a female corkwing, dunno why they say its a very local and restricted variety, seems to crop up everywhere :shock:

Well done again Rockhunter,great report again and nice pics. 2 new species and the first mack of 2008,,,,,thats 3 new species of 2008 in my book :lol: :lol: . You lucky devil,,,living in that part of the country :lol: :lol: . I remember seeing a basking shark off Galley Head a few years ago ,,,fantastic sight,,,,,, i hadnt a clue how to fish then,,,, when I think of the great marks I had around me. :oops: :oops:

I was having another look at the photos of that dogfish - I had presumed it was a LSD but looking at it again it the anal fin ends under the second dorsal so that would indicate it is a bull huss?

It certainly put up a better fight that a typical LSD.

If it is then that would give me another new species from that session :lol: :lol:

Thanks Dave,
West Cork is definitely a good area for fishing - seems much better than East Cork. I am just kicking myself that I did not take up fishing earlier - I never held a fishing rod in my hand before 12th June 2007 :roll: :roll:

I spend so many weekends down around there just lounging around, eating and drinking beer - when I could have been fishing :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks Dave,
West Cork is definitely a good area for fishing - seems much better than East Cork. I am just kicking myself that I did not take up fishing earlier - I never held a fishing rod in my hand before 12th June 2007 :roll: :roll:

I spend so many weekends down around there just lounging around, eating and drinking beer - when I could have been fishing :lol: :lol: :lol:

I get the same feeling myself sometimes,,,,wasted all my youth chasing women ,drinking beer and enjoying myself,,,,,,when I could have been fishing instead :shock: :shock: . I suppose its better late than never ,,eh? :roll:,,by the way,congrats on another new species (again :wink: )

First basking shark about 200 m out from shore

I get the same feeling myself sometimes,,,,wasted all my youth chasing women ,drinking beer and enjoying myself.....[/quote]

I'm sorry, I don't understand this bit! :?

great report fella. sounded like a great session.

I get the same feeling myself sometimes,,,,wasted all my youth chasing women ,drinking beer and enjoying myself.....

I'm sorry, I don't understand this bit! :?[/quote]

Its called sarcasm :roll:

I get the same feeling myself sometimes,,,,wasted all my youth chasing women ,drinking beer and enjoying myself.....

I'm sorry, I don't understand this bit! :?

Its called sarcasm :roll:[/quote]

/sigh.... Yes, I was joking!

really nice fishin lad 8) headin to glengarrif in august , itchin to get the lines wet ,be in castletownbere for a day or too as well, any info would be greatly appreciated

Hi Legend,
I don't know what the fishing is like around Glengariff - but there is a big seal population there, masses of them basking on the rocks out towards Garnish Island so I would guess that the fishing would not be great. There is a lot of weed around there too.

Your best bet would be to head westwards towards the end of the peninsula - lots of small rocky inlets along the south side,, west of Castletownbere. The end between the mainland and Dursey Island has very deep water and is supposed to be good for pollcok and wrasse.

If there is a good surf running then the beach at Allihies might have some bass.

I will probably head over that way myself sometime over the summer. If I am there before August and find some good marks I will let you know.