West Cork rock mark - 6th June 2008

[RockHunter]

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 5.45 - 9.45 pm

Tide: HW at 8.00 pm

Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy, warm, light southwesterly breeze

Bait: ragworm, razor, sandeel

Rigs: size 1 three hook flappers, 1/0 pennel, feathers, lures

Results: 2 dogfish, 2 wrasse, 4 mackerel




Report: I intended to get going early at least by 3.00 pm and planned to get some ragworm from the Cork Angling Centre on the way but phoned them first to check they had some in stock - they wouldn't have it until 4.30 pm - so I went out and dug my own which delayed me - then got stuck in traffic on the southern ring road around Cork city. My original plan was to fish three different rock marks but with the delays I just fished one in the end.

When we arrived I put on a set of feathers and made a few casts in case there were mackerel about and there was the chance that pollock would go for the feathers too. But not a single bite. I then baited up another rod with the size 1 three hook flapper, two hooks with ragworm and the third with a sandeel and dropped it into the deep water pool at the base of the cliff.

I set up another rod with the 1/0 pennel baited with razor and cast it out as far as I could. Then did a bit of lure fishing with the spinning rod hoping that there were pollock about.

The first bite was on the rod in close - good strong pull on the line - a 65 cm dogfish. A little later there was another bite on the same rod - the fish had a very strong pull on the line and managed to shake itself free before I could land it - it may have been a wrasse.

I did a bit more spinning, this time with a sandeel on a 1/0 hook.

Then there was a knock on the rod at distance - but it was not hooked. I cast out again to much the same spot. A little later there was another small pull on the rod - but missed it again. I cast out again and held the rod, sure enough shortly afterwards there was another bite. I retrieved and found it was another dogfish.

The first rod had been quite for some time so I cast it across the little bay to the edge of the cliffs about 25 m away. No long afterwards there was a bite - a ballan wrasse of about 1 lb, 32 cm - from the stuggle it was putting up I expected something at least twice the size. It was taken on rag on size 1 hook. But another new species for me :lol: :lol:

I rebaited and cast back into the same area. It did not look as if there were any pollock about so I decided to have another go with the mackerel feathers but this time put them on the 13.5 ft rod with a 4 oz weight and blasted them out as far as I could. When I began to retrieve I could feel several hits - as I reeled them in I could see three good size mackerel :lol: :lol:

I continued spinning the feathers with the beach casting rod then there was a good knock on the other rod - it seemed as if it was snagged at first but then I managed to dislogde it and could feel a fish pulling on the end. As I retrieved it I could see another bigger wrasse. This guy was 1.75 lb, 33 cm. Again taken on size 1 hooks baited with rag.

After rebaiting I returned to the beach caster and continued blasting it out - I got one more mackerel again fairly good size - about 1 lb. The main shoal must have been a long way off the coast further than I could reach.

I lost the feathers on a snag close to the shore and as it was getting late I decided that was probably enough. Then there was a another knock on the other rod, it was pulled off its resting place against the rocks and only that Melissa was standing beside it the rod would have been gone out to sea. Presumably another wrasse - this guy was really putting up a fight - eventually I could feel that I was beginning to dislodge him - them disaster - the snood snapped off the trace and he was gone :evil:

We packed up after that - at least we had some mackerel for tomorrows dinner and I had another new species :lol: :lol: :lol:

About this time last year I had fished that mark and it was full of pollock - but no sign of any there this time - maybe the water is still too cold.

Last edited by RockHunter on Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Some more pics

Nice fishing rockhunter,,,,you seem to have the wrasse bug well and truly.

They really are great sport on light gear, cant wait myself to catch a 4/5 lber :wink:

Did you use scales to get the weight of them or was it a guess.

The reason I ask is that I would have put a thick set wrasse of 30cm or so at around the 2lb mark myself.

A bit of a tip for you,,,,,, for fishing in close, I only used a 1 or 2 hook rig(with very short snoods of 5 inch or so), which helps to reduce snags and fish lost to snags,,,,,I found the wrasse have a habit of diving for cover when hooked, and this can result in the additional hooks snagging on kelp/rocks,,,,,,I found just fishing 1 or 2 hooks helps,,,,,works for me anyway

Good luck

Mark

Thanks Mark,
Yes I used a scales. The second wrasse was only 1 cm longer than the first but much plumper. They are definitely greater fighters. You would think there was a 4 lb fish on the line not something less than half that.

I will have to return to that mark soon - and have another crack at them.

Thanks for the advise on the rigs.

I hope the tips help.

I also found that the wrasse can give quite timid bite sometimes, and the shorter snoods help when striking for a hook-up, there is less slack line on your rig, so the strike is quicker at the hook end.

I'm heading out myself tomorrow to fish a rock mark, so hopefully I'll have a few wrasse :wink: Just not sure whether to fish Bray Head, where I had reasonable results last time, or may try a spot on Howth Head,,,,,decisions, decisions :? :? :?

:idea: I am gonna try tipping my rag baits with a bit of mackerel this time aswell to see if that improves my hook-up rate

Yes the wrasse bites I got yesterday were fairly subtle apart from the one that nearly took my rod away with him - shame the snood snapped it must have been a big one.

Best of luck tomorrow - I will be looking forward to reading your report.