West Waterford - 21st February 2009

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 2.00 to 8.00 pm

Tide: HW at 3.15 pm

Weather: Mild, very calm, light westerly breeze, sunny, dry

Bait: Lug, razor, mackerel, squid

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, 3 hook and 2 hook flappers

Results: 1 flounder, 9 whiting




Report: First day fishing in a month - I didn't venture out in the Artic conditions at the end of last month and early this month and then I was abroad for nearly two weeks so I was looking forward to getting back out fishing. I dug a bunch of lug at low tide in the morning and in the early afternoon headed to Youghal. I spend a couple of hours fishing the bay but there was not a hint of a bite - even the crabs were scarse. The bay was dead calm - more like a lake. So I moved on to another mark in West Waterford. The sea was again very calm, too calm, hardly a ripple never mind a wave. I set up three rods one with a three hook flapper with small hooks (1, 2, and 4), one with a two hook flapper (size 1/0 hooks) and the third rod with 4/0 pennel in the hope of something big.

However, the rod tips remained motionless for a couple of hours - then I spotted a quiver on the rod with the 4/0 pennel - I waited for a few seconds until there was another tap on the rod and struck - I reeled in a 36 cm flounder - he had managed to completely swallow the 4/0 hook and large bait - only the upper hook of the pennel remained free. The fish was quite scrawny - the thinnest flounder of that length that I have ever caught. But at least it was a fish and I was saved from a blank

Towards dusk I had a small knock on the rod with the 3 hook flapper - the first of the whiting, but quite small, only about 20 cm. After dark the whiting came on the feed - I caught a total of nine, mostly on mackerel, although a few on squid or lug. They were all small, the largest was only 23 cm

However, after about a hour the shoal moved on and the bites dried up.

So not the greatest session for the amount of time put in - but at least it was a nice warm afternoon and it was good to be out fishing again after a month long break.

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well done,good fishing,its always good to be out!

Welcome home Frank.Good to see to you back on the fish .At least you're after getting out and have'nt blanked,i'm afraid things have been quiet for me at least for the last few trips but somehow i feel some decent fishing is on the way soon
Tight lines

Nice flounder Frank! Well done

Diego

Well done and welcome back Frank, thats a great flounder, i saw a 32cm one on Sat, caught by Cormac (cormology), so i can imagine what a 36cm one looks like. Looking forward to your reports again,,i got a small bass on Sat,,nothing like your regulars, but still a bass .

Thanks guys,

Welcome home Frank.Good to see to you back on the fish .At least you're after getting out and have'nt blanked,i'm afraid things have been quiet for me at least for the last few trips but somehow i feel some decent fishing is on the way soon

I guess we need a bit of a southerly/southerwesterly blow to stir things up a bit, the sea was unbelievably calm over the weekend.

i got a small Bass on Sat,,nothing like your regulars, but still a Bass .

Well done on your first bass of 2009 - the first of many I hope
I remember you got a few good size ones yourself last year.

Cracking Flounder

welcome back frank, that flounder aint a bad way to return what do you reckon he weighed?

that flounder aint a bad way to return what do you reckon he weighed?

I doubt it was much more than a pound - it was very thin - most flounders that I have caught of that length have been fairly plump but this one was very malnourished - note the empty stomach cavity in the photo. I remember reading somewhere on this site that late December/January/early February is the flounder mating season so I guess it was worn out after that

good to see you back amonst the fish Frank, nice sized flounder too.