Doolin, Fanore, Blackhead (lighthouse) finished at mark 101

People: Me & Gabriel

Duration: 14:00 -20:00

Tide: high to low

Weather: mild, sunny, some breeze

Bait: Sandeel, Macks, squid

Rigs: a lot.

Results: Blanked! Again

It must be something that I am doing wrong. We drove from Limerick to Doolin to find a good spot. Unfortunately, we cannot find a good one (Maybe we just don't know where to go). We then tried driving towards Blackhead which we have tried fishing a year ago but will be stopping at any mark where we see people fishing. First stop after Doolin was Fanore beach. A couple of lads fishing for Bass at around 14:30 and are still blank apart from a small dab which he said was accidentally hooked but died when he was trying to remove the hook from it. We decided not to go for beach fishing at Fanore cause we are not equipped for it (No boots and such). We then started driving towards Blackhead and started our first cast near the lighthouse. There is too much weed there and since we are doing bottom fishing we lost at least 4 rigs on that site before decided we need to have some afternoon snacks.

Drove to Ballyvaughan and have a good seafood chowder at Monks restaurant before driving back to a much nearer mark at blackhead. There were around 12 anglers on site all going for mackerel and there are lots of macks being caught as well. We still worked our way and kept on going for the bottom but to no avail (all weeds and lost rigs). Around 18:30 I was still hoping that Gabriel is still enjoying this activity even if we are still blank and everyone around us is getting mackerel by 2's or even 4 at a time. I wanted him to go with me whenever I go out and fish that is why it is important to get at least one bite and good fight. Unfortunately still blanked.

Just when everyone is starting to go home the folks near us who were probably looking at how we were trying and still didn't catch anything gave us a good set of 8 Macks which made Gabriel smile and still enjoyed the day. (From Photo attached)

Maybe this is just not a good day, like any other bad fishing day.

As of now we have gone 3 times fishing in Shores of ireland and still blank. Still searching for the first bite!

I will try somewhere near Limerick maybe tonight or one of this week days.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! hehehe

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Mmm, Monks seafood chowder!

Hard luck with the bottom fishing, good to see the macks are back in early.

About 400/500 yards past the lighthouse heading towards fanore there is a small gate and some concrete steps.Go down there and look for numbers 12-15. watch out tor the cliffs on your right hand side!
The bottom here is cleaner than at the lighthouse but you will still have to cast about 40 yards to clear the rocks. I have had dogs, huss, gurnard, wrasse, mackerel, flounder pollack and rays from here. There are also good conger if you want to fish the rotten bottom.

It gets very busy and most of the macci bashers have no grasp of etiquette but it is an easy mark to fish and can produce surprisingly good fishing.

The Bay was full of sandeel over the weekend and hopefully this should signal the start of the return of the bigger fish, thats if the ever present trawlers havent raped the bay.

Thanks a lot baitdigger.

You lured me back again to drive out there and seek the elusive good catch...

WABS

i have fished gleninagh quay just east down the road from blackhead - twice in the last month and have blanked both times - once on the fill with the sea black with sandeels

the second time on the fill with terns gulls whitethroated divers and cormorants - all feeding

it seems slow to me in that area at the moment

I fish this stretch of the coast regularly over the year and apart from macks and pollock I have blanked more often than not. Sometimes I think its me, but generally I think that good fishing here is confined to summer months, it may be still too early for it.


Antbear

Hard luck Wabs, Sorry i haven't met up with you yet things have been crazy !!!!!!!! Will give you a call next week things should be calm by then, we might organise a trip

Regards

Seamus

Hi. Have you tried Ballyreen? Thats the area of flat rock between the road and the sea when you come out of the bends from Lisdoon/Doolin and onto the first straight stretch heading north to Fanore. I used to find that better than Black Head when I lived in Fanore. But I'd agree the whole area fishes better from midsummer on. PS: I used to find the bass turned up in August at the south end of Fanore beach, and from there down to an outcrop the locals call Scanlan's Point, which was a great spinning mark.

Thanks Seamus.

Give me a ring when you have plans.

Hopefully everything calms down in the coming days.

WABS