West Cork Beach(again) 21-06-09

People, just me:

Duration, 2230-0100:

Tide, lw at about 2330ish:

Weather, nice, very slight breeze but no surf:

Bait, lug, rag, razor, all fresh:

Rigs, 2 hook flappers, size 2's:

Results, 1 Bass, too many dogs to count and 1 eel:




Report,
headed back down to the beach again to try and bring up the Bass count for the year. ive only a few sessions left as the wife is due in 6 weeks so getting out as often as i can for now. i dug 10 lug and got set up with 2 rods. as it was still bright i put lug on the top hooks and rag on the bottom. i was just baiting the trace on the 2nd rod when the 1st rod took a few good knocks and i lifted into a fish. i brought in a nice little Bass of 48cms and 2lb 8oz on lug. this was my 1st ever Bass here on lug and also my 1st ever fish here in with a bit of brightness in the sky. sweet i thought, its gonna be a good night. i put it back and finished baiting the 2nd rod and threw that out. befor i could get the 1st rod back out i was into another fish and landed a doggie. got him back and again, cast out and straight into another fish. it was doggies every few minutes after that, taking any of the 3 baits. they werent fussy.
i had little bell things in the box that i hadnt used before so stuck them on the rods. half the time id be pulling in a dog and id hear the other rod bouncing away. i lost count of how many i landed but must have been 15 or 16 easily. then it went quiet for a while. every now and then a bell would give just one big rattle but before i could lift, it would stop. every time this happened id find a bait was missing from a hook, no matter how much bait elastic id use, they were getting it off. not sure what it was but it was doing my head in.
at around 0030 i decided id cast each rod 1 more time and go. i got a massive thump on the rod to the right and hooked into something fairly big and very strong. i could hear splashing in the water but couldnt make out what it was but knew it wasnt a Bass, then it was gone. before i could get back out of the water i heard the other rod rattling away so went running up and struck. fish on again. this didnt feel as heavy but was kicking like a mad thing. i landed an eel. i wasnt expecting that from this beach. not sure if it was a tiny conger or a silver eel so comments appreciated. when i got to check the other rod the trace was snapped in 2. it was all frayed as if something was chewing through it so maybe a bigger eel?? suppose ill never know.
the only Bass of the night was on my 1st cast. dunno if their was no more out ther or if they just couldnt get to the bait with all the doggies.:

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more pics of the eel? what is it??

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Well done, Denis. Big eyes on the eel - looks like a strap to me.

looks like a conger to me too

the fish you lost might of been a tope

try fish with a wire trace next time, a mate of mine was fishing kilcoole beach a couple of summers ago, and a tope pulled his rod of the stand while we were in the beach buddy, and luckily enough we fished it out with my rod

good report red, looks like a conger to me aswell. bet ya the big unknown lost fish is stoking the fires

Nice one Red. Def not a tope, possible larger eel maybe but deffo not a tope.... Are you where I think you were? Dogs can be a nuisance alright, was there much surf/weed there last night?

well done and i had a eel like that of ballywillig one night thought it was a sliver eel

Are you where I think you were?

yes, he was as far as I know and the weed is gone, maybe our decision to retire from that location was premature??

yeah it was the spot your thinking of pete. i could see some weed up the far end on the beach but very clean where i was. the surf was down to 1 inch ripples at the waters edge.
i dont think it was a tope lads, when i said it was heavy i meant compared to the doggies!!! maybe 6-7lbs. probably another eel.
might be heading down again on wednesday night with donal if your around, not sure yet tho??

Not sure about tomorrow, herself is working but I may take a spin down this evening. When its flat clam on that beach by the way, start lashing out tobies or Kilties and hang on....