16/17 July Wexford

People: Moi

Duration: 4hrs sessions

Species: Wed 2 Starry Smooths, 3 Common Smoothounds & 1 Bass - Thur 7 Bass

Weight: Biggest Bass 3lb

Weather: Wed perfect, calm, mild and just a pure pleasure. Thur total opposite down pours and a strong breeze

Method: Smoothies 4/0 pennel pulley rig at about 120yds, Bass 3 hook flapper 20yds

Bait: Smooties frozen crab, Bass Lug

Comments: I had to drop off Indy Boy to Rosslare on Wednesday as she was being relocated to Pembroke, this gave me an opportunity to so spend a few days with the family and get in some quality fishing on the Wexford coast.

Indy Boy's final hours



Looking Good.



Booked in to the same hotel as last year which was cheap as chips, all four of us cost £120 for three nights bed and breakfast, you'll be doing well to beat that.



We arrived late on Tuesday evening as the boat had to be at the dock at 6.30am , after dropping her off I took a spin around all the beaches and likely looking marks to see if I could get some local knowledge and lucky enough I bumped into three or four friendly chaps willing to confide.

My first session was more of a family day out but I brought a rod just incase an opportunity arose, with the sun high in the sky I managed a bag full of flounders which kept everyone interested.



We were lucky to have the weather gods singing a sweet melody and after a couple of hours or so the rods were taken in and the beach was enjoyed, I didn't mind as high tide was at 23.00 so the tides were perfect (or should I say perfectly planned).



I made it to my first mark around 20:00 and fished hard for a good solid 3hrs, a rod at range for the smoothies and one in close for the bass and even though the baits were kept fresh I never got a sniff. High tide came and although the mark was given to me by the local dealer I decided to pack up and move to another location about a mile further up the beach.

Reset up for 00:00 and the tide was on the ebb, confidence was low but it was such a great evening with clear skies and calm seas you couldn't but enjoy it, I even had the pleasure of seeing teh space shuttle Endevour pass over head.

I was just coming to end of my cast when the smoothie rod bent right over, no doubting what this was going to be I lifted the rod to find an almighty resitance on the other end 'game on'. There is no doubt about that these fine creatures are one of the hardest fighting fish (pound for pound) that the shore angler can target and after a memorable tussle a sizeable common smoothhound was beached.



As I sat back feeling rather pleased with myself a shooting star shot past the my line of vision, not one to miss an opportunity I made a wish for a Bass to make a show and with in minutes I couldn't believe my luck as the Bass rod doubled and I fought my first Bass to the shore.



I was over the moon with the Bass even if it was only 2.5 - 3lb but the fascination was realised, a proud fish if I ever saw one. It was looking like I had made the right decision to change marks when the smoothie rod bent into action for the second time, this time a Starry Smoothie broke the surface .



The action wasn't to slow either as the next 5 casts resulted in 5 smootie takes with a further 3 being beached, unfortunatley I ran out of crab and I had told the hotel I'd be back for 2am so I was content to pack up and reserve some energy for the following evening.

Thursday night wasn't long coming round and after enduring a puppet show and a tiny pops disco I managed to get back to the mark for 22:00. This time things were different, it was raining and a good gust was hitting shore so I drove the jeep down, cast in the two rods and lay back in comfort.

As you only really have 4hrs of good fishing (2hrs before/after high tide) you get nervous when your don't see any action with in an hour or so and I sat until the height of the tide with not a sniff so again I took a gamble to try another new venue 12miles down the coast.

This venue was slightly different than the rest but I'd seen quite a few people fishing here in the hours of darkness so I was confident there were fish about and it was only a few miles from the hotel. With in minutes of casting I landed a nice schoolie.



The action came fast and furious with what lug I had left and I managed a further 6 Bass of similar size in about 1.5hrs, good fishing but this wasn't just a schoolie mark as a guy 100yds down from me landed a fine specimen of 11lb only to sadly knock it on the head, he went on to hook a fish of similar size which luckily broke him.

This mark is an obvious hot spot and like any other gets lined with people taking advantage of easy fishing, there were some very small Bass going into bags which made this mark a last resort for future visits although I'm sure I'll be back.

All in all wexford has the full package, good food, good family fun, nice poeple and to top it off great fishing!!

Locaton is the key.........

Good report. Well done.
First Hound picture is deadly.

That last venue has been like that as far back as I can remember, not many Bass that get hooked there make it back into the water regardless of size unfortunatly.

cracking report there robbie well done mate, that was some nice fishing you had. and a three nights stay for four in a b&b for 120 quid now that was a bargain.
love the pic's

Well done Marshpike, great results and report. Pity about the small bass going into bags and the specimen getting knocked on the head

Hey marshpike great stuff! Congratulations for catching smoothounds. I wish I would catch one, some day...

Well dome man,Great report and photo's.

Paddy

nice report,great photos,fantastic fishing

Nice hounds there mate best fighting fish

looks like you had a good couple of days fishing this year ,all the best

well done,great report and lovely photos

well done mate. Wish we had one like that! Sometimes it takes a bit of an urge to admit defeat and move to another mark. Well done

Thanks for the kind replies, just wish I hadn't exchanged my Turbo 7Ht O'well roll on the blues........

Thanks for the kind replies, just wish I hadn't exchanged my Turbo 7Ht O'well roll on the blues........

lol I hate that lol. I must admit its the best reel for distance I have ever used. Hows the new boat?