Youghal - 7th January 2010

People: Me

Duration: 8.00 pm to 12.15 am

Tide: HW at 10.40 pm

Weather: Freezing, calm

Bait: Crab

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, 2/0 two hook flapper

Results: 12 codling




Report: I decided to venture out into the artic conditions for another cod session in Youghal. I picked up some fresh peelers from Bhoy32 (his brother to be exact, he had gone fishing himself - hope it was a good one). I tried a mark up stream that I had never fished before. The other day Pat has suggested it might be worth a shot. I got set up by about 8.00 pm. It was fairly quite for the first 40 minutes but then the codling arrived. There was a period and hour or so either side of high tide when the bites were constant.

Some of fish were a little bigger than the ones I had been catching in the bay, a few in the 1.5 lb range but there were a fair few tiddlers in there too. I lost the biggest fish - the only one that put a severe bend in the rod - came off half way in

About an hour after high tide the bites stopped as the fish headed back down stream with the current. I stuck it out for a little longer but it had gone dead. So just after midnight I started to pack up. I caught a total of 12 codling - so better than my previous sessions in Youghal - thanks for the tip Pat

By the end of the night my fresh peelers and become frozen crabs and the rods had a thick layer of frost. I was longing for those warm balmly evenings of last September when I spent a few pleasent evenings roaming the coast line in a tee-shirt with a spinning rod. I should have made more of it and got out every evening. Global warming me ar*e

But at least the roads around here are not too bad unlike most of the country. The main road was fine on the journey home.

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nice goin frank, 12 codling isnt a bad session but pity about the bigger one coming off.

small tip for ya,
get a cooler bag and one of the smaller sized hot water bottles for inside it to stop the bait freezing. i tried this a few times last year but the conditions were nothin like what we're seeing now. a hot flask to top up the bottle every hour or so might help, plus youd get a nice cuppa from it. just make sure the hot water bottle isnt too hot, better to have frozen crabs than cooked ones

great stuff when it taws i will head down we cant get any of any size well done rh

lost the biggest fish - the only one that put a severe bend in the rod - came off half way in

kick in d stones to lose a decent fish especially with the amount of small ones that are in it. i'm mad to get a decent one before then end of the winter run

nice goin frank, 12 codling isnt a bad session but pity about the bigger one coming off.

small tip for ya,
get a cooler bag and one of the smaller sized hot water bottles for inside it to stop the bait freezing. i tried this a few times last year but the conditions were nothin like what we're seeing now. a hot flask to top up the bottle every hour or so might help, plus youd get a nice cuppa from it. just make sure the hot water bottle isnt too hot, better to have frozen crabs than cooked ones

thats a good tip ill have to use that one
some nice codling there frank im heading down there tomorrow myself if you want to join me ive heard of a little spot not to far away from there thats producing some nice cod and flatties on crab and worm pm if your interested

where in youghal were u fishin r is it a secret sopt ??? i wat fishin off the tip of da ferry point last nit 10 til 1 nd all i got was 2 small codling nd a small coley

nice fishing frank a dozen codling ai'nt nothing to be sniffed at man had the same problem with my bait the other night myself. by 4am my mack and squid were just a solid block all the codling i got were taken within an hour either side of high tide too . the wee chaps must be on the same feeding cycles .hope this weather warms up soon,, even just to the point where your bait will stay thawed out would do me

well done frank lots of activity definatley think someones going to pull a biggie soon

Nice results Frank and well worth braving the elements for. What was the ratio of results for the two rigs if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks guys,

What was the ratio of results for the two rigs if you don't mind me asking?

I think it must have been evenly split, although I missed more bites on the 4/0 pulley - several of the codling on the 2/0's took the hook deeply whereas those on the 4/0 were much more cleanly hooked.

all the codling i got were taken within an hour either side of high tide too . the wee chaps must be on the same feeding cycles

They swim up the estuary with the rising tide so are around that mark at high tide, but there are other marks in Youghal bay that fish best over low water.
By the way Al did you get down to Dingle after Christmas or did the weather scupper your plans?

kick in d stones to lose a decent fish especially with the amount of small ones that are in it.

That was a pain alright

small tip for ya,
get a cooler bag and one of the smaller sized hot water bottles for inside it to stop the bait freezing.

Thanks for the tip Denis - that sounds like a great idea

I think it must have been evenly split, although I missed more bites on the 4/0 pulley - several of the codling on the 2/0's took the hook deeply whereas those on the 4/0 were much more cleanly hooked.

I was just curious cause I always use a pully or a one hook with a shortish snood. Plus I'm working on the idea of all going well I might get down that way next weekend.

Fairly sure I know that spot, Frank - very cosy in a westerly - and I'm surprised the fish are so small. The big ones must've been at home in front of the telly like me. Fair play to you for braving all elements to keep the rest of us lazy gits entertained

Fair play frank thats a nice session pity you lost the biggie, but with the
hours your putting in, im sure it wont be long before we see a photo of a nice big Cod

my god frank wernt you the one that was moaning about missing the cold when you were in the sahara earlier in the year
your probley the cause of this cold snap wishing it on us lol well done at getting out of the house and catching some im stuck in this house for the last 2 weeks i think im getting cabin fever must root out my copy of the shineing and show the wife and kids heeeres jonnnny

By the way Al did you get down to Dingle after Christmas or did the weather scupper your plans?

ahheemmmm,, bit of a touchy subject that man....... we arrived the day before the big freeze set in,,,,, then what transpired could only be described as a catalogue of disasters . i'll get a report up today to explain all,,,, but our fishing plans had taken a serious hammering

By the way Al did you get down to Dingle after Christmas or did the weather scupper your plans?

ahheemmmm,, bit of a touchy subject that man....... we arrived the day before the big freeze set in,,,,, then what transpired could only be described as a catalogue of disasters . i'll get a report up today to explain all,,,, but our fishing plans had taken a serious hammering

Woahhh al nd jordan that doesn't sound too good



well done frank dats very good fishin mann

Thanks guys,

my god frank wernt you the one that was moaning about missing the cold when you were in the sahara earlier in the year
your probley the cause of this cold snap wishing it on us lol

Yeah, and I was wishing for a drop of rain too - and look what happened - half of the country was submerged.
At the moment I am now wishing very hard for a heat wave - so if we have a 4 month drought this summer you will know who to blame.