Ardmore Pier - 16th and 17th January 2010

People: Saturday 16th: Me and Melissa; Sunday 17th: Me

Duration: Saturday: 1 hour; Sunday: 7.00 - 11.50 pm

Tide: HW: 6.45 pm

Weather: Mild , calm, dry

Bait: Lug, mackerel, squid, clam

Rigs: 2 hook flappers (2/0 hooks), 3 hook flappers (2/0 and 1/0 hooks, size 6 hooks), 2/0 pennel pulleys

Results:
Saturday 16th: 3 codling, 1 whiting
Sunday 17th: 10 codling, 5 whiting, 1 dogfish, 1 pouting




Report:
Saturday 16th: My original plan was fish a West Waterford beach up to high tide. We got to the beach and set up but there was a huge surf crashing in. I couldn't hold bottom even with 6 oz grippers. We stuck it out for a couple of hours but in the end I decided to move on and try for a few fish somewhere else on the way home. I reckoned there was probably still too much fresh water coming down the Blackwater so ruled out Youghal. Then I remembered Ardmore. Last winter I had a lot of fish from there.

When we got there we found somebody was already fishing there. As the pier is narrow I decided to use just one rod. The guy that was already there kindly moved his rod stand to give me some room. If you are reading this -thanks again

I didn't plan on staying long - just long enough to catch a fish or two to avoid the first blank of the year. Fairly soon after casting out I had a bite - a small codling. Shortly afterwards I had another, although this one was even smaller - the smallest one I have ever caught, just about 17 cm I had a few missed bites after that then had a double of a small whiting and a small codling. But it was the first whiting of the year
I packed up then - probably had been fishing for less than an hour, but at least I avoided the first blank of 2010.

Sunday 17th: I tried a new spot for lug in the afternoon - I got a few nice big juicy ones but it was tough going. Must have been digging for close to two hours and didn't have a huge amount to show for it. It was also difficult ground to dig, quite stoney with sticky mud in places. I decided to give Ardmore Pier another go - have a proper session there, but waited until after dark.

I got there about 7 pm, set up two rods. I was using mostly 2 and 3 hook flappers, initially baited with a variety of baits, but lug was the most effective, so I mostly used that.

As soon as I set up I had a bite - a double of a whiting (30 cm) and a small codling. Shortly afterwards I had a good size dogfish - I havn't had one of those in a while and a new species for 2010

A little later I got a pouting - another new species for the year

I had a few more whiting/codling doubles. Some of the codling were very small, generally less than 25 cm and only one of about 30 cm. I had another whiting of around 30 cm, although the majority were less than 20 cm.

For a while there was a steady stream of bites but towards low tide the bites became much more spaced. Close to midnight I packed up.
I had a total of 10 codling, 5 whiting, a pouting and a dogfish, 17 fish so not a bad evenings fishing, but nothing of any significant size.

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Well done Rockhunter, nice to get the new species,

Regards

You sure put in the long and chilly hours out there Frank, roll on the balmier bass days, eh? Meanwhile thanks for another nice bit of reading here by the fire....

fished ardmore pier once not a bite
well done

nice mix of fish there frank well done wont be long till ya root out that monster cod the way ya going

Well done Frank, more new species to add to this years tally, nice one

Thanks guys,

You sure put in the long and chilly hours out there Frank, roll on the balmier Bass days

It was quite pleasant out there on Sunday night after the long cold spell. But definitely miss those balmy September evenings

fished ardmore pier once not a bite

Did you fish it in daylight or darkness? Usually it is dusk or after dark before the fish come on the feed. Also it doesn't fish great a high and low tide, much better when there is a bit of movement in the tide.

nice mix of fish there frank well done wont be long till ya root out that monster cod the way ya going

Unfortunately they are getting smaller But I will keep trying.

Well done Frank, more new species to add to this years tally, nice one

That pier usually throws up a bit of variety, although usually nothing big, but it is easy fishing.

Nice fishing, you summed up the mark very well. If you want to avoid a blank the pier is the spot. Its great sheltered place when the wind is in the west or south west. Can be plagued with doggies at times, but also throws up small gurnard at night in the summer. so if your after a another species from the shore go back in June after the mackeral bashers have headed home. You can get half decent flounder and the odd dab in daylight. Never had a decent edible from it though. If they only moved that damn lamp post. I have lost count of the number of times I hit it. If your left handed its even better!

Nice fishing, you summed up the mark very well. If you want to avoid a blank the pier is the spot. Its great sheltered place when the wind is in the west or south west. Can be plagued with doggies at times, but also throws up small gurnard at night in the summer. so if your after a another species from the shore go back in June after the mackeral bashers have headed home. You can get half decent flounder and the odd dab in daylight. Never had a decent edible from it though. If they only moved that damn lamp post. I have lost count of the number of times I hit it. If your left handed its even better!

Thanks, good to know there is a possibility of a gurnard. I must give it a go in the summer.
The lamp post is annoying alright and the bulb is gone too

nice one frank you're notching up the species rightly for 2010 now