Sligo 04/07/2010

People: Myself & Rich(the bro)

Duration: 22:00 -02:00

Tide: HW @ 00:00

Weather: Wet & Windy

Bait: Lug & mack

Rigs: Pulleys

Results: ?


Report:

Firstly, I know this report is a bit late, but I was waiting to receive the pic first,
as I'm not sure how to add pics onto already posted reports.

....the adventure continues..... Anyway the smile was still on my face from catching my first Bass
caught 3 days previously( Wicklow Beach 01/07/2010 report). I had decided to take 3 days off work and head
to visit my brother and his family in Sligo. Drove there on Sunday evening arriving around 9 ish.
Once the formalities were over with, Richie then gave a small cast of his invisible rod - The International
sign for "Wanna go fishing?" He was well prepped and had some freshly dug lug so once rods and gear were
transferred from my car to his no more time was wasted and off we set to a local mark !

Arrived at mark and started to get setup. There were ominous looking clouds in the Sky and a good S-SW wind
up so the surf was running high. Only fish my brother has taken from this beach were flatties, but said there
was a possibility of a Bass days after stormy conditions of which there was(a storm now, not a Bass!) Anyway I
agreed, but secretly thought to myself "Ha, were not in Wicklow now!" still basking in the memories of my first Bass!

So off we went, baits out, loads of rod movement but all for the wrong reasons - We had just landed in a small town
ye may well know - Weedville, North Carolina ? There was a huge amount of weed out there so had myself on a '10 minute
bait in water and a 5 minute retrieve and remove weed' cycle. Needless to say we were kept busy with the weed but
we persisted all the same, as u do !

Didn't see the hours go by since darkness had fallen when we were treated to a good increase in wind and a healthy dose
of horizontal rain ! Man were conditions getting tougher, but being brothers, we are as stubborn as each other and held
our ground both desparate to catch a fish (or not lose face!). 01:00 came and still nothing - What with wind,surf & weed
it was impossible to detect any bites whatsoever. So staring at my rod tip, I noticed a change in pattern of the tip movement.
"Can't be, can it? Yes, that's a fish!" Rich come look at this.....this HAS to be a fish !" Anyway took the rod and started to
retrieve-the weight felt no more than all the previous weed and couldn't really feel any fish at the other end. "F**k it anyway" I thought, so I carried on reeling hoping my shockleader knot would hold what with the weight of the weed. I could see the weed coming in now caught on the knot and was trying to make out if anything was behind it but my LED lenser was only shining on all the rain drops in front of me. Got it in closer and there it was, a tail in the water and a white belly! "It's a fish , Rich and I think it's Bass" Yes it is ! He came over grabbed the line and pulled the fish in, as I was overloaded with weed. "There's your fish" he goes "I'd better get back out there" ,so he turned on his heels and back to his rod looking for one of his own!! we only gave it another hour and then headed home. So the celebrations on the beach were shortlived but I was a happy man - 0 Bass in 2 years and now 2 in 4 days !

What made it even sweeter was that I caught it in Sligo, on my brother's home patch and for once I had beaten him(but of course had forgotten to put on the obligatory bet).I suppose I should give you all a bit of background here but Rich loves his fishin and whenever any of the family go fishing together he is ALWAYS the one to catch a fish, the most fish or the biggest fish and wins all bets but has got a little smugness about himself.

Well all this came to an end this night - Never mind the 2 years wait for a Bass, this was a 30+year wait to get one up on him and boy was it sweet.ME - 1 Rich - 0 and it was an away match so my goal should count for more! Arrived home soaked ,cracked open a beer and got the scales out.Fish came in at 3lb 11oz ! As you can probably tell from the pic anyway, this fish didn't make it back alive either! I know it's 2 Bass in 4 days, but it's also 2 Bass in 2 years for me and plus I dont think anyone would have believed that I caught a Bass in Sligo, even though they are starting
to make more of an appearance these days. Fish was cooked the next day and fed a small family so put to good use. Anyway I think that's how 'he' would have wanted it.

2nd Bass and again didn't get a fight out of it but this time it was down to the weed. Roll on next time as I have yet to 'feel' the fight of these bad boys!!!!!

My next purchase is a cheapo digital camera, so I can take pics of fish on the beach and will start to practise the art of C&R ......


later all


Steve

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great report steve and well done on your 2nd bass, hopefully more to come .

Fair play to you a that's a fine North West Bass Will have to give them a bash on my local beach next week

sweet fish,and well done, there hard got this side of the country,i should know,two years and no bass

I was waiting for you to comment on this one noel haha Nice one on the bass, nice to get one out west!

ya its nice to see them here in the west.i just think there there but hit and miss.i think kerry man proved that the nite 9 of us met up in enniscrone lol.chris u got one in the west when up at us

Nice result and great report: it's always the story that makes the fish!

nice fish and good report too

nice one for sligo only had one myself in the county this year