St John's Point Donegal 13th August

[Guest]

People:My Dad and myself

Duration:6 hours

Tide:4 hours before hightide until 2 hrs after

Weather:sunny

Bait:Ragworm

Rigs:floating and spinning

Results:1x 2lb Pollack, 1x 4lb Wrasse, 2x 3 1/2lb Wrasse and maybe 60,70, who knows how many smaller Warasse


Fished here for 6 hours, fully expecting to catch big pollack, but I must say, we were disappointed in the variety and quality of the fish(with the exception of the big Wrasse). The place looks like a perfect spot; at low tide it was 26ft deep. I don't think I would come back here, although it may be interesting to fish around 7 or 8 at night, on a high tide. We mainly float-fished using fantastic quality ragworm (dug in Carrickfergus the day before) and the Wrasse loved them.
I have fished a lot along this coastline, particularly around Muckross Head, near Kilcar, and always been amazed at how effective the big ragworm are, particularly fishing close in on a float. I caught one of the 3 1/2 lb Wrasse spinning; only take I had all day on the spinner. Several other anglers turned up and also caught nothing but Wrasse.
I guess we experienced what a lot of the other reports on these boards have said about St John's Point; maybe our expectations were too high, but this coast is a fantastic place to visit, stunning scenery and you see something different each time you come here, this time , it was a pod of about 30 dolphins hunting maybe 20-30 yards off the shore, half way down St John's Point. Lat year I spotted 2 whales crossing the bay at Muckross and also caught a Triggerfish (a first for me) on the float at Muckross a few years ago.

[obkdob]

I live in the Crumlin/Glenavy area and getting bait either rag or lug always is a problem. I was interested in your comment about the rag in Carrickfergus. Is it difficult to dig and where does one look for it. Many thanks

[Trotter]

Ok - I will assume you can get to the castle in Carrickfergus - heading in the Larne direction you travel along the Marine Highway for about 3/4 of a mile. At the end of the Highway (you will pass a small White stone harbour), there is a set of traffic lights through which you continue straight and in about 4-500 yards will notice a disused petrol station. Take the next right immediately after the station and go down the short hill and turn left at the bottom. There is a lay-by with a small tunnel close-by (which you will walk under) and this leads to the beach.

Right beside this lay-by is the ancestral home of US President Andrew Jackson, so if you can see this you will know you are in the right place. Also, if you miss the first turn, there is a signpost to the ancestral home.

The tide goes a long way out here - maybe 3-400 yards and I am not aware of any problems with flooding etc - just be alert. You will want to go out as far as possible (basically in a straight line from the tunnel exit) and you will come across small sand banks covered in mussels. You will easily see where other people have been digging. I usually follow the tide out and it is very easy to dig, the sand is black and the worms are very easy to spot. These worms are very big and healthy - in 90 mins I was able to dig enough rags for 2 of us to feed all the Wrasse at St Johns Point!

If you need smaller rags, you can dig the small white harbour you passed on the raod from the castle. Dig in the harbour here for lug worm and small rag.

[Drew]

I live in the Crumlin/Glenavy area and getting bait either rag or lug always is a problem. I was interested in your comment about the rag in Carrickfergus. Is it difficult to dig and where does one look for it. Many thanks

Watch the Pro's arn't out, Apparantly they can be quite persuasive if you dig on their patch.

[Bigbill.]

Council brought out bye-law some years ago, were you need a licence to dig for bait in council area. This was a result of trouble with a capital T between locals and pros. Firearms were produced and threats / promises issued between parties. Only enforced against pros. They practically wiped out the ragworm population in carrick.

Bill

[Drew]

^^ See. :shock:

[Trotter]

I have regularly dug bait here for the last 4 years and only occassinally see other people digging. I recall an incident similar to the one mentioned above, however, it was a very long time ago and I did obtain a licence at a cost of 25p from Carrick Council. I also know that there was trouble with the Pro's from Larne when they were put off he beach at Greenisalnd but, again, this was quite some time ago. The ragworm population has definitely recovered if it was decimated.

[Drew]

Belfast Lough is full of Rag, on Both Sides, If you know where to look :wink: :wink:

[Conor H]

At £5 a bag , from the right man, you get a load of top notch rag and no hassle. Anyone interested in getting fresh rag , in the Shore Road area of Belfast, drop me a PM. I'll pass on a bloke's phone number. He needs 1 day's notice so you get good fresh rag. Myself and Cassie get ours here and have done for years. 2 bags kept us going for 6 hours non-stop at St John's Point a few weeks back.