best catches of the year (so far)

Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:35 pm

People:me and mick

Duration:most sessions 3-4 hrs

Tide:mostlt flooding

Weather:

Bait:

Rigs:

Results:




Report:
Hi all, its been a long time since I made any sort of report here so thought I'd better do something in case I get barred from browsing when not contributing(not sure what the site rules are :?: )
The start of the year was very slow for me with any noteable fish being landed since August. Despite my best efforts I didn't (yet) manage to find a pb thornie this year, still hoping for a double figure raymond.
45cm 1lb 7oz Three Bearded Rockling :D :D , 1oz shy of a specimen :x . not the first 3 beardy I've caught on an8.0 conger hook :shock:
1.72m 34lb 12oz Conger Eel :D :D , 5lb 4oz shy of a specimen, a little further away but a pb I was very happy with :!:
23lb Pike :D :D , still a long way of a specimen but my first 20 :D
Might think about asking santa for a set of certified scales this christmas, fancy getting myself in the specimen book now that a few good photos is good enough and the fish can be released. Any ideas what age thes fish might have been :?:
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Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:43 pm

well done on the pbs. a shame about the 1 oz out but it will be there next year for the record books. good going.

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:12 pm

some cracking fish there 8)
nice eel and very nice pike..pity ye didnt catch in it the river :roll: (speci is 20lb for river pike)

nice 3 beard too but ye were actually 5oz away from speci!! its 1lb 12oz for speci rockling :wink:

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:31 am

Monster eel well done!

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:20 am

fantistic fish!lovley eel and a monster of a pike!unlucky just being off the specimen.a certified scale sounds like a good buy for the future :D all the best
tightlines fergal

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:33 am

Thanks for the report. PS What rod did you use to catch the conger?

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:03 am

Thats not a pike, thats an alligator!!! :lol:
excellent fish there well done, and the seaon aint over yet the cod will be on the move, and whitting are already about ;) looking forward to your future posts!!!

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:45 pm

savage eel ! congrats

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:14 pm

Massive ell and lovely pike that's some size fish, did you use freshwater fish for bait.....

Well done and tightlines

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:13 pm

roryodonnell wrote:Thanks for the report. PS What rod did you use to catch the conger?

Hi I do almost all my conger fishing with the cheap boat rod you see in the background, sturdy for the job and dont mind it getting scrapes as I often seem to end up having propped into the cracks when on rock marks so I can fish straight down the sides of any steep rocks, but dont worry despite the boat rod its definately a shore caught conger, west donegal pier that I tried having driven past it many times thinking there has to be conger there :idea:

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:18 pm

sparkey+1 wrote:Massive ell and lovely pike that's some size fish, did you use freshwater fish for bait.....

Well done and tightlines

Thanks, even better than dead bait, she took the red and white bulldog lure in the photo :D best fight I've had, heart in mouth until she was in the boat

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:23 pm

mighty fishes you got there bud,big well done 8)

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:05 pm

8) excellent fish, congratulations, I've often tried bulldog lures, unfortunately to no avail as yet. Got my best pike for this year (18lb 4oz) on a megabass crankbait lure, actually designed to catch seabass :) The conger is a cracker, well done!

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:28 pm

fine selection of fish there mate well done

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Sun Oct 09, 2011 11:13 pm

savage conger there dude !! im obsessed with getting a monster of a conger lol wud they take frozen mack yea ?

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Sun Oct 09, 2011 11:13 pm

savage conger there dude !! im obsessed with getting a monster of a conger lol wud they take frozen mack yea ?

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:13 am

darol wrote:savage conger there dude !! im obsessed with getting a monster of a conger lol wud they take frozen mack yea ?

Fresh bait is always best I find, but as it happens that eel took the frozen variety, I always bring a few from the freezer in case no fresh available, pouting meant to be a good bait but I've never tried it

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:14 pm

Some fine fish well done 8) & thats some Conger & Pike

Re: best catches of the year (so far)

Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:03 pm

i know man but the mack are disappearing now ! havnt tried with frozen yet thats why i asked :)
might give it a bash this weekend