LRF Rod Test over 2 Sessions, Donaghadee

People: Just Me

Duration: 7pm - 9pm both nights

Tide: Big n Wet

Weather: EASTERLY!

Bait: Rag

Rigs: Mini 2 Hook Patt. Mini Sabiki

Results:
Monday Night - Pollack, Corkwing, Ballan, Shorey
Tuesday Night - Coalfish, Pollack, Ballan, GS, Corkwing, Shanny

Report:
Monday Night
Ok, so went down to the Dee to Christen my LRF rod, I know I don't have the lures or anything yet, but I'm an impatient bugger at heart, So I went with small 2 hook flappers baited with Rag, man the fight that even small fish give you on gear that light is scarey.... First had a Shore Rockling, which went nuts! Constant head thumps and a couple of mini dives made it VERY interesting! Next I had a Ballan, only 10cm'ish but this deep bodied bully boy gave an amazing account of itself! More of the same a couple of minutes later when I lively Female Corkwing surfaced at my feet. Then the fun really began when I set the hook on something that wasn't too happy, it screamed line of the drag as it crash dived a good 4ft under the rod tip, made steady progress with it, until it saw the light and went for a second dive, finally subdued a pollack of maybe 6oz surfaced, the final fish was a real joy to catch, hit the bite on the second of 2 solid tugs, and as I lifted the rod to set the hook, the tip bent right round and for a moment I thought I'd hit ground, but then it started trying to bury its head in the kelp and I knew I had a fish on, had to bully the fish a bit as he was determined to bust me up in the kelp, but the light gear performed perfectly, and with some gentle persuasion a Ballan of around 10oz lay defeated, nothing big, but the best sport I think I've ever had...

Tuesday Night
Back down for another go Small 2 hook patt. was on and immediately started getting digs, something small and wrassey was at the bait... got the hookup thanks to the responsiveness of the light rod, lots of head nodding and dogged fighting and a huge 12cm GS wrasse was heaved onto the pier, bound to be a PB! The next fish was the best fight I've had on the rod so far, I got the lightest of taps and hammered it straight away, with the drag set super light the fish could show off, with several runs and dives and a dogged display under the tip, my suspicians were realised when a Coaly somewhere between a pound and 1lb4oz broke surface.... It's amazing the appreciation you develope for a fish that has nearly wretched the rod from your hand several times. Also had a few Ballans and Corkwings tonight again, the 2 bigger Ballans went like sh1t off a shovel fighting doggedly under the tip and giving the little rod a real workout, as the evening progressed the Wrasse turned off and it was time for a couple of Pollack, certainly didn't match up to the powerhouse Coaly, but still, fun none the less.

Can't wait for my LRF lures. jigheads and Fluro to arrive... I have a feeling it's gonna be a really fun summer!

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nice one drew!! im sure that wee 5'6 devil was sh#tt##g itself!! lol

Drew have you seen the light Its a FUN way to catch fish and to me anyways it beats a 5/8oz beach rod any day

Drew have you seen the light Its a FUN way to catch fish and to me anyways it beats a 5/8oz beach rod any day

I swear Tom, when I was playing that Coaly, It was so fun I laughed the whole way through...

nice one drew!! im sure that wee 5'6 devil was sh#tt##g itself!! lol

Cheers man, it handled it well, some craic though!!!

We should have a LRF meet at the Dee! (I've already got my SPs, jigheads & braid)

We should have a LRF meet at the Dee! (I've already got my SPs, jigheads & braid)

Yep well up for that..

I smell an lrf club forming,plenty of places around north down u can wiggle a worm

sounded like great crack well done

nice session drew, LRF was a thing i was considering of doing this season aswell, great to see sum fish being caught on lure. well done mate

Welcome to the dark side mate, as you know austin and i have been at it for a few winters now and man is it fun..

Wait till you get 4 or 5lb of pollock on it, that is serious fun lol. I`ll goto a meet for a laugh if yous have one.

Marty

brilliant wee report Drew. sounds like the sure way to enjoy a bit of craic/sport!
great stuff

Nice one drew, its good to see that LRf gear is being put to good use already. Its good fun isn't it?

Nice one drew, its good to see that LRf gear is being put to good use already. Its good fun isn't it?

Stuff came from England yesterday Dave, tried fishing a 2" Grass Minnow and Power Isome on a 1.8g jighead, Think I was too high off the water, Keeping in touch with the lures was a real issue, so I'm yet to hit a fish on the lures

Nice one drew, its good to see that LRf gear is being put to good use already. Its good fun isn't it?

Stuff came from England yesterday Dave, tried fishing a 2" Grass Minnow and Power Isome on a 1.8g jighead, Think I was too high off the water, Keeping in touch with the lures was a real issue, so I'm yet to hit a fish on the lures

this is why we should head to the blue pool, godd amount of weed and rocks to fish over, always fish about even if they arent huge and the rock are very low down to the water

nice one drew
i'm gutted i missed out now
ahh well, theres always the weekend

Youll find 1.8g jig heads a bit touch and go at the dee mate, if there is any tide or wind you need to step it up a gram or two to stay in touch and get down to the fishes. Squeeze a split shot on just above the jig if you need a bit more weight. Get yourself onto AGM discounts for some good cheap mini heads of various weights, lures too..

Marty

Youll find 1.8g jig heads a bit touch and go at the dee mate, if there is any tide or wind you need to step it up a gram or two to stay in touch and get down to the fishes. Squeeze a split shot on just above the jig if you need a bit more weight. Get yourself onto AGM discounts for some good cheap mini heads of various weights, lures too..

Marty

Cheers Marty, was down on Ballyhalbert tonight, Fished the Big Rod with Doggie Bait while LRFing with the other one. Started off with about an inch of Power Isome, annoyed some shannies but they just spent there time chasing the lure up n down the wall... had a couple of nips at its tail but nothing positive, switched to a grass minnow 2" and the tail drove them nuts! At one point I had 6 Shannies chasing at once... but I'm not sure whether they were trying to eat it or mate with it, either way it certainly got an agressive response. Weird thing was, they only really chased it on the sink... the draw didn't give half the interest