Bass, Pollock and Trout in Kerry

[Eoghan]

People: Me, SteveR and bro in law

Duration: One manic fishathon weekend.

Tide: Mainly last 3 of drop

Weather: Like Spain

Bait: Lures

Results: Bass, Pollock and lots of trout


Report:

Decided on a quick military type few days in Kerry. Very last minute. Bundled rods and lures into car and sped off like Thelma and Louise in the direction of the Kingdom.
On the way down my brother in law sends me a pic of one of four trout he caught and a nice bass all on a green kilty lure. So we stepped on the pedal a bit harder when we saw this..!
Our first stop was a brilliant mark we fish usually with bait and at night but we tried it with lures and soft plastics. I had one fish one for about 3 seconds (That would be a theme that continued throughout the weekend) but apart from that and a belt of rain I could only describe as tropical, nothing else happened.

Arrived at the house around 5pm. Quick bottle of smythwicks pale ale and some pasta and out to fish an estuary on a dropping tide from 7 til dark.
Very quickly start hitting trout. I have to say at this point, I have caught trout before, but the takes I was getting on Friday night were savage. They must have been hitting the lures at some speed. The rod went from static to bouncing like hell instantaneously. I managed to land 2 fish and lost another 2 roughly half way in. The fish were maybe a pound or over. The two lads with me had a few takes but the trout seemed nuts about a small metal krill lure I was using. I could just say I am amazing at lure fishing but Im opting for modesty here.
After the estuary we fished a beach mark for Bass from 12pm til about 12.30 in the dark but not a sniff and we were wrecked so bed calling.

Up the next morning with the sun to fish a set of rocks for trout and bass. The bass were playing hard ball and would all weekend. Was a bit too calm and sunny for my liking.
The two lads couldn’t get out of bed at the same time and followed me over. By the time they got there I had 3 more trout and a few Pollock landed. The place was stuffed with trout.
The expected bass time came and went and so we called it a morning around 11 am or so.

A quick bite to eat and out to the estuary for low water and the first two of the rise. No fish landed, two trout by me got off again after a few seconds of madness.

Back to house, pub for Brazil game and a few pints then back to the rocks for the high water and first 3 of the drop. Wind kicked up and a bit of fizz which was great.
I had a few small trout and Pollock, turning into groundhog day at this stage. Then in one of those moments when you are miles away I get a little knock, the lure in only about 10 ft from the rock I am standing on.
Im still trying to decide if it was a knock when WHAM, rod buckles over and the fish goes ape s***. I can tell it’s a trout and a good one at that. Fish goes from left to right in seconds, rod is bouncing like mad.
With that the trout, I reckon about 5Ib flies into the air and thrown the lure which flies into the air with it, I duck as it lands beside me a second later and the fish is gone.
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAK…! What a fish and what a mental few seconds. Bass might be a strong fish but trout are pure mental. Like a crazy girlfriend type mental.
In what seems like slow motion I see this fish falling back into the sea looking like a small salmon. Gutted. But nothing I could do.

Next morning we wake and its our last session. The sea is running perfectly, nice waves rolling onto our rock mark. We run faster than forrest gump to the rocks in anticipation that this is the session we have been looking for. My mate Steve who is having out of those weekends, hasn’t had a fish, or a take or even a tap for that matter all weekend. Amazing as the place is stuffed with small trout with some bigger ones too and there are plenty of Pollock too. I take up my usual spot on MY rock when the tide has fallen enough to allow me to do so. I can see the reef and a cast approx 15 foot beyond, I allow the lure to hit the bottom and just as I start to retrieve its nailed. I can tell it’s a trout but happy out, fish about. This pattern continues for about 2 hours, trout and small Pollock. Unknown to me Steve is having no luck and he takes off the trout lure and sticks on a SG sandeel and tries something different. Bold move as if it was me I would have stuck on a small metal to target trout and avoid the blank. He has 3 fish in 10 casts, 2 nice Pollock and a plump Bass to boot.
Take a bow Steve, nicely done and nice way to finish off the weekend.
Time runs out and we need to pack up to get home to the wives but we were walking away knowing its all going to kick off over the next few days.

As it was a bonus weekend it was brilliant. I ended up with 10 trout landed, 3 pollock and about 20 off’s.
Steve was heading for a disaster and saved it with two nice Pollock and a Bass. Art had 4 trout and a Bass.
Hard work though, there should have been more Bass but there wasn’t much life about. Very few sandeels or terns, gannets working the shore. Weird.
Great to meet up with a fellow TLF member Dave..! Look forward to fishing with you again mate.

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Last edited by Eoghan on Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:35 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Few more pics for a laugh really. Place stuffed with trout. Even the small ones had attitude. I took the pic of the pollock as I was like "WTF were you thinking going for that lure"..>!

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Nice one eoghan pity the bass weren't around in any numbers but sounds like a good weekend fair play

Cheers Paul. How did you get on yourself or have you gone yet?

I was down alright plenty of pollock but no bass
Didn't get nearly as much fishing in as planed,
Note to self leave girlfriend at home next time lol

Nice one Eoghan, you've whetted my appetite. This time 46 days and I'll be standing on YOUR rock! Two weeks of bliss....!

Ha ha ye git. Have a new spot for you too Steve. Will PM you. Under our noses all this time.

I wont be back down until October. But I have been down 3 times this year so happy out.

great stuff going to dingle last ten years some time twice or more. staying in cloghane on sat for a week living for it
what a place great see reports from kerry on here

There was supposed to be a smiley at the end of this :
"I could just say I am amazing at lure fishing but Im opting for modesty here. "

And now I loook like a D**k..!!! That was supposed to be funny.

Some fine fish there Eoghan, Kerry is being good to you this year.