Wexford
Sun Jun 07, 2015 8:19 pm
People: approx 25 anglers (it was a club competition)
Duration: 5pm to 9pm
Tide: high at approx 12pm
Weather: mild, strong westerly breeze with flat calm and mildly coloured water
Bait: sandeel and crab
Rigs: three hook flapper with size 4 or size 2 hooks
Results: smooth hound
Report:
I had a club competition on in Clones so after collecting my bait I headed to the beach a little early to have
a quick look around. Despite the strong winds the beach was quite sheltered and the sea looked good. I decided to target
smooth hound pups and possibly look for a few dogfish as the sun dropped.
I was nervous starting out as I was using a multiplier which badly needed a service and I had no spare, a situation
I didnt like finding myself in, especially in a competition.
Having rigged up with a three hook flapper I started off with a gentle lob to about 70 yards in search of fish. The tidal run was weak enough so I was using a 100g grip lead. Straight away I started to register bites, nothing big but noticeable on the light rod I was using.
A good sign or so I thought until the chap next to me started to reel in undersized whiting. Keeping baits in the water to search out pups was going to be challenging.
After about an hour I found my first pup. I managed to land six in all and was nicely placed in my zone coming into the last half an hour.
Fish of about 35cm seemed average. Looking for a few dogfish as the sun went down I switched to a three hook clipped down rig and baited with sandeel and crab. I wound up a nice slow fishing pendulum and watched the lead fly. Just as my lead was at the 100 yard mark and still arching upward I felt the gritty clunk of an over run... then snap! So ended my involvement.
The last half hour saw several dogfish caught, as well as smooth hounds of an increasing average size. It was a great days fishing which in another location would have seen far more inclement conditions. Disappointed with myself for being reckless with my casting I was delighted to get a zone placing despite the frenetic finish around me.
No smooth hounds of any noticeable size were landed but it was a daylight event after all, with fish being landed on all baits.
Duration: 5pm to 9pm
Tide: high at approx 12pm
Weather: mild, strong westerly breeze with flat calm and mildly coloured water
Bait: sandeel and crab
Rigs: three hook flapper with size 4 or size 2 hooks
Results: smooth hound
Report:
I had a club competition on in Clones so after collecting my bait I headed to the beach a little early to have
a quick look around. Despite the strong winds the beach was quite sheltered and the sea looked good. I decided to target
smooth hound pups and possibly look for a few dogfish as the sun dropped.
I was nervous starting out as I was using a multiplier which badly needed a service and I had no spare, a situation
I didnt like finding myself in, especially in a competition.
Having rigged up with a three hook flapper I started off with a gentle lob to about 70 yards in search of fish. The tidal run was weak enough so I was using a 100g grip lead. Straight away I started to register bites, nothing big but noticeable on the light rod I was using.
A good sign or so I thought until the chap next to me started to reel in undersized whiting. Keeping baits in the water to search out pups was going to be challenging.
After about an hour I found my first pup. I managed to land six in all and was nicely placed in my zone coming into the last half an hour.
Fish of about 35cm seemed average. Looking for a few dogfish as the sun went down I switched to a three hook clipped down rig and baited with sandeel and crab. I wound up a nice slow fishing pendulum and watched the lead fly. Just as my lead was at the 100 yard mark and still arching upward I felt the gritty clunk of an over run... then snap! So ended my involvement.
The last half hour saw several dogfish caught, as well as smooth hounds of an increasing average size. It was a great days fishing which in another location would have seen far more inclement conditions. Disappointed with myself for being reckless with my casting I was delighted to get a zone placing despite the frenetic finish around me.
No smooth hounds of any noticeable size were landed but it was a daylight event after all, with fish being landed on all baits.
Last edited by Bob on Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Wexford
Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:13 am
Cheers for the report, we had similar results ourselves in the courtown area.
Plenty of pups and dogs.
Plenty of pups and dogs.