Shannon estuary, Rough/mixed ground mark

People: Me in the darkness on my own

Duration: 4pm till after 8pm

Tide:high at 9:30pm

Weather: N/e wind died down to become warm in my neopreone waders

Bait:Sand eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Pulleys 4/0 to 1/0

Results: A small pollack


Report:Worked a rod close in with a large bait and rod with a smaller bait at different ranges. Noticed the close in rod was acting strangely for about 5 minutes at dusk and waited for a pull when I eventually struck I thought it had snagged up but when I pulled for the break the 80lb snood snapped a few inchs above the hook. Kept at this tactic in hope of another conger. Had a bite as far as I could cast on sand eel that tripped the breakaway but the fish dropped the bait. A half an hour latter I had a small pollack again to sand eel at range. As darkness fell I was getting cracking bites 20 yards in every 5 minutes nearly all to squid with no hooks ups. I intially thought it was small huss as there were chunks taken off and heavier fish dropping off but the bait was then being nibbled at so tried smaller baits with second rod but no hook ups. Must of had 20 bites and on no occasion was the hook masked so fish must of been small.

Its tough fishing this winter .
I've had very few fish with even the winter whiting run proving very hit and miss!
Me thinks the bites sound like small strap conger, but you've caught enough of those to tell the difference

Monster whiting?

Kev

The first few pulls may have been small strap or a huss but after darkness when the bites came in thick and fast the fish were small but the bites were large with being so close in. Just heard theyre have been alot of good whiting caught here. I didn't target them due to the rocky ground.

You live and learn.
Donagh