Weather was sweet if bitterly cold and high water was around 6 pm which with a moonless evening was ideal. Sean had decided he wanted to try off the beaches given his doggie bashing session in Old Head so we agreed to drive out and survey all the beaches heading west. Having suffered on Achill I had the thermal underwear, t-shirt, furry sweatshirt and jacket on, with a hat and a cowl and it still felt cold! Forgot the second pair of socks for the waters and batteries for the headlight, so there you go...
Looked at a couple of beaches and was astonished at the size of the breakers. Reckoned it was way too rough for flatties but told Sean we might find a bass!
He laughed.
Eventually decided on two beaches, side by side around a headland that might give a bit of shelter. Reckon waves were around the 1-1.5 metre mark and no surfers.
Baited up with old frozen mackerel around 3:30 pm and cast out with 4 oz grippers. Soon found the baits swinging around in a serious rip current.
Sean was first in with a nice plump wee flounder on the mackerel and I quickly followed him with its twin. We had lots of small twitches and bites, and even 6 oz grippers were being torn free and trundled along in a big long arc. Weed was sporadic and not a problem. Sean was using a new multi-tip Penn and had to change the tip for something stronger. We were fishing two rods, one close in and one at distance and it seemed to go quiet around high water. The rip stopped completely for a short time.
I'd been telling Sean that if you want to catch a bass in Mayo, you need to be fishing in darkness. None of this dusk nonsense I said. He said we had more chance of a sea trout...
Next up was a nice wee turbot, who was a devil to unhook. Had built a load of circle hook traces... and left them at home!
I must be better prepared next time.Still delighted to have a flounder and turbot in the same session - had not had one in several years owing to not bothering with beaches.
Rip started up again and Sean was fishing the inner rod on a ratchet. Big singing noise and we looked at each other.... he eventually picked it up and we moved back out to the fast retreating sea. Got the fish into a last water table and I swear I saw a big silver tail flash and it was gone. Much video and no sound if you know what I mean.
"Sean, I think that was a bass Sean...
"Was it f****! .... f*** off with your bass!" "It was a sea trout"
"Sure, chuck it out again, you never know...
Anyhow ten minutes later, and I'm not getting a tap and Sean's ratchet sings again. You can see the line swinging around and he picks it up, tightens up, hits ... and misses.
"Ah feck this, will we tackle up?" he says, as it is getting bitter under a clear sky.
"Sure we'll give it another fifteen minutes, and that'll be seven o'clock, an hour into the ebb..."
Sean has borrowed a cascade swivel rig off me to help get a bit more distance in the ebb. The fifteen minutes tick by and Sean reckons he'll bring it all in. I've tackled down to a single flattie basher rod and and am doing the same, when I see his headlight jump all over the place...
Did I see a round bodied fish? I hump it back to the stands and there he is beside himself with a brute of a 5 lb bass! Stunning fish, looked like it had never left the gym!
Cue many photos (all crap sorry) and great delight. It's his first ever bass, and by Mayo standards, its a stonker.
"Erm, that's brilliant well done but Sean, have you been reading about the new emergency conservation measures for bass?"
"Wha?"
"It has to go back."
And in fairness to him, it did. Very impressed, can't be too many people who would surrender their first ever bass... Felt a bit guilty about it all but such is life...
We decided we'd give it another fifteen minutes (which turned into an hour!) and when the only thing that happened was I hauled in two doggies (one swam off in the surf thankfully) we took it as a sign from the Gods that our time was up. Tackled up and started the long walk back only to run into a filthy rainstorm.
Eventually found the car. Departed in good spirits. It was -2C on the road back. Great day out. Wonderful to see a bass and even better to see it swim off. Hats off.
And five species off a beach, including fish in daylight!
Great start for 2016. Pictures to follow...
well chuffed I am. On frozen mackerel. I was sure until I had him in my grasp he was a sea trout. Welcome change from all them LSD I've catching lately
can PM us. 
