Ballycotton Pier 15-Dec-16

I hadn't been sea fishing in a good while and I had yesterday evening free, so I said I was going fishing, come hell or high water. As it turned out that wasn't far from the case.
With the big tides I wanted to fish one of the beaches in darkness, but the forecast of fairly strong winds and rain meant that a bit of shelter was needed, so I headed to Ballycotton.

When I got there, there was quite a big sea running due to a strong westerly wind. It was pouring rain too.

Got the first rod out baited with black lug on a 3/0 pulley pennel in the hope of a cod. After a while I got together the second rod with a size 1 two hook flapper and baited it with crab and mackerel. I just give this a lob twenty yards off the pier wall. Both rod tips were bouncing a lot with the wind so spotting bites would be difficult

The weather was only getting worse and worse at this point. I decided to double down on the bigger rod and put out a really big bait- in the big sea that was running I reckoned the only hope I had was to put out something that would give a big scent trail. I put together a lug sausage of 4 lug whipped together plus half a crab and mounted the whole lot on the pennel and out it went.

I had only just put out this bait when the near rod gave a few strong unmistakable rattles. This resulted in a small strap conger which had taken the mackerel bait- about a meter long. Blank saved and my first shore conger, which I was happy with.
The weather was truly desperate now so I packed up. Upon reeling in the big bait of course there was a little whiting on it. They have a great knack of getting their mouths around baits bigger than themselves.

Of course it's a grand day out there now, but some of us have to work!

At least you got to get out for a few hours!

I have the "hell or high water" attitude about tomorrow morning.. kayaks getting packed up this evening and hoping to be gone as soon as it gets bright!