Wexford and Waterford, February/March 2020

Hey all, just checking in with a few reports from sessions over the past month or so.
February 1st, 2020
The opportunity to hit a local pier mark in the Waterford Estuary was seized one day to yield a 28cm dab and a pin whiting both to mackerel and sandeel. Nothing much, but worth mentioning.

Doing quite well in the mock exams justified as many trips out as possible but with Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge battering the coasts it was hard to find the right time.
February 13th, 2020
I decided to try out a new mark about a day or so after Storm Ciara. It's a secluded cove with high cliffs in the Waterford Estuary that I have kept my eye on for a while but never tried it until now. The aftermath of the storm produced quite a big swell but nothing to really affect fishing too much. However, I didn't stay here for long as I had a bad gut feeling about the place. It was really isolated and as the light faded I started to become quite paranoid. I'm not in the slightest superstitious or anything but I just had this really odd feeling while I was fishing. I couldn't watch the rod tips properly as I kept shining my headlamp around me and behind me, half expecting to see someone in the distance. I probably sound like a bit of a wuss but it just didn't feel right, I felt the need to look around me every 20 seconds or so. Needless to say I decided to pack it in only 90 minutes into the session. As I reeled in I noticed quite a bit of resistance on one rod and as my rig neared the shore I saw a flash of white in the surf only for the hook to pull free. I think it could've been a strap eel or a dogfish but regardless it wasn't enough to convince me to stay, I left promptly.

February 20th, 2020
On this day a mark on the Waterford side of the estuary was selected for a few hours of fishing and I headed over on the ferry armed with ragworm, mackerel, razor clam and squid. Two rods accounted for one large bait on a pulley rig out far, and a one up/one down rig lobbed out. A rattle on one rod announced the arrival of a decent enough flounder taking a combo of mackerel and and squid I had whipped up hoping for (key word: hoping) a ray of some sort. Later on another flounder was caught, only half the size of the first one. The session ended with a double shot of a small codling and a small flounder.

I visited this mark again 2 days later, with similar results (2 flounders, one to 30cm)

flounder.jpg

February 27th, 2020
I headed out on Thursday to christen the new Sonik rod, heading to the pier in Duncannon. I have heard about strap congers caught here to 5lb, so out went a large mackerel bait just over the wall, before I set up a flapper rig to use on the new rod. While the conger bait was out, I took some time to practice casting with the new rod and my first multiplier- thanks again for the 7HT Crevan, I'm getting used to it and managed a few decent casts with suprisingly no birds nests.
After becoming confident enough with the multi, out went the flapper rig which eventually picked up a double shot of a dogfish and a dab. This rod received all the action for the night with another flatfish and a somewhat decent whiting following suit. I was pretty happy with this result as it was a spur of the moment trip.

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March 1st, 2020
Just today I got to go out again, this time to a beach on the opposite side of the hook peninsula. I had previously blanked at this beach last July but I had a hunch about it. I arrived about an hour before low tide, with decent enough conditions but quite a large swell, the aftermath of storm Jorge I suppose. Some waves were 4/5ft high but it didn't stop me fishing. I followed the standard procedure of a big bait on a pulley blasted out and a flapper rig closer in. With the sun still high in the sky I wasn't expecting much but an hour in a rattle on the rod far out notified the presence of a flatfish. As I picked it up, I was quite surprised to find that it was a turbot! I haven't really heard of them being caught much around wexford so I was well chuffed with it as you could assume. He had taken a mackerel and squid combo that was cast out not with flatfish in mind, and had wolfed it right down. I had to cut off the hook and perform quite the surgery on it, I'm not to confident that it went far after I released it.

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With new found confidence, I fished on although I caught no other fish other than a flounder on the second last cast of the flapper rig. When retrieving the pulley rig, a few large strands of kelp that my hook caught resulted in a grunt of surprise from me as they looked like a small ray at first. Never have I ever been fooled by seaweed until now Someone else showed up and fished off the rocks off a point to the right. He appeared to be lure fishing although it seemed like he was throwing feathers? The water clarity was poor after the storm, and he left after 45 mins.
I will be hitting this mark again as there are ray caught there, although I'd be happy with another turbot!
I also got some nice drone footage and scouted out some nearby marks for the future. All in all it was a quiet session but I was pleased.

beach.jpg

Overall, some pretty poor sessions but good enough for me especially at this time of year. Those smooth hounds can't arrive any sooner!

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A few more pics!

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Given the weather thanks not a bad result. Turbot was a nice catch I bet.

Fair play Teegerstk, a few fish and some fresh air. More than a lot of the rest of us have been up to

It was really isolated and as the light faded I started to become quite paranoid. I'm not in the slightest superstitious or anything but I just had this really odd feeling while I was fishing. I couldn't watch the rod tips properly as I kept shining my headlamp around me and behind me, half expecting to see someone in the distance.

Been there

great reports and some good fishing at a hard time of year and poor conditions . lovely part of the country , have you tried on as far as woodstown beach its ment to be good in the summer altough i havent fished it

Hi teegrstk, well done on getting out and catching a few fish for your trouble. Have a look at petekd's advice on unhooking flatties;
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=30031

Great report and fair play getting out.
And regarding being paranoid I had that very recently at the end of mornington rocks. Fishing there as darkness fell thinking what the hell am I doing. I promptly left

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Given the weather thanks not a bad result. Turbot was a nice catch I bet.

Thanks man, I was thrilled with it

Fair play Teegerstk, a few fish and some fresh air. More than a lot of the rest of us have been up to

It was really isolated and as the light faded I started to become quite paranoid. I'm not in the slightest superstitious or anything but I just had this really odd feeling while I was fishing. I couldn't watch the rod tips properly as I kept shining my headlamp around me and behind me, half expecting to see someone in the distance.

Been there

It's weird, never felt it before but it was such a strange place. Not gonna return!

great reports and some good fishing at a hard time of year and poor conditions . lovely part of the country , have you tried on as far as woodstown beach its ment to be good in the summer altough i havent fished it

I was thinking of trying it although it's very shallow? I'm no horizon caster
I did hear about fishing the beach around low tide into the channel for ray?

Hi teegrstk, well done on getting out and catching a few fish for your trouble. Have a look at petekd's advice on unhooking flatties;
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=30031

Cheers JW, I always use that method although the turbot had wolfed a pennel set up right down, like crazily far down. It got out in the end but I'm not too sure the poor turbot made it. I switched to size 4s after that. It was a ray bait really!

Great report and fair play getting out.
And regarding being paranoid I had that very recently at the end of mornington rocks. Fishing there as darkness fell thinking what the hell am I doing. I promptly left
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Nice to know I'm not going insane!

You got The Fear. I regularly get it when fishing alone!! It's awful! I'll fight against turning around for as long as I can but when I do it's time to pack up!!

Glad the reel is working out for you and you're getting use from it. It was just sitting on a shelf here so happy to see it getting used.

Nice fishing btw in those conditions.

jeez guys, get a dog!

Or a bible!!!!

What's your new multi reel? Keen to try myself, regularly see these "over-run" proof ones in SA nowadays but I'm skeptical. Unless they're slowed down to the point that any distance advantage to be gained from them over an FS is negated??

You got The Fear. I regularly get it when fishing alone!! It's awful! I'll fight against turning around for as long as I can but when I do it's time to pack up!!
Glad the reel is working out for you and you're getting use from it. It was just sitting on a shelf here so happy to see it getting used.
Nice fishing btw in those conditions.

Thanks Crevan. I should bring the dog next time!

What's your new multi reel? Keen to try myself, regularly see these "over-run" proof ones in SA nowadays but I'm skeptical. Unless they're slowed down to the point that any distance advantage to be gained from them over an FS is negated??

A second-hand Daiwa Millionaire 7HT. Loving it so far. I have mine slowed down for now until I get used to casting. It feels much more compact than the bulky Penn Affinity reels I have

jeez guys, get a dog!

I have one, although I get worried about bringing her when I have baited traces lying around

Cracking little report there. well done lad.

Cracking little report there. well done lad.

Thanks man

Great report and well done on the turbot.....fishing alone at night can be jittery at times!


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Congratulations on the Turbot. And fair play for all your pioneering efforts on the different marks, well done. Is the beach a well known one? Pm's appreciated

Congratulations on the Turbot. And fair play for all your pioneering efforts on the different marks, well done. Is the beach a well known one? Pm's appreciated

I'll pm you man

Excellent fishing and a great report. Well done!