Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:37 pm
Time: 1230-1645
Tide: High at 1422
Conditions: Bright sun, light WNW approx 15 kph, no real wave action and light tide flow
Baits: Crab for hounds, whole joey for tope
Rigs: Pulleys, wire bite trace on tope rod
Result: Two decent average hounds, one tope (Help required to guesstimate size)
Went back to Kilmichael today for a daytime session. Arrived about 1230 with high tide in Courtown around 1422 so fishing two up and a few back. Was going to put out a tope rod so explored the headland to find somewhere I could land one solo if I should be so lucky and found a nice flat spot with an adjacent inlet onto shingle where I could walk a fish around and up to the beach. Got the two rods set up and out and sat back in the afternoon sun to wait. Action wasn't as fast as last time I was here, but that was okay given the conditions and warm sunshine, great to be out in it!
Wasn't too long before the hound rod thumped over and the drag started singing. Lifted it and set the hook and the fish thumped away. It gave a good account of itself and I thought it would be a little bigger than it was but eventually it came in and I was able to get to the lower levels of the rocks to hand ball it out.
Another crab bait went out and went largely untouched for a while bar a couple of sharp knocks that looked like dogfish bites but didn't result in a hook up. Checking on the tope baits every so often, there wasn't a huge amount of crab activity, so I only went through five joeys in the time I was there. It wasn't too long before the crab rod banged over again and I lifted into another hound. This one came in a bit quieter and was slightly smaller, but both were still of a good stamp. I'd guess between four and five pounds each. I really must get an actual weighing scales for accurate measure...
After a while of it going quiet bar the odd doggie knock, I was trying to climb up the rocks to get some signal to query what was for dinner and I found a nice flat patch to sit on with the sun on my neck while I tried to get a text away, when I was rudely interrupted by the ratchet singing on my multiplier rod as something was heading for Wales with a joey. I got down and there was a pause in the run while I picked up the rod. I waited for the fish to take off again, tightened the drag and lifted to set the hook and the rod doubled over. I'd never caught a tope before so this was a whole new level of power from a fish from the shore. It took the guts of ten minutes to get it in as I was babying it and didn't want to rush in case I'd pop a hook and it took a few extra runs of thirty to fifty yards before I was able to act on my plan of walking it around the rock and dragging it up the shingle, and I was a bag of nerves getting it up and turning it to unhook, but absolutely worth it.
As I've never caught one before and have no frame of reference, any guesstimates on weight? Adrenaline means I definitely wasn't in a position to judge but from hoofing it around to get it unhooked and returned, I'd guess over 25lb anyway. Only had the rod for scale at the time! Any assistance in estimating size will be appreciated.
Didn't get anything else on either rod for the last hour and a half or so but what a great afternoon session! Stunning setting and a new fish for me.
Tide: High at 1422
Conditions: Bright sun, light WNW approx 15 kph, no real wave action and light tide flow
Baits: Crab for hounds, whole joey for tope
Rigs: Pulleys, wire bite trace on tope rod
Result: Two decent average hounds, one tope (Help required to guesstimate size)
Went back to Kilmichael today for a daytime session. Arrived about 1230 with high tide in Courtown around 1422 so fishing two up and a few back. Was going to put out a tope rod so explored the headland to find somewhere I could land one solo if I should be so lucky and found a nice flat spot with an adjacent inlet onto shingle where I could walk a fish around and up to the beach. Got the two rods set up and out and sat back in the afternoon sun to wait. Action wasn't as fast as last time I was here, but that was okay given the conditions and warm sunshine, great to be out in it!
Wasn't too long before the hound rod thumped over and the drag started singing. Lifted it and set the hook and the fish thumped away. It gave a good account of itself and I thought it would be a little bigger than it was but eventually it came in and I was able to get to the lower levels of the rocks to hand ball it out.
Another crab bait went out and went largely untouched for a while bar a couple of sharp knocks that looked like dogfish bites but didn't result in a hook up. Checking on the tope baits every so often, there wasn't a huge amount of crab activity, so I only went through five joeys in the time I was there. It wasn't too long before the crab rod banged over again and I lifted into another hound. This one came in a bit quieter and was slightly smaller, but both were still of a good stamp. I'd guess between four and five pounds each. I really must get an actual weighing scales for accurate measure...
After a while of it going quiet bar the odd doggie knock, I was trying to climb up the rocks to get some signal to query what was for dinner and I found a nice flat patch to sit on with the sun on my neck while I tried to get a text away, when I was rudely interrupted by the ratchet singing on my multiplier rod as something was heading for Wales with a joey. I got down and there was a pause in the run while I picked up the rod. I waited for the fish to take off again, tightened the drag and lifted to set the hook and the rod doubled over. I'd never caught a tope before so this was a whole new level of power from a fish from the shore. It took the guts of ten minutes to get it in as I was babying it and didn't want to rush in case I'd pop a hook and it took a few extra runs of thirty to fifty yards before I was able to act on my plan of walking it around the rock and dragging it up the shingle, and I was a bag of nerves getting it up and turning it to unhook, but absolutely worth it.
As I've never caught one before and have no frame of reference, any guesstimates on weight? Adrenaline means I definitely wasn't in a position to judge but from hoofing it around to get it unhooked and returned, I'd guess over 25lb anyway. Only had the rod for scale at the time! Any assistance in estimating size will be appreciated.
Didn't get anything else on either rod for the last hour and a half or so but what a great afternoon session! Stunning setting and a new fish for me.
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Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:31 pm
Nice session that, we’ll done on the Tope, bet your heart is still racing 
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:36 pm
DarrenNiall wrote:Nice session that, we’ll done on the Tope, bet your heart is still racing
You're not wrong! I was weak at the knees afterwards. It was like finding religion!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:50 pm
I knew it! Fair play to ya man delighted for ya!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:07 pm
I'll be back to tackle them again, and I'm going to try there for the cod in the winter too. Just too nice a venue not to!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:53 pm
Well done on the tope and the persistance
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:35 am
Wow what an absolute beaut! Well done and thanks for the great report!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:54 am
Thats a quality bit of fishing, well done lad.
Looks around 15- 20 lb, nice fish
Looks around 15- 20 lb, nice fish
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:55 am
Nice fishing, I'm trying to imagine the fun you'd have had if the tope had taken at the same time as a smothhound! If you measure the length of your tope against your rod, allowing for a bit of straightening, you can get an estimate from the link below. Is it my imagination or are your pics a bit laterally compressed?
http://www.anglingaddicts.co.uk/fish-length-to-weight/
http://www.anglingaddicts.co.uk/fish-length-to-weight/
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:16 pm
Not your imagination, the resizing for posting went very strangely.johnwest wrote:Nice fishing, I'm trying to imagine the fun you'd have had if the tope had taken at the same time as a smothhound! If you measure the length of your tope against your rod, allowing for a bit of straightening, you can get an estimate from the link below. Is it my imagination or are your pics a bit laterally compressed?
http://www.anglingaddicts.co.uk/fish-length-to-weight/
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:48 pm
You didn't tell us what was for dinner?! Great session great read.well done! Is it tricky (dangerous) unhooking those lads?
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:10 pm
Huge well done, ive been trying for years and never hooked one - enjoy!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:06 pm
Absolutely cracking fish. Extremely well done.
Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Thu Sep 10, 2020 8:29 pm
Well done, great session
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:58 am
Well done Dave ,congrats on your Tope,great report.
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:07 am
Well done, great report. Mr. Tope is still on my bucket list and you've made me want to get back out there and keep trying.
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:48 am
Well done,, I am always impressed by someone who can catch tope from the shore. Excellent report
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:39 am
Great report. Well done on your Tope.Amazing feeling taking one from the beach isn't it. Recently brought a mobile in that part of the country, can't wait to start exploring the beaches and fishing Mark's. Your report truly inspires!!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Mon Sep 14, 2020 1:55 pm
Fantastic catch and report!!!
Re: Kilmichael Point 09/09
Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:59 pm
Bimmer wrote:Great report. Well done on your Tope.Amazing feeling taking one from the beach isn't it. Recently brought a mobile in that part of the country, can't wait to start exploring the beaches and fishing Mark's. Your report truly inspires!!
It's phenomenal. Far and away the best buzz I've had from fishing, can't wait to have another crack at them! Just finished tying up a batch of pulleys for them there. How late in the year have people caught them from the shore?