Strangford harbour, 09/11/06

People:Me

Duration:1630-2015

Tide:just after high tide and goin out

Weather:clear and freezing as it got dark

Bait:Lugworm

Rigs:2 hook clip down, 1/0 hooks 5 oz weight.

Results:1 large mackeral (eating) 1 whiting 5 inch, 5 small cod 5-6 inches, 1 small pollock

Catch and Release:: Yes and No (Makeral)



Report:No bites till it was really dark then they started and kept comin every cast. Most were small but good fun anways. the weirdest thing was that I caught biggest mackeral i've ever caught I thought they were outta season, and it was by casting about 2-3 metres out as i had seen some small pollock swimin around the harbour legs, and hadnt caught anything so in despiration was hunting these minnows. All small cod and whiting (think was whiting was silver with big eye could have been a pouting but this was my first catching one) where taken by casting to the left of the island at the habour.

I think the macks just stay in strangford most of the year! :P We were there a couple of weeks back and a few were caught, also at night.

The mackeral tasted great and had two sandeels in its belly on gutting, also the pollack around the harbour where jumping out of the water quite a lot, could have been getting chased by the mackeral? think i might headback tonite and see what i can get. might just try usin feathers instead of lug on the bottom.

i tried portaferry last saturday night and it worked the other way.all good action was when the tide was on the up.when it got dark the only thing caught was small.there were a few good coalies caught ( upto 2 1/2 - 3lb )but it was before it got too dark.as for bait they would have taken anything.try using unusual baits.......i was told years ago that the lough will feed on cooked mussels,but i was doubt full.i bought cooked mussels in the super market and froze them....they are fantastic and very cheap.the only problem is that they are a bit hard to keep on the hook (thats why i use them frozen).last week i bought a seafood selection from asda.it was pre cooked and had a good selection of items.mussels,prawns.crab sticks and squid....done the usual and froze them....they went mad for every single thing in the packet....it's a cheap bait £1.98 per pack and 1 single pack done for 2 people for a 3 hour duration...you might want to use a bait elastic just to make it stay one once it starts to defrost.....
trust me for £2 it's worth a try.and you might be just surprised!....
i know it sound a bit strange that they are eating cooked baits......i was doubt full,but don't knock it til you've tried it...i still use cooked mussels even when we go out using rag worm....we all like different foods so why shouldn't the fish be the same.....

i used to fish using cooked prawns so i know where ur comin from, i always caught pollack and coalies on it.

The mackeral tasted great and had two sandeels in its belly on gutting, also the pollack around the harbour where jumping out of the water quite a lot, could have been getting chased by the mackeral? think i might headback tonite and see what i can get. might just try usin feathers instead of lug on the bottom.

yip thats the strangford maniac pollack :shock:

we all like different foods so why shouldn't the fish be the same.....

very good point.

well done nice few fish nice to see the mackeral showing up

This report is from well back in the archive.