Ballymacoda Bass, East Cork.

Hi all, I'm new to this forum (and sea fishing) and thought I'd write a post about a mark some of you may/may not be aware of down in East Cork

After a couple of fruitless (bar a couple of fouled Bass) spinning missions at Ballymacoda Strand (2 hours either side of high tide) I was getting pretty frustrated because there were clearly a large number of fish in the shallow waters and around the inundated weedy rocks. They were not taking my cheapo Toby type spinners, so on tuesday evening I tried an artificial yellow sandeel lure with a section of fresh sprat (which I'd fouled earlier!). 30-45 minutes after high tide, the small fish seemed to move offshore and I hooked a very nice 9 lb bass - the biggest I've caught by a mile! It seems to fit reports I've read that suggest the big fish come in after the smaller ones have left, as they can't compete.

Any other recent Bass catches in Cork?

nice one Lee

I've often driven past there, looked at the sign and the big reed filled estuary and wondered whether it would be worthwhile - I guess you just answered that question! Any chance you could describe the mark in more detail, like exactly where on the strand were you fishing? Tide?

Thanks :wink:

Sure Kieran,

The mark is on the southern Ballymacoda flats (south of the Womanagh river channel), and on the outer estuary beach barrier. The mark you mention on this site is on the inner estuary, north of the channel (known as Pilmore).

To access, drive through Ballymacoda village on the Knockadoon Head road. After a couple of miles there is a sweeping right hand bend with a small junction to the left (not signposted). Take that left down to the shore (room for 3-4 cars). This is a high tide mark as at low tide there is 1km of exposed sand flats (for bait).

The big bass was caught 200-300 metres along the strand, in front of the eroding cliffs (past the building rubble acting as sea wall) just after a big high tide (30 mins after start of ebb). There is a crescent of large weed covered boulders that are inundated during large high tides, and this is where that big bass was caught.

A more conventional mark is further along the strand where a flood channel seems to attract fish. Further on still and you can enter the body of the estuary and you are on the opposite bank to the Pilmore mark. Hope that helps.