People: Just Me again
Duration: 4 Hours
Tide: Low and rising
Weather: Warm (for once) and flat calm
Bait: Rag and squid
Rigs: Running ledger and free-line
Results: 2 Coalfish, 7 Pollock, 1 Pouting, 2 Scorpion Fish, 4 Shore Rockling, 2 Three Bearded Rockling, 1 Codling and 3 Whiting
Catch and Release:: Yes/No Yes
Report: Decided to use up the rest of the rag from the mornings trip and called past the tackle shop in Bangor to see Harry at to get some squid. Boy was I glad I did. I arrived at 4pm and set up two rods to fish the usual spots. I started ground baiting around the base of the pier in preparation for the tide change.
As expected, no bites came until the sun had set (see picture, wow!!). The first little coaly came in, caught on the rag quickly followed by a small pollock. Things went quiet again so I decided to free-line again using my daughters 8’ spinning rod which has a very light action. I wanted to save the rag for the bigger fish further out so squid in was on the menu for this mark. From this point on things went daft with nearly a fish every other cast. I’d found that the where rockling where loving the ground bait and 2 or 3 little flaps of squid on a size 4 hook was enough to entice them to bite. Very little was happening on the rods further out so I brought one in to double up on the free-lining. I’d left a bit of rag on the hook and tipped it with a piece of squid and my second ever Scorpion Fish was landed (about 17cm, see picture).
More action, but this time it was from the main rod further out, a Pouting to 21cm (see picture) which put up a good fight all the way in. Another couple a Pollock close in next, mixed with more Rockling until the main rod once again showed signs of interest. I let the bite develop as the nibbles where gentle. This seemed a good move because the rod soon bent over and started dancing wildly. Another good fight and a lovely codling measuring 25cm was gratefully landed (see picture). I was in seventh heaven.
Four more fish where landed before I had to call it a night. Reluctantly I had to pack-up but not before I chopped up the remaining bait and threw it into the sea to feed the fish which had given me such good sport all night. It was easily the best nights fishing I have ever had (27 fish in total for the day between the two trips, 5 in the morning and 22 in the evening with 7 species), and hopefully as you can see from this report; it has left me elated and looking excitedly forward to my next trip.
:P :P :P :P :P
(Additional pictures added in next posting)
2007 Species: Coalfish, Whiting, Shore Rockling, 3 Breaded Rockling, Scorpion Fish, Pouting, Pollock, Codling
:P
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