The Maidens (Sheafing rock)

People: Me and 2 mates

Duration: 19:00 21:30

Tide: High at 20:23

Weather: Very windy, very big sea.

Bait: Mackerel

Rigs: Hokis

Results: Loads of Mackerel, Coalfish, Pollack to 3lb and 1 codling about 2lb

Report: Headed out for an evenings fishing to the maidens, constant sport off the Sheafing rock. Missed a monster of some kind near the sheafing rock, I had Mackerel fillet on as bait. Was fixing a rig for a mate and my rod just took off. Line was stripped like hell and I had 12oz of lead on. Bait was fishedon the bottom in about 100ft of water over semi rough ground. My 20lb braid got snapped :( . Any ideas what this might have been? Never seen line get stripped like that before, rod tip was bouncing up and down like mad. Mind you there were a few seals about. Could a seal have lifted it? If a fish, what species would be the suspects here lads?

check you tips ring, any little cracks there and it will destroy your braid. happened to me once during a club comp lost three fish before i realized what was wrecking my braid!

Er, Tope! :D

Cheers Lads,

I will give the rod a good check over Gazo.
Kev, from reading a bit more, I think you could be right. Certainly my leader would not have been heavy enough if it was a tope. What is the best way to play them? I think I gave it too much stick combined with the light leader. To be honest I was only expecting pollack. Do you just let tope run and retrieve line when you can? Never fished for them before but wouldn't mind trying for them properly.

Cheers,
Trev

Hey Trev
Tope are a fish that like to run, so a medium drag setting to start , based on your line stregth. After the second shorter run, you can increase pressure and work the fish towards the boat. A short word of warning, as with all large fish, lighten the drag just prior to boating the fish, as no fish like boats and it may find the final burst of energy that breaks you!

As for leaders , you can get lucky sometimes with light leaders and hook the tope on the outside of the mouth. Better to have some heavy mono or wire, which I personally dont like. There is a school of thought that wire leaders can sometimes put fish off.

Tope will sometimes take very small baits, usually resulting in your description of rapid run and break off.They are regularly hooked on baited feathers.

Usual baits are mackerel flappers. If you get dropped runs, try reducing bait size. Sometimes on the shannon, they will readily take fillets when dropping larger baits

Best of luck

Kev