The Golden Grey Ghosts of Cork Harbour

People: Myself and Rob McClean

Duration:May Bank Holiday Weekend

Tide: Various

Weather: all over the place

Bait: Rag, Crab and Macks

Rigs: Lots

Results: Ling, Pollock, Coalies, Ballan Wrasse, Poor Cod, Cookoo Wrasse, Grey Gurnard, Red Gurnard

Report:

With all the recent reports of Specimen Golden Grey Mullet literally jumping onto hooks in Cork Harbour, Myself and Rob McClean decided that we'd have to give it a go. Sure if the local guys are getting them on 12/0 meat hooks with Mackerel flappers, surely a couple of lads with a bit of Match pedigree should get a rake of them without too much hassle. The week was spent watching the wind in hope that it would be calm enough for the GG's. It looked ok, not ideal, but we decided to give it a try anyway. We had enough brownie points for a weekend away so on Friday evening we were off to Cork with Thresher in tow. We arrived just in time for some Grub and a couple of pints to wash a very spicy Chinese down. HAPPY OUT!!!!!

Saturday morning started off very calm, and as we slipped Thresher into the Water in Aghada at about 7:30am, we were delighted to see a few nice big Grey mullet mooching around the slip. Hopes were high that the GG's would be on the feed. We motored to the spot, knowing that the water was still a bit low. There was a boat already trying, but there did not seem to be any GG's about. We stayed for a while and kept a look out.

After a couple of hours and no fish, we decided to head for the mouth of the Harbour to get a few fish on board. We tried Pollock Rock, the mouth of the harbour, Roaches point and a few of the usual spots. Fishing was very scratchy, but this was to be expected this early in the year. The fishing was interrupted every few hours for a look at the GG spot to see if they were about. Each time we looked there was little or no activity. It looks like they wised up a bit after a few days of throwing themselves onto hooks.

The wind starting to build in a SW direction, with the tide starting to turn and the sea getting a bit nasty, we were limited to the inside of the Harbour for a few hours. We decided to call it a day and head in for a shower. It just so happened that the Heineken CUP semi was on. Being a couple of Leinster lads in Munster, we were looking forward to a pint and a bit of shouting at the box. I wore the Jersey, much to the delight of the Munster gang, as a serious Mauling was on the cards...... we'll leave the rest to history, needless to say, Tresher was not going back in the water for an evening session. Myself and Rob decided that the best course of action would be a few more pints. We had a few more but were careful not to over do it as we had another long day on the water planned.

The wind had swung around to the North West on Sunday. It was about a F3 or 4, but we were hopeful that the GG spot would be calm and a few fish would be on the feed..... Again a motor into the area and not a sign of life, we were starting to get a bit miffed.... I suppose that what this Specimen hunting thing is all about, lots of trying, with a bit of luck needed for the result. After an hour or so of nothing we decided to try a few different spots around the Harbour, there was not much at all on the move. We stopped back into the GG spot a couple of times with no fish showing. It was now Lunch time, so we decided to cut our losses and head off shore for a few species and hopefully a table fish or two. We tried the Lings and the Smiths, with a few species coming to the boat. We had a few nice Ling to 6lb with plenty of smaller ones in there for good measure. Fishing was still scratchy enough, but when you found the fish, you got a few. There were not many big pollock, with the biggest being about 4lb, but it was nice to be offshore again with some fish coming to the boat.





We decided to head back in for another look for some GG's again they were not on the feed. We tried for a bit anyway, but nothing was caught. Not having a throw net or Dynamite, the Golden Grey specimen will have to wait for another day. It was time to pull Thresher out of the water, and get her washed down. Always an easier task, when there are no fresh macks caught.

Thresher was out, cleaned down and ready for the trip home the following morning. Myself and Rob were off to meet Jim and Sean for a few pints and some stories of Golden Grey Mullet on 12/0's and whole Mackerel.

We'll be back.

Hi Rob, I was the guy in there on Sunday morning in the 175, there were fish all over the place with lots of followers and a few bumps but not one of the three of us landed a Golden... bloody infuriating, they were even swimming under the boat, and no doubt laughing at us, next fine day it'll be a generator, a set of jump leads, and a big landing net...
Dave

Hey Dave, I'm Kev. Rob owns Thresher, I was crewing over the weekend and it was my turn to do a report.

I seen you try for them alright, We seen the Grey mullet about, but like yourself didn't have any positive takes. Got to get me some of them 12/0's

I will keep an eye out for you in the future and pop over to day hello.

Tight lines,

Kev

Unlucky with the ggm Kev, but if specimen hunting was that easy everyone would be doing it how'd the shad hunt go ?

Hey Ronald,

By the looks of St. Mullins, Everyone is at the specimen game I got a few Shad. On the first Evening I got one that would have been very close to specimen size or just over. I didn't have a scales on me and the nearest person was a couple of hundred yards away (and I wasn't sure if they had a scales), so I decided to get the fish back into the water asap . Obviously, when better prepared on Wednesday evening, the biggest I got was 0.8kg, I saw Petekd and Lee there as well.

I have been thinking about Shad fishing for years, but never got around to it. I was really pleased that I managed to get give it a go and get a few fish this year.

Thanks for the tips and suggestions,

Kev

I was down in the Rosies comp on sunday last and there was none caught either but there was reports of a few small trawlers seen in that area which begs the ?? we only seen a few straglers of fish but again none caught

It does beg the question. I don't think there is a big Irish market for mullet, but in Europe they are there to be seen at all the fish mongers stalls......

Kev

Any word of you getting your own boat wet this year Mac

Hey Pete,

I had no towbar for a few weeks when I changed cars. Just got it sorted yesterday. If I can gert some half decent weather soon, I'll be back in the water. It's hard to get yourself ready for the east coast after a few trips to cork.

Kev

hi mac it sure was a poor couple of days indeed,,we did see the ggm on the fri evening it was alot more setteled then the rest of the weekend but you could see they were not happy and were moving around alot searching out calm water, that was the last we saw of them..there was a few fish splashing around the place but we cought a few and they were grey mullet not ggm.i only had good catches when the weather is setteled and as martyn garry or dezzer will conferm im sure it was like a pond when they were there.we will just have to watch the weather and in the mean time target something else