Loop head/shannon estuary june 26

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Loop head/shannon estuary june 26

Postby bigkev » Mon Jun 27, 2005 5:26 pm

The brother(Hangover in tow again) and I made the run out from kilrush to loop head yesterday in glorious sunshine. A high tide and little or no wind saw us cruising at 25 knots out to the head. The intention was to catch bait for the tope fishing later in the day at low water, and to try general bottom fishing in the area.
On arriving at the head we set about feathering up some mackerel for bait, and the area now seems carpeted with them. Every drop a full house. We hoped to target some of the bigger pollack in the area with leadheads and shads, but the reefs are now stuffed with 3-5 pound fish which hit any lures with reckless abandon. Getting past the smaller fish proved impossible, so we baited a couple of flappers on flowing traces, and yet more of the same pollack! We continued fishing in this fashion for perhaps an hour when the brothers 20lb class rod suddenly showed a bit of weight. After a peculiar struggle of 10 minutes, just a solid dead weight, the fish got lighter and more animated. A minute later, and we landed a lively and lucky 3lb pollack with a big bite mark across its body. I’d love to know what that was!
As the tide approached low water, we made the run back up the estuary and anchored for tope. With the big tides this week, slack water was a very short affair.We baited up mackerel fillets( seem to get more runs than full flappers), and were into fish staright away. We landed four tope between 21lbs and 27lbs and had another couple of dropped runs. These shannon tope put up a great scrap in the strong tides.
I then had a slow run on a tope bait. A doggy I thought, but after striking ,we revised that opinion. The fish didn’t move from the bottom and was in a very strong tide.All I got was weird head shaking and short powerfull slow runs. After 20 minutes on an uptider, we had still made no progress on the fish, bar that it had moved upstream away from the boat. Not wanting to lose any more braid than it had already taken from the reel, I leant into the fish even harder in an effort to turn it, and the trace parted .
After 10 minutes of expletives and two cigarettes later, the speculation began in earnest. Our best guess is at a stingray, but really we’ve never really hooked anything like this is pure speculation.
The big tides meant slackwater finished all too early, so we motored home, treated to the sight of a pod of shannon dolphins playing in the waves
Cracking day out, how did I ever fish before without a boat?
Kev
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Postby Terry » Mon Jun 27, 2005 7:06 pm

Very nice kev, now get back to loop head and catch the shark thats attcking the pollock on the way up.
Your making me want to head down for a weekend during the summer.
whats the best place to center from that has a slip nearby?
Terry
 

Postby bigcol » Mon Jun 27, 2005 9:23 pm

Nice one kev.Could well have been a big stinger.I am gagging to land my first one of the season.You are getting some great sport in you new boat.Long may it continue.
col
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shannon estuary

Postby bigkev » Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:49 pm

Terry, There is a slip right next to the marina at cappa pier, and I will enquire about launching from the marina itself. I'll get back to you over the next week

Col, I'm not all that sure I want one of these big brutes of a stingray in my boat. But I'd love to see one close up

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Postby RobertMcClean » Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:40 pm

Hi Lads, Myself and Phil always Launch from Kilrush Marina (065-9052072). We moore our boat there too when we stay down there, its only about 40-50 quid for the long weekend including getting the lock gates open for you. By the way if you can't get out of the Lock Gates or want a specific time, just phone (065-9052155). It is well worth the few quid, so handy to come in late in the evening and just tie up the boat knowing well that its safe as houses over night. As for the fishing down there it can only be described as fantastic, from the Tope Big Kev spoke about to huge Congers and Ray around Money-point, too, the huge Huss around Cappa and the non-stop flow of Pollock, Coalies and occasional Cod we have got around Loop head. We fished there at the start of May and did very well around various parts of the Estuary, places such as Kilbaha for specimen Huss, Poulnasherry for loads of Thornies, and Foynes to Tarbert for almost anything and everything. You could very easily get a good Stinger or unusually, a specimen Rockling around Tarbert. You may say Rockling, but they are lovely looking colored fish down there unlike our pasty ones on the East coast. We hope to head back down in Sept for a few Tope and god knows what else!! Tight Lines, Rob.
Last edited by RobertMcClean on Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Donagh » Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:11 pm

Theres a slip near between foynes port and sailing club which might be easier for kerry. I think there may also be one at Tarbert.

An example of an estuary three bearded rockling
http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... ?pic_id=46

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Postby RobertMcClean » Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:16 pm

Well Foynes/Tarbert are much further up the Estuary than Cappa so not sure about that. Foynes is not an option as it is high tide slip and at that the tidal run is dangerous for launching. Never seen the one a Tarbert but I am sure it is worth a go. Nice Rockling by the way, get it off Tarbert Pier?
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Postby Donagh » Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:07 pm

As you can see I know nowt about lauching a boat. I know from fishing foynes there the tides are strong but there is another slip in the yaught club. I haven't been to tarbert for a while so maybe I'm wrong. Unless you can lauch from the ferry slip but tarbert tides are way worse than foynes.

Rockling was from carrig west. I'm told these are big rockling but I conistently catch them to a lb and over here and in moneypoint. Never actually got one from tarbert.

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Postby RobertMcClean » Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:35 pm

Well you seem to know the area quite well. They are very good rockling, I use to get them off Tarbert all the time, but have not tried for them in a while. I use to fish with Rodney Smith and Aidan O'Hallrahan a lot down there. Some great shore fishing from the beach behind the Yacht Club in Foynes, full of Thornies and Conger and I have got Cod there to 10lb!!
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