Dingle Bay Blues - Off da hook - 13th & 14th Oct 2010

Boat: Off Da Hook

Species: Mackeral, Pollock, Cod, Pout, Poor Cod, Scad, Bluemouth, Ballan wrasse, Cuckoo wrasse, Coalfish, Ling, Whiting, Blue Whiting, Thornback Ray, Plaice, & Dab

Crew: Willie & Me

Bait: Macs & Sandeel

Weather: Day 1: Flat calm to f3N, Day 2: cold ENE f3-4

Duration: Day 1: 8am to 7-30pm Day 2: 9am to 5pm

Report:

Gee don't know where to start with this one!

Well got the nod from Willie last weekend the weather was looking good for this week for a try at the Bluemouth, jumped at the chance and an extra day thrown in as well.

Tuesday came and Willie was on the road and arrived just before 11pm so it wasn't exactly an early night in readiness for the next morning, no bother for him though a couple of hours is all he needed before up at 6am and off down to Dingle just after 6-30am.

Forecast was still ideal, bait was caught fairly easily and off we went to the mark 22m from the harbour entrance.





Alpyne heading out for the day


We had some a couple of other marks to try along the way, none came up with the target though.
Willie was looking for extra species for the braggin so he was well chuffed to bring in an unknown one at the time, Turned out to be a Blue Whiting!





We got to the mark where we had the Bluemouth before and it wasn't long before Willie had the first fish coming in, a steady stream came all afternoon really, we had a good few keepers and released a good lot,








Not a lot else on the mark though this time, a few Pollock and a nice Cuckoo wrasse



Conditions were superb out there, warm t shirt weather for a good part of the day, the time came to head closer to home with an odd stop or two on the way, Barrack rock was one of them, Willie set me up with a nice speed jig, 300gram job, lumi with a red head, would have been right at home in Norway, soon shot down to the depths, to start with Coalies were taking hold, not much bigger than the jig, then some nice Pollock and happy days when after a good fight up comes a 6lb Cod, I know it's not big but my biggest so far.


Next stop was a try for the squid where Alpyne had told us to try, that went to plan as well and we soon had 7 in the bucket, had a right laugh at each getting jetted with water and ink, poor Willie got a right facefull, I Wish that one was on video!

It was 9-30pm when we got home that night with a box full of fish to sort out it was after 12 when we were finished, I needed some kip so 7am was early enough for the day after, of course Willie only needed and hour or two.

Day 2:

Didn't really go to plan at all, we tried Trabeg looking for a Turbot for Willies bragging, that didn't work at all, a few good missed bites and the odd Thornie was all we had to show for a good few hours, the NE wind had nearly turned easterly as well and it was bloody freezin compared to yesterday, I had 3 jumpers a waistcoat and raincoat on and was still frozen.

We headed onto Ventry next and gave it a try in there, first drop down and Willie brings up a nice Plaice and a Dab, just what we needed, I managed another Plaice and we had some thornies in there as well, most of the day Willie had the Garfish gear out the back, chumming with yesterdays fish carcases as well, when all of a sudden off went the ratchet and Mr Gar was on then off then back on again, then off not to be seen again, unfortunately he is left still looking for Gar.

We didn't half laugh when talking away about tackle purchases, I was saying about this kenzaki braid rod on ebay I had bid on, one that I dived straight in without reading properly, I thought it was a 12-20lb, no it was a 30-50lb, I was winning right till the last minute, sweating hoping to be outbid this time! thankfully I didn't win it, turned out it was Willie that had stepped in with a bid and got a good buy, Couldn't believe it!



Willie thought you should see me in action with his Codwalloper! A fine piece of Rowan tree!


http://youtube.com/watch?v=TUCXbTQ3_wE

Willies new Raider went really well, loads of deckspace a great boat, top skipper as well, thanks for a great spin out Willie.


Edit:
Here is a slightly fresher looking example of a Blue Whiting, Willies was in the bucket a small while :tmi:

thats a cracking report and a good two day trip .well done gentlemen on getting most of what you set out to do.those bluemouths look like they give a good account of themselves. lovely fishing

Well done lads, that Willie lads a robot dont think he ever sleeps

Nice one lads and the blue whiting Iv used that Codwalloper before great for wacking them

Are the bluemouth good for eating,i caught them in donegal a vew years back and tought them too spiney to bother with

amazing stuff there gents, blue mouth bass - wow, I'll dream of them tonight for sure big well done lads

Just to add to seans report I had being keeping a eye on the weather few texts to Sean plans were made so I made my way to seans house on Tuesday night arrive down near 11 pm few hellos to seans family cup of tea and we chatted about the bluemouth trip . 6 am rise I slept for a hour breakfast and we were away to dingle. On reaching the harbour alpyne was loading up the gear and crew fo r the days fishing we loaded up the gear sliped the boat in the water parked up the jeep and we were on the way lots of chat about boats& fishing we stopped for macs got them tried a few reefs that Sean had being looking on the informar site . we set a course for the bluemouth mark steamed out at 22 knots we arrived there set the first drift 16 oz lead for me nothing so we moved next drop I got s strange rattle reeled in my first bluemouth small but one just the same I put him back then Sean had one we both picked them up. we drifted to 450 ft of water felt something reeled up and had a strange fish first I taught it was a hake but scales were in my hand sean did say it could be a blue whiting I never seen or know what they looked like few pics taken we moved in and around the area [picking up plenty of bluemouths 2 of them were 2lb we kept a few and returned more time was moving on so we moved back in picked a few reefs to try I fished speed jigs . we caught coalies plenty of Pollock Sean picked up a decent codling just over the 6 lb mark moved again back in for squid thanks to alpyne for info we picked up 7 of them the boat looked like we had a paint ball fight and so did we faces splashed with Ink good sport finished up last light . we made our way back to seans house were we gave the boat a quick wash dinner was ready so we sat down to a good dinner Michelle had cooked for us with homemade beetroot on the side full belly’s and we had 2 hours of filleting and cleaning out the days catch just before 12 pm
Day 2
Not as early rise breakfast for 7 am I was on line most of the night slept for a short while we made our way to dingle again looked calm but when we went outside of harbour cold wind snotty sea we got fresh mac easy tried a few spots thornback ray few missed bites we moved new spot first drop plaice and dabs sean had plaice and thornback and dabs I had the gar rig out missed a small gar twice things were slower than the day before but different conditions I picked up a codling Sean had a ballen wrasse with the trip back home we called it a day back in for 5 pm loaded up back to seans house washed the boat down dinner ready thanked Sean for the help and company fishing lots of laughs again well looked after in the palmer house thanks to my hosts for a great 2 days in dingle

Are the bluemouth good for eating,i caught them in donegal a vew years back and tought them too spiney to bother with

hi the fillets are small but every bit as good as bass or cod to eat