Cleona, Ballycotton , 27th Aug
Sat Aug 31, 2013 9:46 am
People: Me, Barry, Eamon, Pat
Duration: 08.30-16.00
Tide: rising & falling
Weather: Brilliant
Bait: Mackerel
Rigs: shark traces, feathers
Results: Blue Shark
Report: Barry, Eamon and Pat book a boat for 5 days each year in Ballycotton. This year I was invited to join them for a days shark fishing. I presumed that we would be leaving port around 9.30. The day before the trip Barry informed me that we would be leaving at 8.30. I nearly pulled out because this would mean leaving Dublin at 5.00 and I actually told Barry that I might not make it
.
Anyway, I must have been dreaming of big shark
as I woke up at 4.45 and was on the road like flash.
Out skipper left the harbour bang on 8.30. First stop was some mackerel bashing for bait.
Then it was a 7 mile journey to the shark grounds. Peter had groundbait massed up and stored from the previous day and when he opened up the barrel the smell was inhuman. The onion sacks were loaded with the ruby duby and the boat pulled them for about a mile to set up the initial slick as the wind was almost non-existent.
3 rods were set up at different depths and distances. Blue shark number one appeared around 11.30
, inspected the bait on the far rod which was set at about 60yds from the boat. The water was gin clear and we could see the fish clearly. It obviously was not hungry as it then swam off 
.
At 13.00 a beautiful blue shark, of about 80lb, appeared up at the side of the boat to inspect the ruby duby and then decided to head off again . However, I shook the onion sack and a large slick appeared. It was too much for the big fish to ignore and it re-appeared at the side of the boat again . Peter picked up the rod attached to the nearest rig and jigged it gently up and down. The mackerel at the end caught the shark’s eye and he slowly glided down to the bait. To be able to see this was pure magic. We could see the mackerel being grabbed along its flank and then being turned head first into the fish’s mouth. Pat now had the rod in his hand and he struck the fish as it began to swim off. A strong battle ensued until Mr. Blue ended up onboard . The hook was removed, pictures taken and the fish was slid back over the side of the boat and swam off gracefully.
Pat then had a dogfish on his baited feathers followed almost immediately by a lovely Megrin . He could do not wrong
Little then happened until about 14.00 when the float on my rod disappeared and the reel screamed. Quite quickly I landed a fish of about 45lb. He must have been in a state of shock as he really put up almost no fight. Anyway it was a shark and I was happy .
At 15.30 Eamon’s rod had a screaming run but the shark dropped the bait and it was almost time to return home before his rod jumped again. Quite a lengthy battle ensued before a lovely blue was brought onboard . Again it was about 80lb.
Barry went on to land a shark of over 100lb the next day .
Duration: 08.30-16.00
Tide: rising & falling
Weather: Brilliant
Bait: Mackerel
Rigs: shark traces, feathers
Results: Blue Shark
Report: Barry, Eamon and Pat book a boat for 5 days each year in Ballycotton. This year I was invited to join them for a days shark fishing. I presumed that we would be leaving port around 9.30. The day before the trip Barry informed me that we would be leaving at 8.30. I nearly pulled out because this would mean leaving Dublin at 5.00 and I actually told Barry that I might not make it
.
Anyway, I must have been dreaming of big shark
as I woke up at 4.45 and was on the road like flash.Out skipper left the harbour bang on 8.30. First stop was some mackerel bashing for bait.
Then it was a 7 mile journey to the shark grounds. Peter had groundbait massed up and stored from the previous day and when he opened up the barrel the smell was inhuman. The onion sacks were loaded with the ruby duby and the boat pulled them for about a mile to set up the initial slick as the wind was almost non-existent.
3 rods were set up at different depths and distances. Blue shark number one appeared around 11.30
, inspected the bait on the far rod which was set at about 60yds from the boat. The water was gin clear and we could see the fish clearly. It obviously was not hungry as it then swam off .At 13.00 a beautiful blue shark, of about 80lb, appeared up at the side of the boat
to inspect the ruby duby and then decided to head off again . However, I shook the onion sack and a large slick appeared. It was too much for the big fish to ignore and it re-appeared at the side of the boat again . Peter picked up the rod attached to the nearest rig and jigged it gently up and down. The mackerel at the end caught the shark’s eye and he slowly glided down to the bait. To be able to see this was pure magic. We could see the mackerel being grabbed along its flank and then being turned head first into the fish’s mouth. Pat now had the rod in his hand and he struck the fish as it began to swim off. A strong battle ensued until Mr. Blue ended up onboard . The hook was removed, pictures taken and the fish was slid back over the side of the boat and swam off gracefully.Pat then had a dogfish on his baited feathers followed almost immediately by a lovely Megrin
. He could do not wrongLittle then happened until about 14.00 when the float on my rod disappeared and the reel screamed. Quite quickly I landed a fish of about 45lb. He must have been in a state of shock as he really put up almost no fight. Anyway it was a shark and I was happy
.At 15.30 Eamon’s rod had a screaming run but the shark dropped the bait and it was almost time to return home before his rod jumped again. Quite a lengthy battle ensued before a lovely blue was brought onboard
. Again it was about 80lb.Barry went on to land a shark of over 100lb the next day
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Re: Cleona, Ballycotton , 27th Aug
Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:03 am
great report lads...fine fishing,shes a great boat with an even better skipper...
Re: Cleona, Ballycotton , 27th Aug
Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:08 am
Thank you.
Re: Cleona, Ballycotton , 27th Aug
Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:34 am
Great fishing again stan