My First Tope - Carlingford Lough
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 2:29 pm
Venue: Carlingford Lough
Boat: Fish Magnet
Skipper: Mark Heffernan
Bait: Mackerel
Weather & Conditions: Warm, sunny and light winds
I joined some of the guys from BAI on their annual Tope meet in Carlingford Lough last year with the aim of landing my first Tope. My skipper for the day was Mark Heffernan on board his boat Fish Magnet. We all set out and lauched early with the tide and fished all day at various locations on the Lough. Mackerel was the bait of choice. Conditions were perfect but the fishing was slow apart from some fresh mackerel which we caught for bait. We had a couple of dropped runs so we knew they were about. It seemed like it was going to be one of those days until just before we were about to head in the line of my rod started screaming, with guidance from Mark I lifted the rod, struck into it and bang! a tope was on and so was my fight to get it in. After a few minutes I managed to get it to the side of the boat and Mark my skipper got it up and into the boat for me. I was so so happy! We weighed it and tagged it and then released it back in. What a great end to a great day, my first Tope.
Boat: Fish Magnet
Skipper: Mark Heffernan
Bait: Mackerel
Weather & Conditions: Warm, sunny and light winds
I joined some of the guys from BAI on their annual Tope meet in Carlingford Lough last year with the aim of landing my first Tope. My skipper for the day was Mark Heffernan on board his boat Fish Magnet. We all set out and lauched early with the tide and fished all day at various locations on the Lough. Mackerel was the bait of choice. Conditions were perfect but the fishing was slow apart from some fresh mackerel which we caught for bait. We had a couple of dropped runs so we knew they were about. It seemed like it was going to be one of those days until just before we were about to head in the line of my rod started screaming, with guidance from Mark I lifted the rod, struck into it and bang! a tope was on and so was my fight to get it in. After a few minutes I managed to get it to the side of the boat and Mark my skipper got it up and into the boat for me. I was so so happy! We weighed it and tagged it and then released it back in. What a great end to a great day, my first Tope.
