Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Sun Jun 30, 2019 1:02 pm
Club competition cancelled for some unknown reason so a solo session was on the agenda.
Baits on board were crab, lug, frozen razor, rag and a frozen mackerel.
On the water by 11:30 so first stop was the Turbot bank, No 6 buoy, for a few mackerel.
A few drifts and I had enough fresh bait mackerel herring an a few launce.
Next stop was for a ray or two, ended up with 4 small thornbacks and a small grey gurnard all within 50 minutes
Two taken on mackerel fillets one on a herring fillet and the other on a herring head.
Job done so I headed on out into open water in search of fish for the pan. A few stops produced small pollack and ballans all returned.
Next stop was on the Smiths first drop produced these 3 looked promising
a few more small pollack and it was back up on the same drift.
Next up of note were a double of pouting and cod.
Next on the menu was a whiting I like a bit of whiting served on well buttered toast and a cup of tea for breakfast .
A few drifts was only getting me small whiting so I threw out the anchor in the hope of bringing in a better quality of fish and give me a chance to work the mackerel feathers. A bad call, while I was still getting whiting the dogs moved in and nearly every cast there was a dog with the whiting,
Picked the odd double of cod and whiting while I was there plus a small octopus and a goldsinny wrasse a dab a poor cod and a small little ling trying to eat a bit of mackerel that was way too big for his mouth.
Having caught enough dogs (no photos and don’t go there) for a life time I decided to go on a long drift over ground I would normally not fish. This got me some more small ling the biggest been this fellow
a nice cod of 3.5lb and a cuckoo wrasse.
That brought my species total up to 16 for the day.
With the sea starting to freshen up a bit it was time to head for the harbour.
Engine trimmed up a notch or two it was 20/22 knots and drive on. If that boat was a horse I’d be locked away for cruelty.
Back inside the harbour I headed back to No. 6 buoy for some fresh mackerel. Wind against tide on the turbot bank is no place for the land lovers, 4 foot swells 4 feet apart and everything sliding around the boat, mad.
Struck it out and had about 4 dozen mackerel 90% of them the perfect pan size.
Not a great day out for hard hitting fish but nonstop fishing all day.
Species: mackerel, herring, launce, thornback, grey gurnard, pollack, ballan, cod, pouting, whiting , dogfish, dab, goldsinny, ling, poor cod and a cuckoo .
Baits on board were crab, lug, frozen razor, rag and a frozen mackerel.
On the water by 11:30 so first stop was the Turbot bank, No 6 buoy, for a few mackerel.
A few drifts and I had enough fresh bait mackerel herring an a few launce.
Next stop was for a ray or two, ended up with 4 small thornbacks and a small grey gurnard all within 50 minutes
Two taken on mackerel fillets one on a herring fillet and the other on a herring head.
Job done so I headed on out into open water in search of fish for the pan. A few stops produced small pollack and ballans all returned.
Next stop was on the Smiths first drop produced these 3 looked promising
a few more small pollack and it was back up on the same drift.Next up of note were a double of pouting and cod.
Next on the menu was a whiting I like a bit of whiting served on well buttered toast and a cup of tea for breakfast
. A few drifts was only getting me small whiting so I threw out the anchor in the hope of bringing in a better quality of fish and give me a chance to work the mackerel feathers. A bad call, while I was still getting whiting the dogs moved in and nearly every cast there was a dog with the whiting,
Picked the odd double of cod and whiting while I was there plus a small octopus and a goldsinny wrasse a dab a poor cod and a small little ling trying to eat a bit of mackerel that was way too big for his mouth.
Having caught enough dogs (no photos and don’t go there) for a life time I decided to go on a long drift over ground I would normally not fish. This got me some more small ling the biggest been this fellow
a nice cod of 3.5lb and a cuckoo wrasse.
That brought my species total up to 16 for the day.
With the sea starting to freshen up a bit it was time to head for the harbour.
Engine trimmed up a notch or two it was 20/22 knots and drive on. If that boat was a horse I’d be locked away for cruelty.
Back inside the harbour I headed back to No. 6 buoy for some fresh mackerel. Wind against tide on the turbot bank is no place for the land lovers, 4 foot swells 4 feet apart and everything sliding around the boat, mad.
Struck it out and had about 4 dozen mackerel 90% of them the perfect pan size.
Not a great day out for hard hitting fish but nonstop fishing all day.
Species: mackerel, herring, launce, thornback, grey gurnard, pollack, ballan, cod, pouting, whiting , dogfish, dab, goldsinny, ling, poor cod and a cuckoo .
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Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Sun Jun 30, 2019 1:26 pm
That was one busy day, you got half your annual species in one day! Interesting collection of bling on your ray rig.
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:38 pm
Nice tally of species Donal,and a few for the pan...
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:31 pm
johnwest wrote:That was one busy day, you got half your annual species in one day! Interesting collection of bling on your ray rig.
I was always a man for the beads and bling's why change a winning format. Cheap and nasty 5 in a pack for €10.
I use them on my ling rigs also with a longer snood between it and the hook. That set-up always out fished anyone the boat even out on charters.
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:34 pm
dezzer wrote:Nice tally of species Donal, and a few for the pan...
Didn't realise I had that many until I done up the report.
If I had there was another 4/5 handy ones to be picked up
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:42 pm
Great report Donal and a nice selection of species. Fair play to you!
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:37 pm
Beautiful fishing, the stuff of dreams. Great report and photos too
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:31 pm
Great report, great pictures and huge variety of fish!
Nice rigs and setup too - thanks for sharing these.
Pajo
Nice rigs and setup too - thanks for sharing these.
Pajo
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Thu Jul 04, 2019 12:45 pm
Great session Donal.
Re: Apollo 2019 launch No. 7
Sun Aug 25, 2019 8:23 am
Fantastic fishing and great report. Totally gonna nick your ray rig, it’s onto Ali Express for cheap bling now