People: Me and saltydog
Duration: 8pm - 4.30am
Tide: there really isnt any down this way
Weather: Had the shorts on all night
Bait: Crab, Rag, Lug
Rigs: Mostly pennel pullys, 2 hook flapper, 3 hook flapper
Results:
Myself, 14 hounds (inc specimen @ 7lb 9oz
), 1 lesser weaver fish,1 flounderConor, 8 hounds, 1 doggie
Report:
With the hounds out in force in North Wexford and Conor over for the weekend, it seemed rude not to ready the gear, empty my stash of frozen crab and make like Lewis Hamilton down the N11.
Arrived at the chosen venue around 7.30pm and after a quick call to Conor it was confirmed which part of the beach to get setup on. Lashed a big crab bait out at distance and put on a 2 hook flapper with 3/0's in close hoping for a bass whilst I waited for my fishing companion to arive
Tip was nodding away and flapper came back stripped, it was evident it was either small flats or crabs, so down sized to a 3 hook flapper and size 2's. Had just lobbed this out 20 yards and Conor arrived telling me I was set up in the wrong place and should move all of 40 yards to my left
So, Conor was setting up, and I was in the process of shifting my gear and noticed a few small taps on the flapper - happy days, blank saved a tiny flounder.
Time to put the 2 hook flapper back on, big baits in close hoping for my 1st bass of the year. All the while the crab bait at distance had remained untouched. Conor had opted for a crab bait at distance and a 3 hooker in close. He seemed to be getting a few knocks on the flapper, but when he went to reel in, it was snagged solid - rig lost, puzzled by this he quickly re-rigged and cast out to roughly the same spot. Snagged again, but managed to get his rig back, and by which time I was into the 1st hound of the night, a nice fish around the 4lb mark which fought like a fish atleast twice his size, taking line with a few spirited runs.
Time for a rethink with tactics, so both of us sent out 2 rods with big crab baits, and I persisted with a 3rd rod in close for bass.
Now, the rest of the night is a little blurry in terms of who caught what and when, it seemed that the hounds were running up and down the beach from left to right, then right to left, almost to the point where we could predict if it was gonna be me or Conor who got the next fish.
I wasnt having much luck in close for the bass, so I said to Conor I'd put that rig out a bit further and see could I show him how the rod handles a nice smoothie ( I was using my Ian Golds Enticer rod, which is a very light bass rod) - it wasnt long before this rod shot out of the tripod and only for I was just 10 yards away did I stop rod & reel going to a watery grave, after a good scrap I beached the best hound of the night, a specimen weighing 7lb 9oz and my best hound ever, so I was well chuffed
I think Conor was pleasantly suprised at how well the rod coped, I also managed another hound of 5lb 5oz on the rod.
The action for most of the night was in fits and starts, a busy 20 mins, then quiet for an hour, but I guess thats just smoothie fishing for you.
Most of the fish were in the 4-5lb bracket, and most fought like troopers, several of them taking line with many runs.
By 3.45am we said, right 4am rods out, we were both fishing 2 rods at this stage, and both got a good hound each within minutes of 4am, right thats it we said, break them rods down and leave the other out whilst packing up - glad we did as we each got another hound on our last rods - 2 fish each on the last cast of each rod, it doesnt get much better.
By 4.30am it was definately time to call it a day, both of us tired but happy from our nights fishing, we could have stayed there another 2/3/4 hours and still been catching hounds but some times you have to let your head rule your heart.
Some nights fishing, best I've had in a long time, and its wonderful to be catching fish again that can actually put a bend in the rod and really test the drag of a reel.
Only dissapointment was we didnt get a double figure fish, but I guess thats just being greedy
Hounds to a variety of baits, inc plain crab, plain rag and a cocktail of both.
Conor has the photos, which I'm sure he'll upload when he gets back to Galway, I'm sure he'll want to add a bit to the report aswell
Maybe I just didnt hold him right for the photo 
