where to go for tope

[gripper]

going out on saturday in hope for a tope of beach any suggestions where to go was thinking kilkoole killoghter or kilgorman/clones .u never know could b lucky . thanks in advance

[The Austrian]

good luck with that, bit late for tope IMHO but you never know? Tight lines and make sure you have plenty of peelers in your armory! Dabs make a good tope bait too if you can get them in advance.

[keith]

Oct and nov best months for them on certain east coast marks mackerel is best forget about peelers or dabs

[ShaneH]

a little birdie told me they have hit the beaches early this year

[ShaneH]

good luck with that, bit late for tope IMHO but you never know? Tight lines and make sure you have plenty of peelers in your armory! Dabs make a good tope bait too if you can get them in advance.

wickla tope fishing is best autumn to winter

[john86]

I have been catchin a lot of small tope at night up to about 3lb or so the last week or 2 on small mackeral baits in close also got snapped off with a live mackarel bait aswell so their may be big ones around at the moment

[bigsod]

Agree 100% with Keith and Shane, now is the time to try for them and fresh mackerel is by far the best bait. I've never heard of a big sized tope taking Crab, so it's not a bait worth using for them. As for beaches anywhere from Greystones on heading South is worth a shot. Maybe Martin is thinking of smoothounds not tope.

[The Austrian]

Thanks for the correction lads, I really got it totally mixed up just reading east coast venues and smoothies came to mind first. Sorry for the confusion caused. Obviously a live or a full fresh mack or inside-out flapper is the preferred bait here for tope, they are fish hunters and not crab munchers like smooth hounds.

Still, I wouldn't disregard dabs or even flounder as bait for tope. Roll the fillets inside out in a sausage shape with elastic to expose as much of the scent giving flesh.
Big baits surely attract the bigger fish as well and they will last this all deciding crucial bit longer without getting washed out too soon.
Again, in relation to timing and season, you surely stand a good chance now with them coming closer to shore in the hunt of easier prey.

Also, tackle for tope needs to be tough, there is no room for weak links in any part of the tackle. So you will need a powerful rod capable of launching 7oz of lead plus a big bait.
The reel will need to hold a substantial quantity of 25lb b.s. line so I would suggest something like the old reliable Penn525 MagXtra or Daiwa Saltist 20-30HA or the new Penn Fathom 15N (which is a fantastic reel). The last thing you want is get spooled by a strong fish! I tend to use braided lines for better contact and control, others like their mono, it's totally up to you.
A pulley rig is the standard rig for shore tope giving a good casting performance and the benefit of lifting the weight clear of snags. Some lads use pennel rigs but the removal of those could be a messy affair, so in light of conservation I don't recommend the use of them.

A leader of 80lb b.s is wholeheartedly recommended though, with several turns on the reel for those tense moments as the tope battles on a short line. The hook length should be wire 150lb b.s that is less inclined to kink than thinner wires. Hooks should be strong and matched to the bait size; Sakuma Manta extras in 6/0 to 8/0 are strong and reliable hooks.

The months of September, October and November are the top time for tope and you should expect a few big hungry females from Greystones down to Wicklow.
Location is key, but marks that produce tope are by no means scarce with both rock marks and beaches producing. Look out for deep water and a clear seabed.
The main reason for the clean seabed is that tope and snaggy ground tends to result in lost tackle and fish. There is also a wide belief that tope move inshore to feed upon flatfish and these of course prefer clean sandy ground.

Anyway, hope that helps, and I wish you lots of luck, tight lines and bendy rods and I'm looking forward to your reports here already

[WILL]

anyone know of any tope being or been caught around belmullet area we have been told about a tope run around the area so any info will be much appreciated ,sorry for hijacking your thread thanx

[Richie07]

I wouldn't mind a shot at Tope after I finish with the Bass this year. Are they around in daylight or are your chances increased in the dark? Also is a high tide better or are they not bothered as long as they get a snack?

[knightser]

I wouldn't mind a shot at Tope after I finish with the Bass this year. Are they around in daylight or are your chances increased in the dark? Also is a high tide better or are they not bothered as long as they get a snack?

middle of ballygannon coming tide at night 'whole mackreal for bait ,small cable ties to keep bait in place 40 to 50 yds will do

[gripper]

when u say middle of ballygannon do u mean at the stream behind the driving range on the rocks+ whats the ground like there

[knightser]

when u say middle of ballygannon do u mean at the stream behind the driving range on the rocks+ whats the ground like there

5 minuts walk past river .ground can be a bit rough ,if to bad just move 20 yds untill you find a clean spot ,tope tend to find rocks when hooked so be on the ball from start to finish

[samo]

trying it tomorrow evening will let you know how we get on. hopefully there's not to much weed on the beach.

[ShaneH]

was going to fish them to night but weed is to heavy

[samo]

were where you going to fish was going to try kilcoole

[ShaneH]

were where you going to fish was going to try kilcoole

Wicklow beach. you have a pm

[baitdigger]

Day time can be just as productive as night time on the West coast.
'Austrian' the Galway run is earlier in the year when the big females come in to pup, they move off by August and head off out to open water and down the coast.
Personally I have only ever caught on Fresh mackerel but I have had dabs bitten in two when I have caught them on mackerel skin while ray fishing.
The lads in the Isle of Man do well on Launce and lamprey or eel section are also mooted as good baits.

[knightser]

Day time can be just as productive as night time on the West coast.
'Austrian' the Galway run is earlier in the year when the big females come in to pup, they move off by August and head off out to open water and down the coast.
Personally I have only ever caught on Fresh mackerel but I have had dabs bitten in two when I have caught them on mackerel skin while ray fishing.
The lads in the Isle of Man do well on Launce and lamprey or eel section are also mooted as good baits.

had my bigest tope in the isle of man on a half of sandeel