Culdaff Donegal 24 April 2014

[CiaranMcFish]

People: CathalD and myself

Duration:12:00-17:00

Tide:HW 15:00

Weather: bright east 2-3

Bait: Mack rag

Rigs: soft plastics, hokkai

Results:Pollack, coalies, mackerel, dabs

Report: first trip of the season, had to take advantage of the glorious weather and get on the water to test new lure gear and make sure engine etc all doing what it should. Fished a small reef and had Pollack to 3lb on white and red, green and red and blue lures of mixed sizes. Ran into a shoal of coalies which were nipping at the lures constantly. Fished the cleaner ground but only turned up a few small dabs but it's early days. Very happy with the day,2 2 solitary mackerel for 15 mins searching and water temp at 9.4. Appears to be a spring plankton bloom occurring and good signs of Sanders in places, Pollack had good full bellies so a promising sign of things to come. No photos unfortunately.

[seabass88]

Nice report good to hear about Mack and nice Pollock, was out on a boat yesterday near portrush coalfish and whiting where all we could get

[Sweetwrasse]

Nice wee trip there Ciaran Hope the engine is behaving?!

[CiaranMcFish]

Yeah touch wood everything going 100%, you'll have to get up soon and get the new lure set up put through it's paces on some decent pollack.

[pete]

Still a bit chilly at 9.4 Ciaran! Any sign of the basking sharks?

[CiaranMcFish]

No signs of the basking sharks, think they are still on their way up around the west coast at present. Pod of bottlenose dolphins here last night though, good craic for 20 mins with them bow riding the Lough Bradán.

See link below for a very short gopro clip showing close up of bow riding, i've slowed it down and enahnced as much as you can through youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRJxKbuglY0

[CiaranMcFish]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9-vIcy7sgA

Slightly better gopro video of the dolphins.