2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

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2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby johnwest » Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:36 pm

So The Bro arrives on the doorstep, looks over his shoulder at the leaden sky and the heavy rain and says “Are you sure about this?” I reassured him that the rain was to clear from the west by around midday so we headed off for the first trip of 2018. Sure enough the rain eased off and by the time we were setting up it was still dull but dry and it got milder and calmer as the day wore on. High tide around 4pm wasn’t ideal but Saturday looked the best bet for the next week or so and I was determined to get the 2018 ball rolling; I was beginning to think said ball had been designed by Picasso! We both set up two rods with 2 and 3 hook flappers baited with mackerel strips. The Bro was trying out his new reel and was obviously keen to break it in, I was just glad to break out of the house. It was very slow to start; an hour in The Bro had a few rattles which came to nothing before I landed my first fish of 2018, a 35cm coalfish, first cousin of the last fish of 2017 which was a 35cm pollack. This one’s for you Hugo if you are out there! Last trip of 2017 produced about 16 coalies during daylight so I thought we might get a few more; no, it was a shoal of one fish. An hour later, just on high tide, The Bro had a good determined bite and tightened into a nice 33cm flounder and as he was reeling in, I had a good bite too and swung in a nicer 34cm dab which registered bang on 1lb on the scales; a very pleasing 2oz heavier than the flounder. I’m not really being nasty, just getting my retaliation in first as The Bro set off on a run of 6-7 good dabs from 28 to 33cm while I couldn’t buy a bite. I don’t know how much longer he can play the Born Again Beginner’s Luck card. I eventually managed a small dab showing signs of some net damage and proceeded to land another 4-5 small dabs including one which managed to take two baits. As dusk came, a bat flew past a couple of times, never seen one this early in the year. A couple of poorcod came to my rod while The Bro managed a 34cm whiting which sadly was another shoal of one. With the tide ebbing, the bites ground to a halt and after an uneventful hour we packed up. We managed some good flatties, The Bro christened his new reel and above all, we got out; all in all a most enjoyable day.
Attachments
P1137029.JPG
35cm coalfish, 1st fish of 2018
P1137032.JPG
The Bro's 33cm flounder
P1137034dab.jpg
34cm 1lb dab
P1137039.JPG
Dab with signs of net damage
P1131654.JPG
The Bro's best dab
2013 species; 31

2014 species; 27

2015 species; 28

2016 species; 32

2017 species;28

2018 species; 33

2019 species; ballan wrasse,blonde ray, coalfish, cod, cuckoo wrasse, dab, dogfish, flounder, goldsinny wrasse, ling, mackerel, plaice, pollack, poorcod, pouting, scad, sea scorpion, spotty ray, spurdog, thornback, tub gurnard, turbot, whiting.

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Clive O Driscoll (Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:30 pm), corbyeire (Tue Jan 16, 2018 2:52 pm), joe the junior (Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:37 pm), lucky13 (Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:11 am), mickser (Mon Jan 15, 2018 12:49 pm), SeanA101080 (Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:53 pm), Teegerstk (Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:42 pm)
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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby MC » Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:54 pm

Great start to 2018 with some fine flatfish.

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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby lucky13 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:13 am

Nice first session of the year john,well done,another great read :wink:

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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby Deleted User 3488 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:05 pm

Some nice fish there lads, good start to the year, well done

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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby chuckaroo » Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:42 am

Some fine flattie fishin there Paddy, two crackin pics of two nice fish!
I'm sure the fish air was 'warmly' welcomed indeed 8)
Charlie

2024 targets:
porbeagle, stingers, seatrout, shore skate, shore tope

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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby seank » Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:12 am

Great report Johnwest. I was on the dabs myself..got a new Pb. Ill have post up later :)
Target for 2017: Tope, Bass, Specimen shore pollack, Specimen Sea trout, Turbot over 30cm, common skate

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Re: 2018 ball starts rolling, Donegal Bay, 13/01/2018

Postby mickser » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:04 pm

Well done John. A fine start to the new year hope it keeps it up for you great reading and some nice photos
mickser
I have not fished in two years hoping to change that this year with anything ?

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