Other methods for angling from rocky coastlines

[Dunmanus]

Hello,
I have recently moved to Kilcrohane on the Sheep's Head Peninsula. I have fished from the rocks with lures and feathers but would like to try other methods now that I have Dunmanus Bay on my doorstep.
I don't know where to start and I don't know anything about rigs or baits.
Can you help?
Thanks

[tight lines]

hi mate i dont know what sort of fishing is to be had around there but if bait fishing you could try a pully rig or rotton bottom if the ground snaggy and try all sorts of bait to see what works best for you and if theres pollock around in the summer try useing a single hook 2/0 with sandeel and a couple of split shot about a foot away from the hook and useing a slow retrive you should pick up some good fish but make sure you use bait tread to wrap the sandeel onto the hook or try a bit of rag worm under a float for wrass and this will get pollock aswell hope this helps a bit

[Dunmanus]

Thanks for that. Apparently there are some great pollack, wrasse and sea bass to be had in the waters around here.
The locals usually fish only in the summer months but I would like to try and see if there is any sport to be had now.
Thanks again

[JOHN1]

Quick search of sai found this, should be plenty here to keep you busy

Introduction:

Bantry and Dunmanus Bays are the least fished section of the Cork coastline, and doubless the access both to the area and the sites themselves helps to keep them quietly productive. The Beara Penninsula is a wild place, although the road system has been improved recently and it is certainly scenic. I reckon the mountain-top view on the road from Bantry to Glengarriff ranks as one of the most spectacular sea-scapes in all Ireland. Whiddy Island is home to Ireland's oil terminal, offering ample evidence of the Bay's deep waters. Bantry bay displays very unusual currents which keep the sediments in almost continuous circulation - as such it is not favoured by scuba divers as you could not see your face behind your nose! I am indebted to Eric Hore from Dublin for forcing my hand and making me check out a series of marks along the north west facing coast of the Beara Penninsula. Reports soon!


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8 - Bunan, The Puffing Hole and Cusheen The three marks range from the headland back towards Kenmare and are all access from the casot road, the R571 west of Lauragh. There is parking at the point itself. Species & Techniques: No reports at yet, but you can asssume that this produces standard rock platform fishing returns. Wrasse, Conger, Bull Huss, Mackerel and Pollack are the listed species, to which might be added Coalfish, Launce and other smaller species.
9 - Bird Point to Dog's Rock Take the country road due north from Ardgroom, over the lagoon where you can dig lugworm and collect crabs (mostly hardbacks but good for wrasse fishing especially in the autumn). Species & Techniques: No reports as yet but you can asssume that this produces standard rock platform fishing returns. Wrasse, Conger, Bull Huss, Mackerel and Pollack are the listed species, to which might be added Coalfish, Launce and other smaller species.
10 - Carrig Fada to Oileanin There are four marks here, the middle two being called Cuas A Teorann and Cumar Dron Leac. Oileanin is the Gaelic for "Little Island" and Carrig Fada means "Long Rock" so no bonus points for finding them! The best road access is on the R575 west from Eyeries towards Ahilies, but if you find yourself turning due south, you have gone too far. There is a smaller side road leading north west that will bring you all the way to Carrig Fada. Species & Techniques: No reports as yet, but I understand that this is rock fishing interspersed with small patches of sand for a bit of variety! Wrasse, Conger, Bull Huss, Mackerel and Pollack are the listed species, to which might be added Coalfish, Launce and other smaller species.
1 - Ballydonegan Just past the village of Ahillies, this effectively holds two marks, from the beach and from the little pier. Species & Techniques: The beach offers standard Flatfish and some Bass with the best position being at the mouth of the small stream. The pier offers access to deeper water on the flooding tide and adds Dogfish to the list. Nothing special but nice...

2 - Dursey Sound You can not visit Dursey Sound without taking the spectacular and rusting (!) cablecar ride out to Dursey Island - an amzing place with an awesome history. The sound fishes extremely well at all stages of the tide, thanks to the depth of water. Our thanks to Conor Brazel for the recent update. Species & Techniques: Spinning or float fishing for Pollack and Mackerel over a very foul bottom. Most of the Pollack are typical shore fish, up to 4 lbs and will fall to lures or floated fish baits outside of slack water. This is augmented by some excellent Wrasse fishing just north east of the cable car station - bring worm baits with you for the Wrasse as they accept nothing less! The far site of the sound, fishing off the island reputedly offers even better Wrasse fishing and excellent quality Congers, especially at night, but it is a difficult spot. Revised June 2004.

3 - Fair Head Past Castletown Berehaven, a big commercial fishing point, the road stops rather abruptly... It is a bit of a hike from the end of the road, so keep the tackle bag as light as possible! You should make your way down to any point opposite the lighthouse on Bere Island. Species & Techniques: Spinning or float fishing for Pollack and Mackerel over a very foul bottom is augmented by some excellent Wrasse fishing. The deeper water is directly out in front and Codling were reported last winter.

4 - DOD Pier Right in the middle of Castletown Berehaven, a busy working port, there is the Department of Defense pier. If there are no ships tied up, then off you go... Species & Techniques: Bottom fishing will find Dogfish but the mark also produces regular catches of Thornback Rays. Mullet are common in the harbour but difficult to tempt to a bait, although fish pieces or offal might succeed in producing some sport.

11 - Carrigin ("Little Rock") on Bear Island People rarely bother fishing off islands here and yet the returns can be far better than the mainland, perhaps thanks to the complete lack of angling pressure. Species & Techniques: No report yet but it appears to be standard rock fishing. Wrasse, Conger, Bull Huss, Mackerel and Pollack are the listed species, to which might be added Coalfish, Launce and other smaller species.
12 - Rinn Beag & Serragh Rock New marks introduced to me some years ago, they sit either side of a small but often cascading whitewater river estuary. If there has been heavy rain forget it and head for a sterile beach or rock mark. Species & Techniques: I was brough to Rinn Beag to spin and plug for Bass and we had a few schoolies on the day but no more than that.. Mullet were everywhere around us but difficult to tempt to a bait. There is definitely plenty of Bass on both marks.
5 - The Airport Strand aka Bantry Beach South Ask for directions in Bantry town - note this is not beach strand, as previously listed but rather the strand 'under' the airstrip opposite Whiddy Island. My thanks to Geoff Woods for the update. "The airstrip is owned by a pharmaceutical company who are constantly telling people not to walk on it. It's been fenced off to stop dog walkers marching up and down" Below this there is a very steep beach - these beaches are rare in Ireland and it gives access to deep water and fishes onto clean ground. Species & Techniques: Bottom fishing off this beach will produce Thornback Ray, Dogfish, and Bull Huss. Founder and Dabs are available on shorter casts, but the longer you can cast, the better. Codling are reported in the winter, with whiting present year round... July 2004. Henry Gillbey has reported lots of good Bull Huss from this beach in 2004.

6 - Collack The Sheepshead penninsula really ought to have more than two known marks on it but there you go... Driving west along the road it is difficult to see any difference much less a specific mark in the surf bashing off the rocks down below (and it is a fair walk down a steep gradient through the fields). Ask in Bantry or Durrus for directions to this 'townland'. Species & Techniques: Most people float fish for Wrasse hoping for the big one, although you could also find Pollack, Coalfish, and Mackerel in season here. One also suspects that it would offer Conger, Bull Huss and Dogfish to bottom fishing baits, but you are facing extremely foul ground.

7 - Dooneen Pier, Kilcrohane My thanks to Geoff Woods for the set of marks. "It's a very user friendly place as you can drive your car right up to where you fish from (taking care not to drive off the end of course)." The pier is just west of the village of Kilcrohane on the southern side of the Sheep's Head peninsula. Species & Techniques: "There's plenty of Pollack and Mackerel to be caught on the spinners, Ballan Wrasse will fall to small crab baits and night sessions will produce a good variety including; Dogfish, Bull Huss, Conger Eels, and Whiting. For the more adventurous, try parking at the top of the access road and walking around the headland. There is a little secluded beach here that holds good shoals of Mullet in the summer and I reckon that there is a good chance of taking Bass to Plugs for those who like rock hopping!"

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Postscript:

Whatever about the Beara Penninsula, the Sheepshead is bound to have lots of additional marks on it... but the question is where! It is a remarkably peaceful place, often very sheltered and doubtless offering good spinning for Bass off the rocks. I look for piles of rotting seaweed on the foreshore, especially if maggots are washing to the water with an incoming tide. This always attracts the Mullet and Bass will often swim with them... and I have seen a huge Ballan Wrasse actively chase a spinner designed for Bass in a small cove just outside Durrus. The damn fish stopped when it reached the lure, mind! In the last few years we have had several reports of Gilthead Bream being taken from the shore in the area around Kilcrohane -

[Dunmanus]

Thanks for that. I live in the village of Kilcrohane and reports here say that there are Herring in the bay at the moment.

[Donnyboy1]

I freedive there fairly regularly (for yummy scallops ) and I rarely see any fish at all.

The reason its so murky as John said is the nature of the current in the bays which keeps the sediment moving and gives a unique thermocline which the scallops can prosper in. Unfortunately that means a lot of dredging destroying the natural cover and murkying up the water even more and killing any fish accidentally caught. Also there is intensive aquaculture there which also introduces an unnatural byproduct in the area!

There are said to be some decent flats in some of the more sheltered bays, and I have seen juvenile pollock and mackeral there. But if I were you I would go all the way to the end of the headland, and fish directly into the ocean, not the bay's... for a short hop the fishing is massive there.

In the summer you can get tropical fish, trevally, bream, amberjack and bucket loads of triggers

Either way its a lovely spot where you are and definitely worth spending time exploring and fishing there, make sure to post reports here so the rest of us can see how good it is

Oh!! And there is a nice facebook page that regularily puts up reports from that next of the woods... I'd say tag along to a few trips maybe
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sea-Fi ... 1780913219

[Dunmanus]

I have already had some of the fantastic scollops! Thanks for your advice I'll give the end of the bay a go when the weather gets a bit better.

[thecatcher]

there is a spot close to doneen pier called the cove u turn right some where along that road up a winding hill into the mountainside there is a sign for the Cove thats black in colour like the walking
signs for tourists.i had some big pollack wrasse and bull huss there in march last year u will catch pollack on frozen sandeel spinning along the bottom ragworm on the float for wrasse also soft plastics bull huss straight down with mackeral and rock rod.just make sure the lures are close to bottom u will lose a bit of gear but its worth it for the big fish best of luck

[tinto]

donnyboy, have you or someone you know caught trevally or amberjacks there? would be seriously interested in targeting them if there is any serious chance of catching one of them!

[Donnyboy1]

Not on that peninsula. It was on the beara that it was speared. Although I'm sure they may be there also... but we normally look for them where they were last spotted and we've never seen them there. Triggers all right on the southern side, and the odd time you'd see bass or amber's in with the triggers, but not there, there is usually just for scallops.
hope that helps?