Complete Newbie

[ardinn]

Hi Everyone

First post - Nice to meet you all - I suppose I have to buy the next round??

Anyways. I have been handed the nice facility of a mobile home in Kilgorman wexford for use any time I desire and wanted to enquire as to peoples thoughts and get some advice on where to begin.

I am a river/lake angler but i have never been sea fishing, or shore fishing.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on methods, where to start (location) types of baits, lines, reels, any special equipment needed ( I have a range of spinning rods, and a beach caster, light fly rods, and pike fly rods 6/7

Although if you put me at a riverbank or lake I would be quite comfortable I am sure when I head off shore fishing i'll be lost until I get my bearings and do some research. I will be heading down tomorrow for a look see and to plot my plan of attack for next weekend.

I have little interest in night fishing so daylight hrs only.

If anyone who made the switch from land to sea fishing wants to reply detailing the most noticable differences that would be great. And all other advice will be very much appreciated.

Looking forward to chatting and in the future arguing with you all

Ardinn

[fisherman59]

welcome to the site you have access to some great beaches in wexford with a base in kilgorman dare i mention smoothounds so early in the year but you will find a huge difference in tackle and approach to sea compared to freshwater i have fished all of the beaches between wicklow and wexford for more years than i care to remember i will gladly share any info you require via pm

[ardinn]

welcome to the site you have access to some great beaches in wexford with a base in kilgorman dare i mention smoothounds so early in the year but you will find a huge difference in tackle and approach to sea compared to freshwater i have fished all of the beaches between wicklow and wexford for more years than i care to remember i will gladly share any info you require via pm

Thank you very much

May I ask why through PM though. I have recieved 4 pm's here allready regarding offers of advice and trips out - Do we not share on the forum? somebody else could benefit too in future thats a beginner!

I very much appreciate the reply but i'm also curious as to why pm is the preferred method of advice on a public forum as I have recieved 4 allready but only 1 response on the thread??

[kieran]

Don't be paranoid

Some information is shared openly however we have had incidents in the past where information shared openly has led to bad results - for example trawlers pulling nets over a beach that was fishing well or bass poaching /netting increasing in an area after several successful reports. Sadly this is the world we live in and people have learned to be careful. Some information will be shared openly. Some will be offered to you on PM. Some people will want to meet up with you and talk to you first before divulging information gained over many a cold and wet days... Different strokes for different folks.

In terms of equipment, to get you started, if you have done some pike fishing with lures, the same equipment - roughly - can be used to target bass with lures, and there's still lots of them around Wexford (so I am told!). A decent spinning rod, 15 lb m/ 7 kilo main line, ideally some fluorocarbon leader (not essential) and a wide selection of lures, allied to a decent set of waders will see you up and running. If you want to use braid as a main line, that would be fine too. Some of the simplest lures are still the best...

The same rod and line can be used to tackle most of the smaller fish found on clean beaches on good weather conditions. You will need to learn about the tides - and they are weird in Wexford as it has a double tide - google amphidromic - and the impact of weather, time of day, season on the available feed for fish, the migration of fish... and how to get and best use different baits. There is a wealth of information on the site and needless to say the members are all very helpful.

Bear in mind also that the sea is roughly three months behind the land - so winter in the sea is later. This has an impact on spawning, migration, and the availability of different species. And that's before we look at global warming and the new species showing up.

Where you may need to invest is in longer bigger rods that allow you do beach casting. The terminal tackle is also quite different in that you have to be able to cast out to or beyond the 2nd or ideally 3rd breaker on most beaches... and if you try rock marks with access to deeper water, the rods and gear change again.

I would see what you can do with any pike gear you have and arrange to meet some of the lads from the club or a local club to get you started.
Hope this helps...

[ardinn]

Thanks a million

I was planning on doing the bass hunt soon. What would be the best conditions for bass fishing? Also whats the worst

I wasnt being paranoid either i was just curious

Thanks so much for the reply - gives me a solid base camp to work with. Appreciated.

[kieran]

I dunno about Wexford...

This time of year a stinky messy mackerel head bound tightly onto a hook (shirring elastic) and chucked into the surf is as good a bait as any... and so long as its a snag free beach, without too much weed, you should need nothing more than a decent swivel above the hook and away you go. The typical exhortation is that fresh bait is best and it is true but hungry fish tend to be less picky. You can add a weight and a zip slider if you want to try and keep the bait in one place. Other anglers like to let it move around in the surf...

As regards conditions, it depends on the mark. The Irish record bass was caught 2 hours into the ebb whereas most people prefer to fish the flood. Dusk and dawn are very important as bass as sight based hunters. Bigger tides work in some marks, don't in others but bass as a rule tend to like it moving around. Irish bass will hunt in estuaries, often well up, but as a rule, do not like fresh water (yeah I know, that's bonkers) so try to find a relatively dry period. A chill evening with a decent surf after a few dry days and dusk... ideal.

People will rightly tell you that much of the above is a load of b*****t and they could well be right.
Sea fishing depends heavily on acquiring detailed knowledge of how the mark fishes in different conditions. Enjoy!

BTW, bass are tricky buggers so be careful handling them around the gills and dorsal spines/fins. Make sure hooks are very sharp.

[Tanglerat]

More generally, but vitally important if you're using any of your pride'n'joy freshwater gear - saltwater from the marine environment is ferociously corrosive if you neglect to rinse off with fresh water after every outing.

Also, be aware that the sea can take you in an instant. Respect it and take no chances. If you find yourself thinking "Is this safe?" or "Should I be doing this?" then no, it isn't and you shouldn't. One of the most thrilling and terrifying marks I've ever fished, anywhere in the world, is in Wexford.

Have a quick Google to see how many anglers are lost off the coasts of Ireland every year. Mainly foreign nationals that aren't used to Ireland's oceanic conditions.

Don't be one of them.

[ardinn]

Stupid question alert!!

"Mark" means what exactly??

"hangs head in shame"

[donal domeney]

"Marks" places to fish of note
Example "I have a good mark for bass that always produce a fish or two"

Now while on the subject of bass an angler would sell the wife rather than give a good bass mark away.

[ardinn]

So - Here is where i'll be setting up camp. Anyone know the stretch - it's behind Kilgorman Holiday Park.

Any good "marks" (see I learn Good!!) nearby worth a shout - I wont hog places I swear

Is it better to hit the rocks either end or am I just as well straight out off the sand (I heard bass like rocks)

And if I was to head with some crab or mackerel the same question. Off the beach or is there anywhere I should be headed.

I'll keep this thread updated with pics and reports on how I am getting on if nobody minds.

Looking forward to getting out and going nuts

[kieran]

You can find bass near the rocks on out in the middle of an expanse of seemingly featureless sand. They tend to roam around in their territory so you can have periods in a session when you are getting bites and runs, and then quiet periods when it goes... well quiet!

They will often target different foods depending on the time of year. On certain Wexford marks anglers have been known to use tiny little flatfish the size of postage stamps to telling effect. Crabs that are moulting their hard shell (known as peelers) are a very effective bait. Sandeels can be the only effective bait in late spring when they come inshore to spawn. If you have big mounds of seaweed on the beach that is beginning to rot, it will hold maggots. Bass will often hunt through this at high water. There's a PDF downloadable somewhere here that explains all the baits...

I know people who swear that the golden time is the period between sun down and moon up, although the few bass I have caught in Mayo have been taken in pitch darkness.

Two words of warning - you can also hit sea trout (sandeels) and smoothhounds (peeler crab) when fishing for bass (baits in brackets). Your gear will handle both species but if you hook a decent smoothie, you may never target another species ever again.

There is a bass ban period from 15th May to 15 June every year when fishing with methods that can catch you a bass (much less than actually catching a bass) can land you in hot water. This is designed to allow them spawn without angling pressure. It's supposedly policed by bailiffs but in reality its more a voluntary code of conduct on the part of all sea anglers. If you do accidentally hook a bass in the period it must be returned.

And you could do worse than join SAI SAC, the club associated with this site. The lads are always very helpful with new anglers....

[ardinn]

Thanks a bunch - I was waiting for the fog to clear but feck it - Im off out Fishing!!!

[Rob Millard]

Hi Ardfin, I fish that beach a bit from May on. It nearly always throws up a few fish, normally Smoothound, Flounder and Dogfish, with the odd bass here and there.

[ardinn]

Hey Rob.

Thanks for the reply. It's gorgeous down there, even now. What way do you fish it, as you can tell im a bit soft in the head still regarding this but i'll get there

If you could pm me some methods you find successful that would be great. Am i wasting my time this early in the year?

Thanks

[Rob Millard]

PM sent Ardfinn

[ardinn]

Evenin all

So today I had a panic attack - I walked onto my lonely stretch of beach to find about 50 international anglers all doing their thing. To say I was a little intimidated is an understatement, I contemplated turning back at one stage. My gear was poor, my knowledge non-existant - They will think im an idiot if I set up!!!

Anyway I found the end of the beach as far away as I could get from the last guy in the comp. lay down my stuff and wondered what to do, I didnt want to set up really, i had planned on using feathers to pass the time while practicing my 2/3 hook rigs. Not expecting much. I tried to get some worm in joe byrnes but it was closed, I found out later he was fishing in the competition.

So i'm standing there like a pleb and the angler nearest to me walks over - dammit! Turns out he wanted to give me the last of his bait - Nice one! I asked how things were going - not bad he said, 21 today! "Thats ok" I said to him - with an envious look on my face. I said "i have only just started out sea fishing this week, I dont really have a clue what i'm at! With that, I have 3 welsh international anglers chatting away giving me gear, bait, tips, advice and generally being as helpful as possible - I was chuffed

So, I told him my plan, he said forget it and try this and that and another, So I went rag tipped with mackerel on a 3 hook rig with a good weight.

"15mins" he said, reeling in another 2 flats, dont rush it, and be careful on the waves, you'l lose fish at your feet, go with the waves!

So off I went happy as larry.

Over the next 30mins every angler there must have given me their bait - i think in the end they just didnt want to clean it up! I have a years supply of rag lug and mackerel!!!

Well after about an hour i reel in again - And wahey!!!!

My first Sea fish. A little Dab.



Next cast - my second!!



I was running out of light now - and with the extra boxes of bait and a hundred rolls of newspaper full of worms i said id pack up and head home.

Great day - I wasnt mad on flats before i caught a few - I can really see the match fun in it tho with a few friends

Going to concentrate on this now for a good bit and see how i get on without the beginners luck.

If I was talking to any of you today thanks a million for your help and advice. I couldnt have landed in better hands!

[Rob Millard]

Brilliant, you couldn't make it up!

[shortcircuit]

Unreal story, first time sea fishing and he wanders into the irish shore championships!

That's like a fella deciding to go for a kickabout, wandering onto the Nou Camp and having Messi come over and give him a few tips!

[donal domeney]

Unreal story, first time sea fishing and he wanders into the irish shore championships!

That's like a fella deciding to go for a kickabout, wandering onto the Nou Camp and having Messi come over and give him a few tips!

I'd say this is what he ran into: http://fishinginireland.info/news/sea-r ... -festival/

Full report here of day 1 to day 3: http://fishinginireland.info/news/category/sea-reports/

[niki272]

Unbelieve lucky! I am fishing from different shore marks in Kerry for last three years, and I had never met anyone (excluding Fenit).