First bass after end of closed season - 23rd June 2013

Normally I would mark the reopening of the bass season on the 16th June with a long session but the south coast was hit but a storm with strong winds and driving rain. So I thought it wise to leave the bass in peace for one more day.  On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings I lure fished three different marks but did not have a bite never mind catch a fish. On Monday the water was still quite coloured after Sunday's storm so I was not too hopeful. But the sea had calmed down and the had water cleared by Tuesday so the conditions looked good but the fish had other ideas.

A return of strong winds on Saturday ruled out lure fishing over the weekend so I decided to return to bait fish. Late Sunday afternoon I headed to a reliable beach that will normally produce bass in daylight with a moderate surf on an ebbing tide. The wind had swung around to a northwesterly and there was still a good surf rolling in but the wind had ripped up a lot of kelp which had amassed at the eastern end of the beach in the location where I wanted to fish. I moved about 100 m further up the beach. I set up two rods, one baited with crab on a 4/0 pennel pulley, the other with a three hook flapped with crab and razor on 2/0 and 3/0 circle hooks.

About a hour after arriving I had a missed bite on the pennel pulley. There was a sharp tug on the rod but when I went to retrieve the fish was gone.

It remained quite until dusk. Then I noticed some small knocks on the rod with the three hook flapper. I picked it up, waited until I felt a stronger tug than lifted into the fish. It felt like a smallish bass and as I began to retrieve I could see the fish breaking the surface. I rapidly reeled in the slack as the fish was carried in on a breaking wave and managed to keep the line taut. A few minutes later I had it on the beach. It was a rather slim 47 cm bass. But still it was the first post-closed season bass so I was delighted.

I was hopeful this indicated the fish were moving in but it remained quite for a couple of hours. At about 12.20 am I decided to have one last cast before packing up. I reeled in and put on fresh bait, focusing mostly on razor as that had picked up the first bass.

After a few minutes I noticed a tap on the rod with the three hook flapper. I picked it up but as I began to retrieve I realized there was a lot weed on the line. The northwest wind had died down at this stage and the mass of kelp that was at the eastern end of the beach had begun to drift westwards along the shore. I assumed all I had on the end of the line was a ball of weed. It was a struggle to haul it in. As the shockleader appeared out of the water I could see that the leader knot was drapped in weed so I grabbed the line and manually hauled it in. Then I spotted something was splashing about in the shallows - there was a fish on the end!!!!

I pulled the line clear of the water and hauled a good size bass on to the sand. It was a plump 59 cm fish and weighed a little over 5 lbs.

I would have stayed on longer but at this stage the surf in front of me was dense with kelp so decided it was time to pack up.

Southwesterly wind = Bass - 2nd May 2013

After a couple of unsuccessful lure fishing sessions earlier in the week, the forecast for Thursday evening was for strengthening southwesterly winds. I got to the beach about 45 minutes after low tide. Two anglers were already. I set up two rods, one with a three hook flapper with size 1 and 2/0 circle hooks baited with lug and the second with a pennel pulley baited with crab.

Nothing much was happening until close to dusk. Then I felt a series of nibbles, but no bites so it was probably small fish (flounder or coalfish tugging on the bait). Then I had a stronger bite at about 10 pm. This time the fish was hooked and turned out to be a 27 cm flounder, taken on lug.

About 5 minutes later I had a much stronger tug again on the three hook flapper rig. It was a small bass, about 37 cm in length.

At that stage I switched the pennel pulley rig for a two hook flapper (size 1 and 2/0 circle hooks) and baited it with lug and razor. About half an hour later I had another sharp knock on one of the rods. At first I thought it was another bass, but as I hauled it out of the surf I realized it was a dogfish.

It was quite for a while; then about 40 minutes later I had another flounder, of about 25 cm. This was followed shortly afterwards by a small coalfish.

Ten minutes later there was a sharp pull on one of the rods. I grabbed it and lifted into a fish that was putting up a better struggle. A few minutes later I hauled a 46 cm bass out of the surf.

The bite became more frequent over the next half an hour over high tide with a couple more small flounder and another three coalfish. However, once the tide began to drop the bites died off. I stuck it out for about 30 minutes after high tide before packing up.

All fish were taken on lug, but I had no interest in the crab or razorfish. The total catch for the session was 2 bass, 1 dogfish, 4 flounder and 4 coalfish.

A few more bass - 23rd - 25th April 2013

23^rd April 2013

I headed to a regular beach after finishing work to fish the ebbing tide. I was set up by 7 pm. There was a good surf breaking on the beach, and a SSW breeze was beginning to increase in strength and it was overcast so the conditions looked good. The previous Saturday I found that bass went for bait on smaller hooks and ignored my large clump of lug on a 4/0 pennel pulley. So this time I set up two rods both with size 1 and 2/0 circle hooks baited with lug. Less than 20 minutes later I spotted a subtle knock on one of the rods, picked it up and waited for a stronger bite then lifted into the fish. It felt to a small bass and a few minutes later I hauled a 38 cm bass out of the surf.

I rebaited and recast. Shortly afterwards I had another bite, a strong tug on the same rod. I grabbed it and began to retrieve. This felt a slightly better fish. It was another small bass just over 42 cm in length.

That was a good start, two bass in less than 30 minutes. However, the bites then died off. It was quite until 9.15 pm before I had the next fish, the third small bass of about 41 cm.

As the light was beginning to go I put on my headlamp and turned it on but there was only a dim flicker and then it went totally dead. It must have got switched on in my bag and the batteries had run down. As it was a dark night with thick low cloud I quickly dismantled the rods, packed up and quickly headed back across the beach while there was still enough light to make out my way. I was kicking myself for not bringing a spare set of batteries.

24^th April 2013

I had plenty of lug left over from the previous session so headed to the same mark, this time with two sets of fully charged batteries!!

The surf as quite a bit weaker compared to the evening before, there was little or no wind and it felt a lot warmer. I was set up and fishing by 7.30 pm. There was not much happening for the first hour; then at about 8.45 there was a strong tug on one of the rods. It was a small bass of only 37 cm.

I had a second strong bite just 10 minutes later, this time a 41 cm bass.

I was anticipating a good session after that but then it went very quite and it was about an hour later before I had another bite. This time it was a small coalfish. I had another three coalfish after than and it was not until 11 pm before I had another bass, another 41 cm fish.

This was followed by a bunch more small coalfish but no more bass. I stayed on until 1.30 am and packed up shortly after the tide began to push back in.

Several of the bass I had on this session and the previous one had net marks. Some of them may have been old marks but one fish had what looked like fairly recent marks and its scales had not yet grown back.

25^th April 2013

It was a clear night with a bright full moon. It looked a nice night to be out so I decided to venture out again. I had some lug left over from the previous two sessions but they were mostly small. I decided to try a West Waterford beach for a change.

Unfortunately the wind had switched to a northwesterly during the day which had flattened out the surf, so it didn’t look too promising, especially as I find this beach doesn’t fish well unless there is a big surf.

Despite the northwest wind it was still mild enough and hardly needed my headlamp as the beach was bathed in bright moon light. Unfortunately there was not much happening. The first bite was a small Shore Rockling.

This was followed 20 minutes later by a coalfish, a bit bigger than the usual ones that have been showing up on the beached recently so for a few moments I was hopeful it might be a small bass until I had it on the beach. This was followed by two more much smaller coalfish about an hour later. By that stage I had used up all the bait, so packed up and headed home.

Bass at long last!!!! - 20th April 2013

The incessent east/northeast winds have finally come to an end. I was hopeful the southwesterly/southerly winds would bring an improvement in fishing - well it couldn't get much worse. The last time I was fishing in mid-March I blanked despite a nice surf on a regular beach which normally provides excellent fishing in March.

Saturday was a nice sunny day with a SSW breeze so I headed to the same beach, arriving just before low tide in daylight. Over the winter the beach geometry had changed significantly, the beach was steeper and now there was a sizeable sandbank just above the low tide mark.There was a good surf but the water was still very cold, so I was not too optimistic about getting any bass.

I initially set up two rods on the crest of the sandbank with 4/0 pennel pulleys; one baited with lug the other with lug and razor. After a few minutes there were little tugs on the rod with the lug only. I retrieved, the bait was gone. I cast out again, same thing happened. Probably small flounder stealing the bait. So I put on a two hook flapper with size 2 hooks to see what the bait robbers were.

About 15 minutes later just as the tide was starting to push in I had a sharp knock on the rod with the two hook flapper, struck, felt a fish on the end. A few minutes later a hauled a small (46 cm) angry bass out of the surf - the first bass of 2013!!! That was rather later than last year when I had the first on the 4th of January. But better late than never.

About 15 minutes later I had a second bass, this was smaller and scrawny, barely over 40 cm.

Shortly afterwards I had a small coalfish. It was quite for about half an hour before I had a double of another coalfish and a five bearded rockling. The tide then began to push over the the sandbank so I made a retreat, the depression behind me was already knee-deep in water. I was hoping the fish would move into that area with the rising tide. But there then followed a prolonged quite period of about an hour before the fish began to feed again. I had a couple more coalfish and another rockling. The flounder then showed up, they were small and I had four over the next hour, the last and largest was about 27 cm.

After that I was about to pack up, when there was a strong tug on the rod with the two hook flapper and the rod tip bent over - another bass!!! I grabbed the rod and stuck. It was indeed a bass, not big, but still putting up a bit of a fight. It was a 44 cm fish. There was a small five bearded rockling on the other hook.

I stuck it out for about another half an hour in case there was a shoal of bass moving in but there was only one more bite from a 21 cm flounder.

So while the fish were small it was a definite improvement on the last couple of months with a total of 17 fish (3 Bass, 5 Coalfish, 5 Flounder and 4 Five bearded rocklings).

Summary of the Cod Season - Part 2: The Cod Run

The best cod fishing of the season was had in December. There was a good run of decent size fish in the Blackwater channel having come in during the stormy weather in late November. The numbers of fish per session was not large but the quantity was more than compensated by the quality.

2nd December: Low tide was at 7.30 pm so I headed out just before dusk and set up two rods both with 4/0 pennel pulleys with big crab baits. It was quite until after dark and I didn't have the first bite until the tidal flow began to slacken off at 6.40 pm. It was a smallish codling of about 2 lbs. This was followed by a number of bites in quick succession over the next 40 minutes. I lost a couple but landed another four in the range 2-4.5 lbs.

The bites then died off but I had one more cod before packing up at 8.15 pm. This fish was a little under 2 lbs with a deformed lower jaw and was released.
Result: 6 cod (2-4.5 lbs)

4th December: I returned to the same mark after dark. Shortly after setting up the first rod I had the first bite; a plump 42 cm cod weighing about 2 lb. This was followed shortly afterwards by a second of much the same size before I had a chance to set up the second rod. About 20 minutes later I had another codling of 2.5 lbs closely followed by a smaller chubby fish a little under 2 lbs and no sooner had I released it when there was a knock on the second rod. This was an even smaller codling, barely over 30 cm.

Five minutes later I had a better fish, 45 cm and weighing about 3 lbs. 20 minutes later I had a seventh codling, a little smaller at 42 cm, but quite plump and weighing a little over 2.5 lbs.  Another 20 minutes passed before the next bite close to high tide at 8.50 pm. This was about the same size.

The last fish, landed half an hour later just as I was about to pack up, was the best of the session, chunky 46 cm cod weighing 3.5 lbs.

Result: 9 Cod (7 keepers - fish over 2 lbs)

5th December: I had some crab left so after the success of the previous evening I headed out again to fish the same stage of the tide, a neap tide. In order to conserve the few crabs I had left I sent up one rod with the crab and the other with razor, both on 4/0 pennel pulleys. Initially it was quite and it was not until about 8.30 pm that I had the first fish, a cod of about 2.5 lbs. This was shortly followed by a small codling of under a pound. I had a few missed bites after that, then landed another 2.5 cod at about 9.15 pm. Ten minutes later this was followed by a better fish of 54 cm, weighing 4.75 lbs just before high tide (HW at 9.40 pm).

It was quite for half an hour before the next bite, this time a 2.75 lb cod. About another 30 minutes passed and just as the tide was starting to noticably drop I had a pouting on razor followed shortly afterwards by a 37 cm flounder.
Result: 5 Cod (4 keepers 2.5-4.75 lbs, 1 Pouting,  Flounder (37 cm).

8th December: Since there seemed to be a good run of cod on the last couple of sessions I returned to the same mark on Saturday evening with a fresh supply of crab. I arrived about an hour after low tide, at 8 pm. I got two rods set up and was fishing before 8.30 pm. There was not much activity for the next two hours. Then at about 10.30 pm, I had the first bite, a small codling of about a pound which was released. There was not much happening for the next hour, I had a couple of missed bites, lost what felt to be a good fish half way in as it dug its nose into the side of the channel.

Then close to 11.30 pm the fishing picked up. Next fish was a 3.5 lb cod, followed almost immediately by a smaller one of 1.5 lbs which was released. 15 minutes later I had a stronger tug, this was a much bigger fish and put up a good struggle. It was a 4.75 lb/54 cm cod.

No sooner had I landed the fish when there was a knock on the second rod, this was a smaller fish at about 3 lbs. 20 minutes later at 12.20 am I had another strong bite. This was the best cod of the night, a chunky 5.5 lbs, 57 cm fish.

I stayed on until high tide at 12.50 am but the fish had moved on.
Result: 6 Cod (4 keepers, 3.5 lb, 4.75 lb, 3.5 lb, 5.5 lb)

9th December: I just had a few crabs left so headed out late for a short session for the three hours leading up to high tide. However, it was quite. I missed a couple of bites and it was not until almost 12.30 am before I landed the first fish, a 2.5 lb cod. This was followed an hour later by a smaller codling, it was the same one with the deformed lower jaw which I caught and released on the 2nd December. Unfortunately this time it was not so lucky as it had deeply swallowed the bait. I got the hook out but when I tried to release it for the second time it just floated motionless apart from a few flicks of its tail.

I fished on until high tide and was packing up when I realized there was a fish on one of the lines. This was another 2.5 lb cod.

Result: 3 Cod (2.5 lb, 1.75 lb, 2.5 lb)

11th December: After obtaining another dozen crabs I headed out late in the evening arriving at the mark about 11 pm. The tide was building towards a New Moon tide, with a 4.1 m high tide scheduled for 3.50 am. Normally I would fish this location on slacker tides but after the success of the previous sessions I reckoned it was worth a shot. The weather had been relatively calm for the previous couple of days so weed would not be a problem although I knew the strength of the tidal current would make fishing difficult once the tidal race began. It was a dark night and a southeasterly wind which had picked up earlier in the day has now strengthened and producing choppy swells across the estuary. I got set up and waited for the cod to start moving.

It was shortly after 1 am before I had first sign of action.  There was a sharp knock on one of the rods, I grabbed it and felt  a decent size fish on the end. As I retrieved the downward double tugs told me it had to be a cod. It fought very strongly and I had to be careful not to let it get its nose into the side of the channel, I had lost enough fish over the years at this mark which had come off as I tried to bully them out of the weed and rocks on the channel margins. Finally I could see the leader knot appearing out of the murky water, I was nearly there, a few more turns of the reels and I could see the fish splashing about in the shallow water beneath my feet. With one more hoist of the rod I eased the fish onto the shore. It was a fine plump cod of 56 cm and a weight of 5.5 lbs.

I was just unhooking the fish when I saw the tip on the other rod bouncing. I dropped the fish, grabbed the rod and struck. I was into another cod, if felt another good fish but not as strong as the first. Still it pulled strongly as I hauled it up from the depths of the channel and it was a relief to see the shockleader emerge from the water. Soon I had the fish ashore – another plump cod of 51 cm with a weight of about 3.5 lbs.

The bites died off after that as the tidal current increased in strength. My 6 oz. gripper weights were swiftly dragged up stream requiring a retrieve and recast every 10-15 minutes. At about 2.15 am I had another bite. This was not such a big fish, although retrieving against the current gave the impression it was larger until I dragged it on to the shore. It was a 44 cm cod, with a weight of a little over 2 lbs.

About half an hour later there was a sharp tug on the rod on my left. The current had dragged the bait way up to the left so the line was running almost parallel to the shore. As I struck I could feel a very strong fish pulling on the end. I realized it was going to be difficult to safely land the fish with the amount of obstacles and snags that lay along this section of the shore. I kept the rod high, and kept the fish moving, if it got half a chance the fish would dive into the channel flank and it would be impossible to get it out. I could feel strong downward tugs as the fish fought furiously. After what felt like a long struggle I had it in close, but as the shockleader emerged I could see the knot was draped with weed, there was no way it would pass through the tip eye of the rod, so keeping the line taunt I tilted the rod back towards me grabbed the line and manually hauled the violently splashing fish out of the water. It was a fine cod, 60 cm but very stocky and weighed 6.5 lbs – a new personal best!!!

With arms aching from the struggle I decided it was now time to pack up, I had work in the morning.

Result: 4 Cod (5.5 lbs, 3.5 lbs, 2 lbs, 6.5 lbs)

20th December: In the lead up to Christmas I was busy with work. Crabs were also scarce and I was unable to get any over the weekend so it was not until Thursday of the following week that I got a chance to head out fishing again. I arrived at about 7.45 pm. A couple of anglers were already in my favoured spot so I set up down-stream from them. I had the first bite at about 8.20 pm, a 2.5 lb cod. I had a few missed bites after that and about half an hour later I had a strong tug on the line. This felt to be a substantial fish and fought strongly all the way in. I could see the fish in the shallow water in front of me but then the gripper got snagged so keeping the line taunt I made my way out towards it, until I had a firm grip of the trace and hauled on it, pulling it free. This was a fine fish, a 5.5 lb cod with a length of 59 cm.

I lost another good fish, it was putting a severe bend in the rod but came off about half way in. I recast but it was a bit of a mis-cast and barely landed more than 15 m out. But I thougth I would leave it for a while. Ten minutes later the rod tip suddenly buckled over and the line went slack. I grabbed the rod, reeled in the slack and connected with a good fish. At first I presumed it was another cod but then it burst onto the surface and splashed about as I hauled it in. It had to be a bass. Indeed it was, a fine chunky 60 cm fish weighing 6 lbs. That was a surprise!!!

15 minutes later I had small coding just under 40 cm which was released. Close to high tide I had a better fish of about 2.75 lbs.
Result: 4 Cod (3 keepers; 2.5 lbs, 5.5 lbs, 2.75 lbs), 1 Bass (6 lbs)

22nd December: This would be the last session before Christmas. I got to the mark at about 9 pm, a couple of hours after low tide. The tide was just beginning to push in at this stage. About half an hour after setting up I had the first fish, a 2.25 lb cod. However, it then went dead and it was not until 12.30 am before I had another bite. This was a better fish of about 3 lbs and was soon followed by a 2.5 lb cod. At about 1 am very close to high tide I had a good cod of 4.5 lbs/51 cm. This was quite a chunky fish.

I fished on a little longer but there were no more bites and packed up once the tide started to drop.
Result: 4 Cod (2.25 lbs, 3 lbs, 2.5 lbs, 4.5 lbs).

Summary of the Cod Season - Part 1

Although cod fish seems to have generally been rather poor this season I was quite successful and had some decent size fish that broke my personal best several times.

The season got off to a slow start, over the last few years cod have appeared in September or early October but it was well into November before the main cod run started.

Having had a very poor summer bass fishing and a mediocre autumn I decided to focus on cod fishing for the remainder of the year. Below is Part 1 (October-November) of a summary of my fishing over the last few months. Part 2 (December) and Part 3 (January-February) will follow over the next few days.

28th October: I fished Ferry Point in Youghal 2.5 hours either side of low tide. It was quite apart from a couple of dogfish over low tide. I had just one codling, a fish of about 1.5 lbs early on the rising tide, but it was a start. There were smaller fish there, they were constantly nibbling on the bait but couldn't get their mouths around big crab baits on size 4/0 hooks.
Result: 1 cod (1.5 lbs), 2 Dogfish

4th November: I returned to Ferry Point, again fishing over low tide and early on the rising tide. There was quite a cold northwesterly wind blowing so not ideal. I had one strong bite, at first I assumed it was a cod but the fight felt different, the fish was head shaking not pulling downwards like a cod. After a few minutes I hauled a 44 cm bass onto the shore. That was the only bite for the session. As the tidal flow increased it became too difficult to hold bottom so it was time to pack up.
Result: 1 bass (44 cm)

7th November: I decided to try a deep water mark in the Blackwater Estuary which has been very productive on previous years. It was a neap tide, slack tides are best for this location, it is almost impossible to fish on a spring tide. I arrived early on the rising tide and set up two rods both baited with crab on 4/0 pennel pulleys. It was quite for some time but in the two and a half hours before high tide I had fairly constant nibbles and bites, and reeled in a succession of small fish, flounder, a good size dab, pouting, a whiting and an eel. I am not sure how most of them managed to get their mouths around a 4/0 hook.
Result: 3 Flounder (37 cm, 24 cm, 28 cm), 1 Dab (35 cm) 1 Whiting, 1 Pouting, 1 Eel.



16th November: I fished a beach on the ebb and the early rising tide. There was a moderate surf so I was hopeful of landing a bass was well as a few cod. I set up two rods with pennel pulleys, one baited with crab, the other with razor. However, the fishing was poor. I just had a couple of coalfish on the dropping tide. The fishing picked up slightly as the tide began to push back in with a dogfish, another coalfish and a whiting but no sign of any bass or cod.
Result: 3 Coalfish, 1 Dogfish, 1 Whiting.

21st November: As it was again a neap tide I returned to the Blackwater estuarine mark that I had fished two weeks previously. Over the weekend and at the beginning of the week there had been quite a strong southwesterly storm so I was hopeful that the windy weather might have brought the cod into the channel. I got there about 8.30 pm as the tide was well into the rise (HW at 11.45 pm). I had a couple of bites but the fish were not hooked, or only lightly hooked and came off half-way in. Then at about 10 pm I had the first fish a codling of about 3 lbs.

This was followed about 15 m later by a bigger fish of 53 cm and weighing about 4.75 lbs

 I stayed on until high tide but the fish had passed up the channel and there were no more bites
Result: 2 cod (3 lbs, 4.75 lbs)

24th November: I retuned to the same mark. The tides were still slack so it was an optimal time to fish here. Low tide was at 8.50 pm and I got there about an hour afterwards just before the tide began to rise. There was a fairly strong northerly breeze blowing down the channel, quite cold but good for cod fishing. I was again using two rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys baited with a mixture of crab and razor. It was very quite for a long time and I was beginning to think the fish were not going to show up. Then just after midnight I had the first codling, it was a smallish fish, about 1.25 lbs, which I released. The cod then came on the feed and I had a series of bites in rapid succession. I missed some, lost a few as they dug their nosed into the size of the channel but I did manage to land three of them, these were bigger fish, the first was about 2.5 lbs, the next was a good fish of 5.5 lbs and a length of 57 cm. A new personal best.

This was followed by a quite period. Then at about 2 am I had a very strong tug on the line. It felt to be a big and very strong fish. I had let the current drag the bait upstream so it was a struggle to haul the fish back against the current and keep it from embedding its nose into the side of the channel. But I eventually got it close and on to the river bank. This was a fine cod of 6 lbs/62 cm. I had beaten my personal best for a second time in the same night!!

So a good night after a rather slow start to the cod season, three keepers (I release any cod below 40 cm unless deeply hooked).

Result: 5 cod, (1.25 lbs, 2.5 lbs, 2 lbs, 5.5 lbs, 6 lbs)

25th November: I had some crabs left so decided to try a mark further up the Blackwater estuary that can fish well in daylight in the 2.5-3 hours before high tide. I would normally prefer to fish here on bigger tides but thought I would give it a go. It was not a nice day, the wind direction had changed to southerly and brought persistent misty rain with it. Fishing was slack, but I did get a couple of small codling in the 2.25-2.5 lb range, 46-47 cm in length.

 Just before packing up I hooked a 31 cm flounder.
Result: 2 Cod, (2.25 lbs, 2.5 lbs), 1 Flounder (31 cm)

Winter cod fishing

It has been quite a while since I updated the blog. The last couple of months I have been focused on cod fishing. After a slow start in early November it significantly improved later in the month. Using large hooks (4/0 - 5/0) on pennel pulleys with big baits and fishing in the right place I have managed to avoid the small nuisance fish. If it can't get its mouth around a 4/0 hook then I am not interested.

The numbers have not been large but the quality has been superb. I have had some very good fish, cod of 6 and 6.5 lbs as well as a few in the 5-6 lb range and a number of others above 4 lbs. It is proving to by my best ever cod season.

Some photos below:

I will try to do up a full report over Christmas.