Annual Irish Kayak Angling Cork Meet 2016

Well it was that time of year again when another of the Irish Kayak Angling events was to be held. This time it was the annual Cork meet which was to be held in Redstand which is located in West Cork. A great venue with a good number of species present with prospects of some quality fish being caught. It is however a surf beach and getting the weather to fish this location is a must as the surf can be large at times making launching not possible. Today however we were greeted with crystal clear water and a small surf that would be no issue to the guys heading out for the days fishing.

The species outlined for todays competition included a Flatfish, a Pollock, a Wrasse and a Dogfish. Funny enough, with the Dogfish being part of the challenge I knew from previous outings at this location that this would be the most likely fish to be toughest as their numbers seem to be very low at this spot. The Joker fish was decided to be the Bass. Before the event I had a game plan in my head to get the nominated species which proved to be very effective. We all met at the beach in the morning to have the usual banter and discussions about tactics before the 11:00 am kick off time came around and we were on the water to get the days fishing under way.

My fist target species was the Pollock. This venue has a very good head of pollock and my approach was very simple. Using a small spinning rod coupled with my Daiwa
Emeraldas, I rigged a pearl coloured Slug Go soft plastic with a very light weighted soft plastic bait hook as the water depth varied quickly along the rock faces on the way out to the deeper water. I planned to troll the soft plastic over the rough shoreline out to the deeper water. Every now and then just flicking the rod tip to give some erratic action to the lure to invite a take from the Pollock held up of the kelp that lined the bottom. Within minutes I had my fist Pollock on the kayak and taking my required photo I released it back to move onto the next target species.

With the Pollock now caught I moved to the deeper water which was approximately 50ft and a very rough bottom. This was ideal Wrasse territory. Luckily for me I was given some fresh Lugworm from my Hobie buddy which went onto a double hook trace tied the night before and shown below in the photo. It is a very simple rig tied with Daiwa 30lb Fluorocarbon with two snoods off 3-way swivels above the weight due to the snaggy bottom I was fishing over. The hook choice was a good strong hook by Cox and Rawle. The Chinu in a size 2. There is not really any current out in the deeper water so I was only using 3oz of weight. I dropped down an had the familiar knocking bite of the Wrasse. I was into one almost immediately and a small Ballan Wrasse came to the surface. That was species number 2 of the challenge done. Next up was the flatfish.

Moving across the bay out of the snaggy bottom the bay then becomes a sandy bottom
that holds good numbers of both Plaice and Dabs with the occasional Flounder showing up. I knew that any Flatfish species would do for the challenge and I rigged up a double hook trace I like to tie. Hook of choice for drifting for Flatfish is a great pattern by Cox and Rawle which is the Uptide Extra in size 1. I only use light rods when drifting for Flatfish and my small Daiwa Ninja and Daiwa Theory spinning rod was ample for this task. I did use two rod while drifting with the other rod having a simple single hook ledger rig with a fillet of Mackeral on to see if  I could get the Dogfish at the same time but this proved fruitless. I did not have to wait long again for a bite and the rattle take soon developed on the lugworm baits slowly drifted across the bottom. I lifted into the take and up came a Dab I also managed a Plaice which had lovely markings. Species number 3 of the challenge completed and no sign of a Dogfish.

I tried in vain for a Dogfish on the drift but not a touch from one so I headed over to the
reef in the middle of the bay where I anchored up just off the edge of it. I rigged up two single hook ledger rigs and put Mackeral baits on both. It is not often that I can say I actually went out to try and catch a Dogfish but this was proving to be a fun challenge. I did however get one after 20 minutes and this thankfully completed the challenge. My plan for the rest of the day was to get some various species that may be around and try for the Bass in the afternoon when the tide had dropped.

I used a small set of tiny Sabiki feathers baited with small pieces of Mackeral to try tempt any other species around the deep water rough ground. I managed some fresh Mackeral, Whiting, Scad and Herring. I also got a micro Poor Cod but it all counts at the end of the day and I was just really enjoying the nice weather and hearing the banter between all the competitors. There was reports of some unusual species being caught and one of these was a Dragonet. A nice species and I have not seen here before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the afternoon drew closer the tide was low and I knew that with the surf being small and a few people on the beach that the Bass were likely to move out to the reef and deeper water chasing the abundance of Sandeels out in the bay. So with this in my I changed over to the Feed Shallow which I had changed the trebles on the night before. The treble I changed to were the Cox and Rawle Treble Hooks in size 4. They are strong and very sharp which hopefully would ensure a good hookup should a Bass decide to take the lure.

I trolled the lure across the kelp around the reef in the bay which was only about 6ft under the water when all of a sudden the rod I was holding in my hand got a heavy take. I immediately thought it was a good Pollock so I put pressure on to keep it up from burying itself in the kelp. What was strong though was the fish came up in the water then and this had me question was it a Bass. My thoughts were confirmed when the unmistakable silver body of the Bass showed itself under the kayak. I immediately eased off on the drag before the Bass took two solid runs. I then was able to land a fine Bass which ticked the Joker fish off the list. I good solid Bass and a great fight.

Another great meet came to a close that evening with a prize giving around the fire pit where the days stories were told. A very big thank you to the Irish Kayak Angling Club for holding the event and all involved in organizing the event. Everyone seemed to have a great time and thats what these meets are about.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

An afternoon well spent..

So how does one spend a Sunday afternoon? Well if the weather is somewhat decent I will always try and get some fishing in. It just so happened that yesterday proved to be a spur of the moment kayak day out. Now, I had planned on fishing as I dug some fresh lugworm in the morning with the intention of heading out for a cast anyway but to get the kayak out is the more preferred option.

So with the fresh lugworm packed in damp newspaper and kept cool they were in perfect condition for a session in the afternoon. I decided to fish a spot which is sheltered from the wind, which was a little breezy, but also throws up some cracking fish from time to time. I know from this spot that I need not bring any heavy gear but rather stick to my little Daiwa Ninja 2500 coupled with a Team Daiwa dropshotting rod which is a lovely little setup and fishing a 1oz weight is great. On the other rod I was using another light setup with a small baitcaster and both reels were spooled with the Daiwa J-Braid in 9lb breaking strain.

My rigs consisted of the tried and tested single hook ledger rig which was tied up using 12lb Daiwa fluorocarbon and a very good hook pattern for holding worm baits neatly was tied on. This hook comes in the form of the Cox and Rawle Aberdeen Match in 1/0. I like to use this size hook as I am not really sure what may be around but the hook itself is very capable of holing big fish and I have landed good bass on this hook without any trouble but being a smaller hook allows me to catch some of the smaller fish that may be around and they make a fantastic flatfish hook too.

Weights were dependent on the tide and a 1oz was perfect at the slacker stage of the tide while a 2oz was fine in the running tide. I anchored up and baited up my first rod and cast it out away from the kayak. While baiting up the second rod I had a rattle on almost immediately. I set the hook and had a great little fight on the smaller rod which came up to be a decent flounder. He was quickly released and the rods were cast out again.

What happened for the next hour can only be described as manic to the point were I was fishing one rod at a time. Every time the bait hit the water, within two minutes and sooner I was into a fish. They all were small school Bass but there were so many of them which is great to see. I released all my Bass due to the size of them and also with the new Bass rules in it is still closed season. I was just out to see what was about and not targeting anything in particular but I was plagued by these little feisty guys which were great sport on the light setups.

 

For about close to an hour I had fish after fish which was some amount of action but nothing of any size but I was not complaining as there are worse ways of spending an afternoon. As the the tide slackened off I noticed a good few Mullet around and I had a couple of White Ragworm which I dug in the morning with the lugworm. So out went a bait with some White Rag and I was getting small knocks straight away. I missed a few until I finally hooked one and it was a no wonder why I had missed so many rattles, it was the smallest Golden Grey Mullet I have ever caught. I had a laugh to myself before taking a serious photo!

So that concluded another day and an evening on the water. I have to admit it was really enjoyable just being out there for the afternoon. I think that is what is the most appealing aspect of my kayak. I can get away from it all and catch fish!

Until Next Time,

Tight Lines.

 

Fishing the Estuary – 16/04/2015

Looking back on past fishing logs that I keep to compare on a year to year basis I was drawn to the thought of fishing an estuary that produces some great fishing as the weather starts to warm up. It is still a little early for this spot to really come alive and produce some great fishing but I decided to give it a try anyway. The day previous I had dug some fresh lugworm as it is a hard bait to beat for all round fishing. I also got a few peeler crab as an added bonus. The plan of attack was to fish the incoming tide from low. The rig I chose to use was my all round single hook ledger rig with a two ounce weight and a Cox and Rawle Uptide Extra 1/0 hook.

  I arrived about an hour before low tide which gave me time to set up my kayak and rods and wait till the tide started pushing in. I would be anchoring up in the channel and fishing two rods. It is quite comfortable as the tide holds the kayak in a straight position allowing both rods to be fished out in front of me. The weather was pleasant but a few blustery squalls came through. I was after a bass but knew there would be some flounder around so I was pretty confident that I would land a fish or two.

Anchored up in position, the tide started to move. Both rods were baited up and cast away from the kayak in front of me. There is not much of a problem with weed at this time of year but as the water temperature rises the estuaries get plagued by weed which makes it extremely tough to fish.

I stared getting small takes but did not connect with anything until I had the familiar rattle bite that is often associated with Flatfish. I set the hook and felt a good weight. I caught a glimpse of the Flounder and was surprised at the size of it. It gave one more run which is great to feel from a Flatfish as it is a sign of a decent one. I got it next to the kayak and lifted it in. A lovely coloured and plump Flounder. I took a couple of Photos and put it back to fight another day.

It was not long after I had another take which too was a sure sign it was another flounder. At this stage of the tide I would of had a Bass by now so confidence in getting one was all but gone. Still, I had another Flounder on and it was another good sized fish which put up a good account of itself and fishing with spinning rods really makes catching fish much more fun. Once again, a few photos and the Flounder was sent back.

Altogether I was happy with my result for the mornings tide. I headed back in after the second flounder. The first fish was caught on lugworm while the second fish was caught on a lugworm and Piddock bait. Both rods were rigged with the trace shown in the photo above. Nothing over complicated but effective.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Fishing Report 28-12-2014

This year has gone by so fast and this is the last day of 2014 that I fished.

I had arranged to meet up with two friends from the Irish Kayak Angling Forum, Pat and Dan, who were keen to fish in my local area. So with not much hesitance we decided to fish deep water to see what species were lurking around with the temperture drop. My father was also keen to get out. So loaded up we met the boys early the next morning and headed over to the launch spot.

The tide was due to drop throughout the day and low tide was set for the afternoon. The wind was forecast to be moderate so things were looking good. We had fresh lugworm for the day. The kayaks were soon rigged up and we were on the water.

Drift fishing was the choice method and my drogue anchor proved to be a priceless piece of equipment. It allowed me to drift slowly over the preferred rough ground allowing the bait more time to be settled on the bottom. The first fish I got for the day were some small poor cod which make excellent bait when there is not much else around. Next to show up on the lugworm bait was a decent Pouting.

There were a good number of fine sized whiting present which were a welcome site. I also managed a Grey Gurnard. I love these fish. I think it is their inquisitive faces that make me have a laugh.

       

I varied my bait and added a strip of poor cod fillet and got a small ling. The drift was nice and slow and allowed me to fish very light weights. The rig used consisted of two 1/0 hooks fished above a 2oz weight. The depth we were fishing in varied from 90ft to 120ft. There were plenty of small fish around to keep the rod active.

While drifting Pat and Dan managed to get Octopus so knowing that I knew it was only a matter of time before one grabbed the poor cod fillet. I got a small one eventually but I was more interested in getting a codling, or better yet, see if there were codling around.

I baited up some small feathers and sent them down to 110ft. I was slowly lifting the feathers up and down off the bottom when I got a sudden thump and good head shakes. After a good little battle on my spinning rod a nice plump codling hit the surface. It was a really nice sight to see on a sunny day in December.

A fantastic way to roll out the 2014 year. Plenty of fish to keep me going through the colder months.  Everyone caught fish and went home happy (I hope)…

Until next time.

Tight Lines

Tactics for Gilthead Bream

I remember the first time I caught a Gilthead Bream (Sparus aurata). It was an overcast day with an offshore breeze at my local estuary mouth. The tide was coming in and the water was slightly coloured after the previous days blow. There was a good swell running which pushes across the mark we fish as the tide comes in. The tide was halfway in, I was using half a big peeler for bait and fishing this just over the main channel on a sand bank. We were targeting bass. I saw the knock of the tip and struck into a fish. Immediately I thought it was a decent bass as it has solid head shakes and headed up the channel. Once I bought it up it was something unexpected, a Gilthead Bream. That was possibly seven years ago. I caught a number of Giltheads from the shore over the next few years and after getting into kayak fishing it was one species I wanted to actively target.
The Gilthead bream is part the bream family Sparidae which also comprises of a number of variations of the bream types. The Gilthead is a Mediterranean fish species but in recent years has been becoming more and more frequent in Irish waters. Before, a Gilthead would be a surprise catch but can now be specifically targeted due to increased numbers and anglers becoming more in tune with marks the bream return to. The Gilthead can be identified by its broad wide body, silver colouring and its distinguishing bar that runs across its forehead between the eyes. The gilthead has a mouth full of molar type teeth which are used for its diet of shellfish and crustaceans and of course breaking the hooks that are not up for the job of landing one of these brutes.  According to the Irish Specimen Fish Committee 2013 the Specimen Weight is 1.4 kg (3.08 lbs).

I have caught Gilthead bream in various locations and have also read about catches of Giltheads at places I have never fished before. I have caught them on surf beaches, estuaries and even lagoons where the salinity levels are virtually non-existent. I have been fortunate enough to find some marks myself that produce these fish while I have also been taught by locals who I have fished with. Having this insight I was always confident in targeting Giltheads from the Kayak.

The time of year from personal experiences varies with the weather conditions of the particular months. I have caught Giltheads in March and have caught them in November. As the water temperatures rise the Giltheads move into their shallower areas. The warmer summer months produce the most catches of Gilthead. A warm sunny day in an estuary I find enhances catch rates as the bream tend to feed a lot better and are more aggressive. Now, once again, I have caught them in the total opposite weather conditions but sunny would be preference for estuary fishing and overcast for beaches.

Tides play a vital role in selecting the location for targeting Giltheads. If fishing in a strong tidal estuary it best to fish these areas on the neap stages of the tide cycle. This will give a longer time frame the area may be fished before the tidal surge becomes too overwhelming to fish. If fishing a beach area, spring tides are very good and with little or no tidal factor the whole tide may be fished. I find the best times to fish are just as the tide turns to come in and just as it turns to run out. The Giltheads seem to be the first fish on the scene at the change of the tides.
The kayak setup for catching Giltheads is very simple. An anchor is a must as I want to hold my position to get the bream as they pass you in the estuary. These fish will travel a long way up an estuary feeding so I pick a spot and am patient. The bream will travel in shallow water from experience. I anchor my kayak with the anchor out the back on my trolley (Here is a link to my Kayak Anchor Trolley Setup) so my two rods will sit out in front of me and my kayak sits still with the tide and my baits casted away from the kayak.

Rigs for Giltheads need not be over complicated and the simpler the better. There is no need for bells and whistles for your rigs. I use two different traces for Giltheads from the Kayak which can be seen below. Using the smallest lead possible will allow less resistance to be felt by the fish when they take the bait. A trace line of 12lb I find is sufficient and using Fluorocarbon reduces the visibility of the trace. Hooks all come down to personal preference and for me I do not go bigger than a 2/0 hook and most of the time a 1/0 is used. It depends on the bait I am using and how big the fish are in the area. A word of advice is to use a strong hook. My father has had a 1/0 hook completely broken by a Gilthead. The hooks shown below by Cox & Rawle are very strong and the hook gape is wide enough for peeler crab baits.

Picture Courtesy of www.coxandrawle.com

Bait for Gilthead Bream is of high importance. I dig my own fresh lugworm and gather peeler crabs. These are the only two baits I use for Giltheads as they have worked time and time for me. I will write up on bait collecting in future posts. The best advice I can pass on is to have bait the freshest that is possible. It provides more confidence and I was always taught that your confidence plays a major role in your fishing success. I keep the presentation of my bait simple.

As I previously discussed the anchoring of my kayak, the next step is fishing for the Giltheads. Once anchored I bait up one rod and cast it out in one particular area and then bait up and cast in another area. If I am fishing a tidal estuary, the kayak will sit nice and straight with the current and allow the main line to be kept in contact with the trace so any bite can be seen. I keep an eye on the rod. The Giltheads will either bite in two vastly different ways. One way will be a subtle knock knock almost like a small fish is investigating. In this case I pick the rod up and wait till I feel a decisive take and set the hook. The other scenario will be the Gilthead having no second thoughts about taking the bait and the rod just doubles over without warning. They are strong and I would not be surprised if a rod would be pulled overboard in milliseconds. I try be patient and not be disheartened by a lack of activity as that may turn around and I could have the best half an hour of fishing I ever had as a big group of bream pass by.

These fish are strong and fighting the fish is the most exciting part about it. They have powerful had shakes and long runs. They will not give up easy. Although being very tough and strong I use two spinning rods off the kayak for them as it makes the fight all that much better. The reels are loaded with 12lb braid which sends their head shakes through the body due to the little stretch design of the braid. I don’t force the bream as a weaker hook will get damaged and chances are they will come off.

When landing the bream I handle with caution as they are covered in sharp fins.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Fishing Report 24-04-2014

What a weekend for fishing. The sun was shining and the wind was minimal. I had dug lugworm the day previous as I had the intention to try my luck at a spot where I knew the bass ran up the estuary. I also knew there was a chance of some flounder. So I headed over to the spot where I rigged the kayak. The spot is so shallow at low tide there is no need for a fish finder.

The kayak sat nicely anchored up with the flow of water passing by. I could see fish rising as they passed so I could feel that any second I was going to get a take. The first bite was the telltale sign of a flounder. The familiar rattle of the rod. I struck into it and I had my first fish of the day. A small flounder.

The tide was pushing in nicely now and the second fish grabbed the lugworm bait without any hesitation. This was surely a bass. I knew it was not a big one but never the less it was the first one for 2014 for me. After a quick poor photograph the bass was released.

Up next came the familiar rattle again and another flounder showed itself. This followed by another small bass which were released as I was only have a bit of sport fishing on the light spinning rods. These are all I use when fishing shallow water for bass.

I knew I only had a little while longer to fish before the tide forced me to move. So with both rods out with fresh baits on I waited for another bite. It was not long till I luckily grabbed my rod before it was pulled over by a better fish. A good fight and some strong runs due to the current really put a smile on my face. I then landed  decent bass of around 4lb. I took some photos and sent him back to fight another day. Click HERE if you would like to see the video of this days fishing.

 

 

Until next time,

Tight lines.