Codling with the Irish Kayak Angling Club

Once again the seed was sown in the head of many anglers on the Irish Kayak Angling Club Forum as to a planned trip out to Roches Point in Cork Harbour. That is what makes the Irish Kayak Angling Club such a good place to meet new faces and learn new things. For all who want to get into the sport of Kayak Angling, this is a great place to get to know essential safety items and also get to know different tactics for different species. For me, the Irish Kayak Angling Club has been a great asset to my kayak angling and still to this day I learn new things from the vast amount of members.

So with this meet arranged it was time to get my gear ready for my first outing of the 2017 year. I know there are codling that can be caught here and a good number of other species, I decided to put together three setups. I decided on two 6ft spinning outfits which had a Daiwa Ninja 2500A spinning reel spooled with 9lb Daiwa J-Braid. The second spinning outfit had the Daiwa Emeraldas which was spooled with 20lb Daiwa J-Braid. These two outfits are what I would be using throughout the day for Codling as there really is no need to fish heavy. I took up fishing and for me it is all about the fight between the fish and me. So rigging up with overrated tackle just does not do it for me. I did bring along a Daiwa SL20sh spooled with 30lb Daiwa J-Braid in case I decided to chance a Conger Eel.

Rigs were kept extremely simple and on one spinning rod I tied up a double hook rig which I use often over rough ground. I am not sure of the technical term but you can see it in the pictures. I love to use a Cox and Rawle Chinu pattern when using crab baits and I went with a size 1 as I was not sure of the size of Codling that would be present. The second spinning setup was rigged with a soft plastic in the form of a Daiwa Duckfin Shad in UV pearl colour. With the tides being slack and not a massive surge of tide running I was able to get away with using a 20 gram jig head.

I emptied the freezer before leaving the next morning and I was able to find some frozen Peeler Crab which is a killer bait for Coding off the shore when they are fresh. So I didn’t see why they wouldn’t work out in Cork Harbour. As well as this I had a few Razor fish which really I bought with to empty the freezer to free up space for restocking.

The morning of the meet up in Cork Harbour it was great to meet up with the members from the Irish Kayak Angling Club and catch up after the Christmas season. Of course stories were told and the laughs were had before the kayaks hit the water to try and get a bend in their rods. My Hobie Revolution 16 was rigged up and ready and in no time I was out over some promising looking ground. The Hobies’s mirage drive system coupled with the Turbo fins made short work of the distance to the channel. The depth of water I was fishing in was around the 60ft depth with a rough bottom. There were a few small pinnacles that rose up which were bound to attract fish around them. So I baited up my double hook rig with a half a Peeler Crab on each hook before sending it down to the bottom.

Within the first 2 minutes I was into my fist fish and with the spinning rod bent into the fish I was sure I was into my first Codling. The solid head pumps progressed as the fish was worked to the surface where a plump little Codling hit the surface. I was delighted and fishing simple like this always catches me fish. I don’t wait hours for something to happen, I try to make things happen. I unhooked the Codling and sent him back down to tell the others about his experience.

Down I went again with the Peeler crab baits and immediately my spinning rod was doubled over into another Codling. They really do pull for their size on the right setups. This action continued for the next half hour of constant Codling every five minutes or so. I was able to get a few photos of these fish and I knew they would be more than willing to take a Soft Plastic so I changed rod and picked up the other setup to have some fun.

I dropped the Daiwa Duckfin Shad to the bottom and when there I worked the lure up and down on the bottom. I raised the rod and it was greeted by a solid weight and I was into a Codling on the Soft Plastic. It really put a up good little fight and it engulfed the lure as I saw when lifting him onto the kayak.

Down again went the Duckfin Shad to the bottom and again within a minute or two I was into another fish. I was really enjoying myself and this is really what it is about for me. I could hear that all the guys that were out had caught fish which made the day even better. I unhooked the Codling and sent him back again. I decided to take a break and went off the rough ground to see what else was about.

I found the sandy area and started drifting. I was immediately plagued by small Whiting which were present in large numbers but a fish is a fish and like I said, I would rather be catching than sitting. I tied on a set of tiny Sabiki’s after seeing some baitfish on the Lowrance Fishfinder which turned out to be some Mackeral. Nice to see them around in the colder months. I was also able to catch a tiny little Coalfish. A bit of a change from the solid fighting Codling which made me eager to get onto the Codling again. I headed back out to the rough ground and was once again straight into the Codling again. I had great action throughout the day and so did all who were out on the water.

As the day drew to a close I headed back in to load up and head home. Before heading away we all discussed how we had got on throughout the day and it seemed that all who were there had caught fish and that’s  what being a member of the Irish Kayak Angling Club is all about for me. Making new friends and enjoying the sport.

 

 

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.

A Winters Day Out

It is always great to receive a phone call during the week to discuss the possibility of getting out on the kayaks. It has been a long spell of consistent rain and heavy winds which have made my kayak fishing come to a standstill. Needless to say that when I heard that there was a break in the weather I was filled with the excitement that most fisherman get when they know they are going to wet a line. The plan was to fish in South West Kerry where there is a deepwater mark that holds a vast variety of species and also has the potential to throw up some surprises every now and then. Friday night was spent packing all the kayak gear and getting the rigs ready for the following morning.

Arriving at the launch site the sea was calm. A slight breeze blew across the bay and it felt a bit warmer than the last few days. The tide was near full at the time of launching so we would be fishing the outgoing tide for the entire session. I have found at this mark that it never fishes to its full potential when there is an outgoing tide. The kayaks were rigged up and soon we were out on the water heading for the depths to find anything that would be willing to take a bait.

I decided on taking three rods with me. I like to keep one rod always rigged up with a set of smaller feathers. This allows me to drop them quickly if I come across a shoal of baitfish. I can also bait these up and fish on the bottom and pick up the smaller species. On the other two rods I vary the rigs depending on the ground I am fishing over. Today the rigs were two simple double hook traces for fishing over the rough. It is always my plan to get some fresh bait but at this time of year it can be a little difficult. Frozen baits like Mackeral are always a blank saver and I had some in freezer which I took with me on this day.

On the way out to the deeper water I failed to come across any baitfish so it was to be the frozen Mackeral for the day. I baited the small feathers and sent them down to the bottom which was approximately 120ft down. I had a few taps and I was into the first fish. I got the little fish up to the surface which showed itself as a lovely colored Cuckoo Wrasse. The colors on these fish are just amazing. I took a couple of photos and let the wrasse make his journey back down to the bottom.

It was clear from the beginning of the session that it was going to be tough. There were plenty of small fish which came in the form of Whiting, Poor Cod and the odd small Ling. I was not complaining as I am happy catching anything but I know this mark fishes very well at times. In amongst the small fish I had an all too familiar take on the baited feathers. I lifted into it and I immediately knew what was at the end of the line. No head shakes and almost a dead weight is what it can be described as. I knew I would have my hands full when it came to the surface. A few feet below the surface my suspicions were correct as I saw eight tenticles coming up to the side of the kayak – an Octopus. As it came up tot the side of the kayak he tried to get away by passing a jet of water out which sprayed me in the process.

I find these creatures fascinating, the way they can camouflage themselves and fit into the smallest areas. They do make a nuisance of themselves if they start grabbing onto the kayak. I handle them with care and release them after a photo. This was a nice surprise and made the day that bit more enjoyable.

The day passed quickly and the wind picked up a little which made the deeper water mark a little choppy. We decided to head back into the sheltered bay to pass the last hour or so trying our luck there. On the way in I had a few frozen Sandeel with me which I trolled slowly across the rough ground and structure. I hooked a few small pollock and decided to call it a day after that.

It was great to be out on the water again after such a long time of not being able to launch my kayak. The fishing was not as good as it can be but with the amount of fresh water that has fallen and the outgoing tide I had a feeling the day would be tough. Hopefully I can get out to some other marks over the next few weeks and try target some new species.

This report was originally published by Ireland Fishing Diaries. Check out their site.

 

 

 

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

West Cove Pier

There comes a time when I think to myself that it is time to try a new spot, just to see what is out there. It may be the case that it will turn out to be a complete waste of time or it could be the opposite and produce some good fishing. West Cove Pier is located in the South West of Kerry and is a nice easy laugh for the kayaks. We did fish here last year but that was only a short trip out. This time we could spend a little more time paddling around and checking what is on the bottom.

We arrived early enough with the tide dropping and a calm bay greeting us. We rigged up the kayaks taking with us some light gear and medium as it would be more of an exploring session that knowing what was out there. Rigs consisted of simple double hook ledger rigs which always get a few fish when not knowing what is about. Kayaks rigged up we hit the water.

The Irish Kayak Angling Species Hunt was on my fathers mind as we got on the water. He went just behind the pier and used a small size 12 hook and a split shot to tempt a small Rock Goby up. It is amazing the lengths we go to when wanting to get the species tally up. Not a great fight to say the least and with that we headed out the bay to get into some deeper water.

Once out of the sheltered bay the open sea was like a glass pane. Not a ripple on the surface and a reflection of the rising sun on its surface. The fishfinder was on and keeping a close watch on what was on the bottom or patrolling at various depths. I stopped in 60ft of water with a rough bottom and sent down my double hook trace which had two small mackeral baits on. The drift was not fast and pretty much at a crawling speed which was good too as it allowed me to consistently keep my bait bumping on the bottom. Then a double knock type bite which resulted in a small Ballan Wrasse. Down went the bait again only to produce another lovely coloured Ballan Wrasse. It was a sure sign that the area was going to hold a good number of these fish.

I decided to move off and try another area. This time a little deeper and around the 70ft mark with a rough patchy bottom. Again the double hook trace baited with Mackeral was sent down. A good number of bites happened which turned out to be Cuckoo Wrasse. It is amazing the color contrast between the males and the females. The males are vibrant blues, purples and various color pigments while the female is an almost constant orange and pink tinge with a spot on the tail area.

It was clear that fishing smaller baits was only going to produce wrasse. With that in mind I switched over to my SL20 reel on my light boat rod. I baited this single hook pulley rig with a head of a Mackeral. When using head baits I like to cut at an angle from the top of the head and across the body to keep some of the insides for added attraction. No need for cotton here. I hook the head bait through both lips and send it away down to the bottom. We were still drifting in and around 70ft of water. While waiting for the head bait to get some interest my lighter rod was still getting loads of action and next up was a Pouting.

The drift continued and the a breeze had come up. I deployed the drogue anchor to slow my drift down. The head bait then has a thump. I knew it was not a big fish but still something was interested. I thought it was a Conger Eel but striking into the fish it was clear it was not. I had the fish to the side of the kayak and it was a small codling. That was a pleasant surprise.

So with the morning turning into lunch time we decided to have one last drift. I came across a shady patch in between the rough area and had a small bite. During the morning I had a number of small Whiting and thought that this was one attacking my bait. Lucky I did not grab the fish when I lifted him out of the water as it was a small Weever Fish.

So with that concluding our days fishing at West Cove Pier we headed back in to the Pier were we launched from. I think it is great to get out and try new spots. It takes away the monotony of fishing the same areas and catching the same things. It brings back the excitement and the unknowing of what you can find. So that was it for another day out on the kayak. My days are numbered now on the Ocean Kayak as my Hobie will be arriving soon and I cannot wait.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Irish Kayak Fishing Open Co. Cork

Well, the day finally came when the Irish Kayak Fishing Open was to be held down in Broadstrand, Co. Cork. It was originally intended to be held in Courtmacsherry but a change of location was decided upon by the organisers. I have fished this area before and it has the potential to throw up a few different species and a couple of surprises should luck be on your side. The event was to be a species based competition with the most number caught taking the first place. There were fantastic prizes that were put up by the sponsors which was an added bonus to the days fishing. The sponsors included Progressive Distribution and Cox and Rawle. A big thank you must be said to these sponsors for supporting the event.

 

The format of the competition was straight forward and comprised of fishing from 11:00am to being back on shore at 16:00pm. No More than two rods were allowed to be used at any one time and the person with the most amount of species at the end of the allocated time would be the winner. Very clear and precise. The day started with a very informative talk and demonstration by the RNLI which involved all the necessary information regarding using flares. I must say that it was very beneficial to witness this demonstration as it provided an excellent insight into using them and the effects of not using them correctly. With the morning registration over and the general chat about fishing it was time to paddle out and get some fishing done.

Paddling out I watched the fishfinder screen for any signs of fresh Mackeral. In around 30ft of water I came across my first shoal and with a set of Shamrock Glow Worms which were given to me by Andrew of www.Andrewmcilhonekayakangling.blogspot.co.uk, I let them down to the depth where the shoal was showing. Straight away I was into some fresh bait and the first species for the competition.

I paddled out further out to the reef that sits just outside the bay to see what was around the rough ground and maybe pick up a few more species which turned out to be a good idea as the wind was picking up and there was only a short window to fish here. I sent down a double hook trace baited with some of the fresh Mackeral I had caught and was rewarded with a small Whiting and a Poor Cod. That bought the tally up to three and I was getting into a rhythm at this stage.

Knowing that there was definitely a Pollock or two around I switched over to a small metal jig in a green color which I would use to drop down to the bottom and work it up to get the Pollock to chase it and engulf it. This did not take long and within minutes I had a small Pollock on my lap ready for a photo.

The wind was picking up at this stage so I made a decision to head over to the sandy bottom to anchor up and try my luck at anything that was in the area. I had heard there were Thornback Ray here but never caught one so I put a bait out for them on a Single Hook Ledger Rig. On the second rod I continued using the Glow Worm Rig baited with small strip of Mackeral and was pleasantly surprised to catch a small Scad.

The weather was really turning at this stage but I decided to stick it out and wait to see what was next on the list. My rod with my Ray bait bent over as something picked it up. I lifted into it and felt the familiar tension on the line that resembled a Ray. After a good fight on the light Rovex Rod a decent Thornback Ray came to the surface. Species number six.

Delighted with the Thornback ray I put out another bait hoping for the Dogfish that seem to be in vast numbers whenever I do not want to catch them. Time was running out when I finally got one and I don’t think I have been so happy to see a Dogfish wrapping around my wrist. A quick photo and he was let go. It was great to see the fisheries guys out on the water keeping an eye on things and just gave that added bit of security. By this time I had to paddle in against a wind straight in face and see what else had been caught.

 

Back on shore we were greeted by a nice cold beverage and soon the species were being discussed. I was delighted to find out that I had come in first place with seven species followed by my father who took second place and Paul, who I met for the first time, came in third. Prize giving followed and once again a big thank you has to go out to the sponsors and the organizers for this event and I am sure with prizes like this on offer it can only be better next year.

Another win under the belt and a fantastic day out. What more can one ask for….

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

 

 

 

Fishing Report 07-02-2015

Plans had been made to go out after some Bullhuss. A couple of friends of mine were interested in hitting the mark I fish for them so I was more then happy to join them on the day out. It actually turned into two days but the second day I will post separately as it was a different location. Back to the Bullhuss.

James, Karl and myself met up at the local fishing store. Check out the links page for info on the shop. After a chat with Kevin Brain, the owner, and picking up some bait, we were then on the way to the mark to hopefully get into some Bullhuss. Another friend of mine, Pat, was due to meet us down at the mark.

I am a firm believer in having fresh bait. So this was my top priority. I find it gives me a better feeling of confidence. I anchored up in the channel. The downside to this day was that the tide was running out and was due to be low in the afternoon. This was not great as fishing was going to take place in water that was not moving. This is not the best conditions for this mark as the Bullhuss I have found will feed when the tide is running.

I used two rods with single ledger rigs on them for the Bullhuss and baited them up with some of the frozen Mackeral purchased in the morning. Both rigs used Cox and Rawle Chinu 2/0 hooks. I would often use a 4/0 hook instead but with the slack water conditions I opted for the smaller hook. I bought along a light spinning rod to catch some bait. On this rod I rigged up some small Sabiki Feathers which I baited with small strips.

It was very apparent that the tide was going to have to start pushing in before any real action on the rods was going to be had. The Bullhuss rods were being plagued by Dogfish during the slack water. Finally I got a whiting to use for bait. I rigged it up live and hoped for the best. It was not long before I had a take but it turned out to be the ever present Dogfish. One of those days.

I was getting more action on the baited feathers and I had a few tiny Grey Gurnard. I love these fish. They are so inquisitive when caught on the underwater camera. I find they almost seem to smile at you. Maybe the lack of Bullhuss was messing with my mind but never the less I fished on.

    

I headed into shallow water to see was anything lurking about there but nothing showed. The wind dropped completely at low tide and the sun was shining. What more could I ask for in February.

Finally the Tide started to push in. Pat had a number of Bullhuss as did James. I paddled back out to the channel and anchored up again. It was not long before I joined in the action with a small Bullhuss but I was glad to see the guys get their target species. On a side note, Pat got some Mackeral. I am still surprised to see them at this mark at this time of the year.

A great way to end the days fishing. Really good weather, good company and some fish. It was a pity about the tide phase but it goes in the notebook so plans can be made around the tides for this mark the next time.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

 

Fishing Report 19-01-2014

It seems that I cannot look out the window without wondering whether there are fish waiting to be caught or not. The weather forecast for this day was predicted to blow up in the afternoon so I got up early in the morning and looked out the window. Not a breathe of wind and to my surprise, some sunshine. Luckily the car was already loaded from ,my previous days fishing so all that was needed was to load some mackeral I had frozen. Driving down to the spot it looked good. I wanted to see were there any Bullhuss around and also to try out Cox and Rawle Uptide Extra Hooks that they sent out to me.

It was a short paddle out to the drop where the channel flowed through. I anchored and fished in around 40ft of water and using a single hook ledger trace which can be seen in the video below. The tide was flowing in and I sent out a mackeral head bait on my trusty centre pin reel on a spinning rod. I had another rod with me which was rigged with some sabiki feathers which I used to try get some fresh bait. The first fish to be caught was a mackeral. Strange, but I did not complain as I had some fresh bait now.

My trusty spinning rod and centre pin then had a knock and then the fish started taking line. I was a little impatient and struck into the fish. After a couple of seconds, nothing. The line went slack. Not like me but it is fishing. I checked the bait and it was then changed to the fresh mackeral head. While fishing with my second rod I managed a tiny whiting. It was when this fish was bought on the kayak that the head bait got picked up again. This time I left it a bit longer before setting the hook. I was delighted to feel the solid weight and knew it was a huss. After a brief fight I bought the fish onto the kayak. A nice bullhuss. It made the cold hands worth while.

 

After a quick few photos I put the bullhuss back to hopefully grow much bigger. By now it was time to up anchor and head in. The wind had come up quite a bit at this stage but nothing I did not feel uncomfortable with and my kayak dealt with the chop easily enough.

Until next time,

Tight lines.

 

Fishing Report 04-01-2015

So with the weather looking decent enough to get some fishing in on the Saturday, the first chance for 2015. Loading up all the gear the night before saw ourselves ready to hit the deepwater after some cod from the last day experiences. Well needless to say the forecast must have changed and conditions at our preferred spot were quite bumpy with the wind blowing directly in our face, we decided to head for another spot.

At the second spot it looked a bit more promising but with there now being a bit of a drizzle the second thoughts were coming into our heads on whether to go home and sit by the fire or chance it….

After a bit of a paddle and nothing happening in the form of flatfish we decided to fish over some rough ground in close to the cliffs. At this stage my father had caught some mackeral and whiting so he was off the mark for 2015. I had the pressure from him now to get a fish as well.

Drifting over the rough ground I was using a two hook trace with the weight at the bottom tied rotten bottom style. Bait consisted of frozen lug and the fresh caught mackeral. I went for the cocktail and waited both hooks with worm and a silver underside belly of the mackeral. We were fishing in around 60ft of water. It was not long till I felt the tap tap which was sure to be a wrasse. I set the hook and had a little battle with this wrasse. Couple of photos and he was sent back on his way. First fish for 2015.

So we decided one more fish. I rigged the same cocktail of baits and sent it to the bottom. Once again, tap tap, I lifted into another wrasse that wanted to head back to its hiding place. Great little fight from these guys. Wish I bought the LRF rod out. After a quick photo he too was sent on his way.

Until Next time.

Tight Lines

Fishing Report 11-11-2014

Bullhuss have always seemed to evade me whenever I tried to target them in the past. I came to the conclusion that I was fishing the complete wrong areas as everything else I was using including baits and rigs were perfect. Eventually I came across an area that my father and me fished from the shore and hit into some good bullhuss. The only thing to do was to get out on the kayak and catch some.

The area I fished was a tidal stretch that had a 40ft channel. I anchored in the channel on the out going tide. My plan was to use one of my spinning rods to catch some live bait. From past experience the dogfish love and cannot resist latching on to any dead bait so this was out of the question. To catch the live bait I just used a simple double hooked rig with small size 10 hooks baited with some frozen mackeral. The fish finder showed shoals of fish on the bottom as they passed by and it was not long before I had some fresh live Whiting. The Whiting where rigged on a single 4/0 hook ledgered on the bottom.

While the two live bait rods were out I continued to use the spinning rod to see what else could be swimming around below. Mackeral, Whiting and a Grey Gurnard showed themselves and of course the Dogfish made themselves known too.

           

The first Bullhuss to take was a really good fish. The take was a few knocks then the line started to be pulled off the reel. I hit into the fish and had a really good fight from the Bullhuss. I did not realise that these fish give such a good account of themselves which made it even more enjoyable. When the huss came to the surface I was delighted to see such a fine fish. I lifted him onto the kayak and of course he tried to bite me but I managed to control him.

The morning proved to be endless rod bending fun with a number of Bullhuss taking the live baits. The spot makes an excellent alternative to deep water if the weather plays up.

The last Bullhuss I caught before paddling back in was very surprising and a little sad if I am totally honest about it. When landing the last bullhuss it became clear that the poor fish had swam into a net which was cutting through its skin around its neck as it was growing. I am not sure what type of netting this was but it certainly did not look nice for any fish. I cut the net off the bullhuss and sent it back on its way.

On the way back in I tried my luck up against the wall near the launch spot for a scorpion fish. I used my double hook trace which I caught my bait with. Within ten minutes I had a rattling bite and lifted into a small fish. No monster but a species I was looking for. A nice looking Scorpion Fish. They are such interesting and aggressive little fish which makes them fun to catch. Needless to say I went home happy with a good day day out.

Until next time,

Tight lines.