Deep water mark, Co. Limerick, 17-April-2011

People: Me

Duration: 10:45 am until 3.20 pm

Tide: 11:49 (0.10m) 18:10 (5.30m)

Weather: Eastery breeze with sun and cloud

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Pulleys 2/0-3/0. 2 hooks golds 1/0

Results: 2 small ray 3lb and 2lb

Report: Another spring low water and I couldn't resist hitting this mark again after such good returns but it was a quiter session this time with the crabs stripping my large baits in minutes and only two small ray caught. This was a much bigger tide of over 5 meter differential which had the tide running shortly before and after low water.
 
As the tide flooded hard it brought the bladder weed in. I had a nice boucing tip of a ray bite and after a bit of pressure I had a 3lb ray up on the bank just before 1pm. I decided not to take a picture in the hope of something biggers so I only have a picture of the 2lb ray that came in to sand eel squid directly a few minutes later to the same rod
 

The weed kept coming in in larger quantities resulting in two lost rigs. The last 20 minutes I had a running ledger with mackerel head and guts for a conger as the conger patrol the channels at this stage of the tide but it was ripped apart by crabs and if the crabs are out the conger aren't

Rock mark, North Kerry, 10-Apr-2011

People: Me

Duration: 5.30 pm until 9.20 pm

Tide: 16:33 (1.70m) 23:01 (4.10m)

Weather: Cloud with clear patches, warm westerly causing a slight wave

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Pulleys 2/0 to 4/0. Cascade sizes 2s and there hook golds size 2s bottom hook 1/0.

Results: blank

Report: I’ve been a good streak for march/april but I had my first blank of the year. I don’t fish this mark a lot but I have always saw this place as a banker even early season. I decided to have one rod close in with pulleys with mack/squid and one rod with clip down paternoster to see what was further out past the rocks here with sand eel that had been in the freezer to long. I fished the a peg that I call the tooth due to the shape of the rock jutting up and there was also another angler fishing the first drop to the platform casting directly out to clean patch. This spot has produced ray in from here but I normally go for the rough stuff looking for huss.



My first cast was lobbed very close in and I was baiting for the spare traces when I got a jagged bite of a huss or dog that locked solid. Once I got up high and applied sustained pressure at an angle the rig was returned sans bait and fish. This had me keeping my close rod very close in. As good sized straps and huss can be pulled very close in I was using large baits for this on 4/0 penels. Mid way through after casting a bait just under the platform to my right I had a slow rachet pull that on striking went heavy then free. This time I had the large 4/0 penel bait minus the fish. It was clear from the bait that it had been in the fish’s mouth when I pulled but it had avoided hooks



The second far out rod was changed from 18lb line 525mag to a 30lb slosh as nothing was happening further out and I wasn’t searching my usual productive 30-70 yards zone here. The very close in rod gave another twitch the end of the night and again a fish had the bait in mouth but avoided the hooks.



With better baiting I may of got the fish but saying that the points were not masked. The bait slipped to easily to slip down with the top hook when the fish pulled and avoided the hooks. I have to remember to twist the line around the top hook of the penel even if though I use penel tubing. I was also my enormous baits (even for me). These have produced some really big fish here but may have lost me fish tonight. I think my good streak left me over confident forgetting it is only April.

Co. Limerick, Deep water mark, 3-April-2011

People: Me


Duration: 11.40 am until 3 pm


Tide: 12:35 (0.70m) 18:51 (4.80m)


Weather: Sunny, Moderate NW causing wave

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Mainly pulleys 2/0 to 3/0. Less used 2 snood golds penel bottom snodd and penel clip down
Results: 5 ray in order 5lb, 6lb, 4lb, 2lb, 7.5lb

Report: Had the first 5lb ray (directly below) on my first cast on a pulley followed by the next two ray before low water leaving in a teasy try to get a baited rid out which might of lost me the chance of an extra fish. The second ray was on the golds the top hook by passing the larger penel below the lead. It’s something on deep a lot of deep water marks here and else where in the estuary where the ray often go for a hook above the lead over the the bait below the lead against conventional thinking.

Had the wee 2lb ray at distance as the tide flooded again and was the only ray taken at distance with the rest coming from the near channel. This was followed by the larger ray later on that gave a good account of it’s self here below. 

All fish were taken on sand eel and squid wrap.