A weeks worth of lure fishing .....

Forecast was looking good, tides decent and a week of lure fishing - could I be any happier?

I packed up all my soft plastics, got the rods in the tubes and took the time to tie the leaders. I was hoping for a week of rod bending action and it lived up to expectations!

As we have no Bass, I had to target other species for some sport....... so here is what happened!

Wrasse

This has been a long awaited moment! I have been trying to target wrasse on soft plastics for quite some time now .... some of you I bet are sick of me asking questions and annoying them with 'what lure? tide? blah blah blah' - Finally I got some decent weather and a week to go and try for some of these sea pigs. 

Arrived at the mark. Bright blue sky and flat calm. The water was crystal clear - perhaps the conditions were too good? I started to work the kelp beds and rocky ledges at my feet.

It was not long before I had a few knocks and touches but no hook ups - yet!

I slowly twitched the lure up through the kelp and about 3 feet from the surface the wrasse darted out and smashed the lure! I could hardly believe it. After my brain recovered from shock I began to fight it from diving back into the kelp. The net was deployed at the fish safely landed for a few snaps before going back.

Thrilled doesn't even come close .... been waiting a long time for it and finally I have caught what is, I hope, the first of many.

Pollack

After getting my first pollack on soft plastics two weeks before the trip I had a renewed confidence in my fishing. Got out to the mark and the water was stirring and boiling and a nice cross current. I know there are big fish on this mark - a few years ago we hit a series of fish over 5lb so suspense and anticipation was in the air.

Dad was first to hit into one hard at his feet on a 4.5inch Sluggo

Then I hit a few one the smaller lures I was using for wrasse

It really surprises me how these little pollack scrap - I know they are good fighters but some of them feel like they have had a steroid injection! 

As always it is nice to watch them recover in a big pool before releasing them safely back into the water. 

Both of us had been followed up by pollack exceeding 7lb weight ... huge fish but no take. It was strange but they will be there fore next time - fingers crossed!

Sea Trout

As you may be aware from my previous posts we have been doing rather well this season at sea trout. This week was a level up again from previous months. The estuary had been hit with the 'Red Tide' a few weeks before and worries were that the bait fish and sandeels had all died or moved on. This was not the case!

The first morning down, we ventured out onto the sand and within half an hour the water was boiling with sprats, fry and sandeels - it was literally alive with feeding.

The mackerel was the primary predator hitting these shoals but if you could get down 'through' them, the trout were hoovering up also.

Small metals were the only lures working - despite my experiments in the past taking trout on all manner of shapes and sizes. This time they were preoccupied by one food source and only the closest imitation would do the job. Small herring, krill and sprat like bars.

The water was crystal clear and yet the trout followed the lures into our feet. They were so occupied on food that we seemed not to bother them.

The action shot!

As usual the average was somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound. However I hooked and landed fish over the 1 lb and lost fish well over 2 lb - this just happens. I use barb-less singles so you win some, you loose some.

To give you and idea on the feeding and size of the trout that were lurking, check out this wounded bait fish that I found in the shallows.

It was lovely to watch them dart around and swim back to the channel after releasing.

Mackerel

Every few years we are lucky enough to get the mackerel coming into our estuary to feed on bait fish. Obviously we get them along the coast every summer but it is a treat when they come into the estuary to feed. The water boils and the fun on the fly and light lure gear is incredible. 

Again barb-less singles were used so I could release all of them safely without touching the fish itself. 

I decided to get experimental with the mackerel. I waited until I saw the boiling bait fish, flicked out a mini mag popper and began to twitch it across the top. 

Twitch, pop, splash - the rod tip rattled and I hooked a mackerel. Was fantastic to hit them on little surface lures. Most fun I have had for a long time from a mackerel of any size.

Other than that, little lures and casting jigs produced good results. Up to 30 mackerel each per session. By the end of the week we had well over 300 on the lure rods. All of them bar a couple went back in untouched and unharmed. 

At one point I waded into the water about thigh depth. The water was clear for a moment and then it went black. Dad was about 20 yards away and shouted over. I looked down to find I was in the middle of a bait ball. Sprats, fry the whole lot shoaled around my feet in a thick mass of shimmering silver. 

Tap, tap, tap, tap ..... It was like pins and needles. I could feel them getting agitated and then like jet fighters the mackerel came darting into the shoal. They came in so hard they couldn't turn to avoid me and I stood there getting hit by feeding mackerel. I couldn't believe what was happening at my feet. I lifted my lure out of the water and watched in amazement as the feeding frenzy continued at my feet - then as quickly as it started the shoal broke up and vanished. 

My dad stood in shock and I was baffled at what I had just witnessed. I may never be in the middle of another one but it is certainly a moment which I will never forget!

Smallest fish of the week

This little hungry boy grabbed the lure whilst jigged back in close to shore - the lure is only 40mm long!

A special mention / thanks to Monster Tackle

After having to return an item the other week I received the best customer service I have ever experienced. Prompt, polite and staggering how quickly the issue was resolved. Usually I do not promote or discuss the shops or businesses I use however I felt this required special attention. 

Sadly it all had to end sometime!

Like all fishing trips, it had to end sometime! 

On reflection I think it was undoubtedly the best week's fishing I have had in a long time - there were no monsters landed and despite hammering large numbers it was the style and experience of new techniques and just enjoying myself. No pressure and plenty of time to explore and experiment. 

Packing the gear this week for another trip to Wexford / Copper Coast at weekend .... Excited doesn't even come close. Weather looking a bit dodgy but I'm going with two sound lads (Jonny and Kenny) and I know it will be a great time.

Stay tuned.