Few Short Outings Rolled Into One.

Well as the title suggests iv been under pressure this last month or so with work, homers and in the process arranging the starting of a new job next month. So fishing has been my only escape to get my head leveled out this last while, the problem is that i have been out a few times but have not got around to keeping up to date online with my adventures. As I have quite a few catch reports to write I am going to roll them into one short report!!!


Quick run out!!!!
A month or so ago I took a quick run out to see if there was anything new turning up on my local reef, I set up and paddled out, I only had a short window on the water as I had work to do. It was quite a good day with plenty of fish about but as expected all the usual species where showing up. I moved close in to the rocks for half an hour before heading in and had a surprise long spine scorpion................one new species so the outing was worth the effort!!!!!!

Short Spine Scorpion.....


Grey Gurnard

Love the wrasse every one is different!!!!!


Next was the Donegal meet, or epic failure!!!!!

Well I must say I was really looking forward to heading north and meeting all the lads for a bit of crack and off course to do a bit of fishing.
I left early Saturday morning and arrived at the meet for around 10am we had plenty of time setting up or yaks and headed out.
I was dying with (The man flu) the whole week and was thinking about giving the trip a miss but come Friday night I felt a lot better so on I went, or so I thought!!!!!
Out into the bay I was straight into some Pollock, I gave the Wrasse a shot before heading on out towards deeper water where I came across some Mackerel and plenty of Scad, a new species and a first for me..... Happy with this I pushed on out to where the others where fishing, only to be greeted with a huge swell. With in minutes my guts started messing about, anchor down anyways and big rods deployed..............................While I was waiting I decided to target smaller species like gurnard and ling with the micky fish rig..................first drop there was a mental take then nothing.................I brought the rig back up to check the bait only to find the wire boom was bit clean in two!!!! God only nos what that was and I am glad I never hooked it lol.
A short time later I started ground baiting,,,,,,,,,Only it was coming out of my mouth, anchor up paddled back in, got in to van and woke up around 3 hours later. The next day was a wash out so we all packed up and headed home. At least I had another new species and no blank I suppose.





Pollock

Jackson Kraken loaded and ready to fish.

Pollock and Scad.


It was a great meet, and as usual it was nice to see every one again. Also a big well done to John for catching a Skate and taking the comp, very well deserved......



Monster hunting on Strangford Lough

This is something I have talked about for quite a while, Strangford lough use to hold the Irish record for Skate back in the day, it also has a good run of large Tope, but with commercial fishing completely wiping the Lough out back in the 70s and early 80s before it became a protected zone I suspect that there has to be a improvement in fishing with the fish moving back here. Not many anglers fish it so its hard to get an idea of whats there. I suppose theirs only one way to find out!!!!!
Mike, Brian Tony and Myself headed out to a deep trench mapped with a muddy bottom over 220 feet deep, its a very short paddle from the shore maybe a quarter of a mile and it was a cracking day so things looked good to start off with. Anchors down, big baits down and the waiting game began.



Not a breath of wind.....
With in 30 minutes the tide started running, and believe me I mean running. We decided to retreat but what went down would not come back up, anchors, big bait rigs, even the feathers as soon as it all touched the bottom it got snagged. With a bit of messing about we recovered most of the gear and headed for the shallows out of the main river. Fishing was very slow for species but the amount of Mackerel was mental so we all got stocked up on bait, there was also load of tiny Codling about with the odd Pollock, Whiting and Grey Gurnard. The location is a decent spot for sea trout so I trawled up and down the shore for an hour only to get dosed with Mackerel.


Its not to often you get weather like this in Ireland.

Tony and Mike discussing tactics!!!!!!

I must say, they could not have oicked a worse day for a race

Whiting.
It was a cracking day afloat and I cant wait to return in search of local Monsters 


Chasing more Species

I eventually got ahead of work and booked the weekend off, and what a day for it. The weather was unreal for the most of the day before turning lumpy and my arms where hanging out of my paddling miles and catching fish!!!!!
Again I set of from my local harbor around 10am on Saturday and aimed straight for the Reef, after an hour or so of catching the usual stuff I decided to try a new one I would normally fish of the boat.................only problem was it was a few mile down the coast, but sick of catching the same stuff all the time away I went. I tried a few spots on the way picking up Pollock, Wrasse and Cod but nothing of any size. Once on the reef my first drop in around 90 feet of water produced a decent Cod, then another and another and so on. My arms where wrecked so I moved on to the outside of the Reef on top of a Wreck. Everything started popping up here including a few new species. As the tide turned the fishing went off as expected and I called it a day and was home for dinner.


Female Cuckoo Wrasse.

Male Cuckoo Wrasse..

Haddock...

Mountains of Mourne peeking over Ardglass golf course..

Nice spot for a lunch break.

Pouting..

Pollock...

Octopus.. 

Cod..


It was one of my best days fishing this year with 10 species clocked up and a few more new ones, I will be back on the wreck soon to see if it holds anything bigger as all I brought out with me was Shamrock Tackles  Glow worms and Euro champs my two favorite rigs. 

Over the past few outings I have really put the Jackson Kayak Kraken through its paces, from covering long distances to fishing in really rough weather as well as very tidal locations. The Ram mount rod holders are also extremely well positioned and make fishing a lot easier plus they double up at the same time as arm rests. I can honestly say I can not find a fault with the kayak and I personally think its going to be a very hard fishing platform to beat!!!!!!!