Plenty of hungry bass around yesterday right up to the beginning of the closed season . We all took fish on lures but boy was it cold for the time of year !
Have a read of the Draft Bass Policy , excellent work by all involved. It would be great to see the proposals implemented.
Its a good time to target some of the huge wrasse we have around our coasts over the next month , I just hope it warms up a bit.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Fertilised eggs blown away....
Whats happened to our prevailing winds? I can't remember a year like it . The southwesterlies we are supposed to get upon our shorelines have been practically non-existent .
The constant off-shore northerlies and northeasterlies have hampered fishing all around the south coast. Match angling has become chronic with 3 or 4 tiddlers winning competitions and even less in some cases!
Bass angling has been patchy and a little uncomfortable in the biting wind, I long for some warmth to lift the spirits.
We'll get over the below-par fishing as soon as the weather improves, its the poor conditions for stock recruitment that I find most disappointing.
If we keep getting this wind direction at this time of year , we could find it having a negative impact on various species including bass.
A lot of the bass in the Cork area seem to have spawned already this season. Instead of warm southwesterlies gently blowing the fertilised eggs towards the shore and into harbours , lagoons and estuaries, where good nursery conditions for the growth of basslings are found , we have a situation where practically the whole of the spring has seen blustery offshore winds driving everything out to sea.
What the survival chances of a bass egg floating miles off the Mizen Head are, I don't know ? My guess is none or very little. Especially given the distance offshore that they might be bobbing about in these 50 kilometres an hour winds.
I'm no scientist but I don't think 2012 is going to be remembered as a successful breeding year .
Lets hope this doesn't become a regular pattern , looking at Windguru and other sites is almost becoming painful.
My prediction in the last post came true as Derek Kenrick a member of WCAD made the Irish International team that will be competing in Holland later this year.
He was a member of the 2010 team that won gold so will be a valuable member of this group.
This years team looks strong and will be more than capable of having a say in the event , good luck to all those involved .
The constant off-shore northerlies and northeasterlies have hampered fishing all around the south coast. Match angling has become chronic with 3 or 4 tiddlers winning competitions and even less in some cases!
Bass angling has been patchy and a little uncomfortable in the biting wind, I long for some warmth to lift the spirits.
We'll get over the below-par fishing as soon as the weather improves, its the poor conditions for stock recruitment that I find most disappointing.
If we keep getting this wind direction at this time of year , we could find it having a negative impact on various species including bass.
A lot of the bass in the Cork area seem to have spawned already this season. Instead of warm southwesterlies gently blowing the fertilised eggs towards the shore and into harbours , lagoons and estuaries, where good nursery conditions for the growth of basslings are found , we have a situation where practically the whole of the spring has seen blustery offshore winds driving everything out to sea.
What the survival chances of a bass egg floating miles off the Mizen Head are, I don't know ? My guess is none or very little. Especially given the distance offshore that they might be bobbing about in these 50 kilometres an hour winds.
I'm no scientist but I don't think 2012 is going to be remembered as a successful breeding year .
Lets hope this doesn't become a regular pattern , looking at Windguru and other sites is almost becoming painful.
My prediction in the last post came true as Derek Kenrick a member of WCAD made the Irish International team that will be competing in Holland later this year.
He was a member of the 2010 team that won gold so will be a valuable member of this group.
This years team looks strong and will be more than capable of having a say in the event , good luck to all those involved .
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
World Championships Holland 2012 , will you be there?
Aswell as the RNLI voluntary work, the blog, the guiding and a whole host of other jobs and duties , I've also become secretary of West Cork and District SAC this year.
As anyone who has done the secretarial role in an angling club will know the start of the season is a fair amount of work collecting memberships, registering members for IFSA Insurance, entering members in regional qualifiers, writing letters , sending emails,and plenty more, I've even been helping design club clothing this year along with my family. Its definately a commitment that can cut into your fishing time , ironic really!
WCAD isn't a club that is relaxed in its approach to competitions either.With some of the best match anglers in the World (and Gold medals to back that up) , Irish internationals and team captain, Munster champions numerous times over to name but a few accolades, its just not your average club.
Getting a lucky match win is not going to happen, you will have to work your socks off to have any chance of being competitive . Personally I've started well this year in the club but I don't expect to make the top three by the end of the season, infact I would be delighted with 4th !
Many decent anglers including internationals have left to join "easier" clubs because they just can't compete with the quality they're up against over a season. They can find easier routes to the Master Angler elsewhere and I don't blame them one bit.
The system in Ireland is run that the top 10% in each club will get to go on and compete in the next round of qualifiers for the national team the following year , this is called the Master Angler and is held in a different province each year . The top 6 out of over 120+ anglers over the three competitions in the Master Angler get to go on to the "fish-offs".
There they will make up a panel of the best 40 anglers in the country who have mostly qualified by other avenues, for example the previous years' team will be there.
If you come in the first few (top 5 I think?) in that series of comps you will not only be a well earned International Team Member but in my mind will practically have supernatural powers or have sold your soul to the devil! :-)
It takes dedication and consistency over the club season just to earn those master angler positions in WCAD let alone go on through the different rounds to make the Irish team .
WCAD will have 3 places for the master angler this season and none of them will be easily won, but on the flip side those anglers who do get through will be well prepared by the process.
I'm gonna stick my neck out here and predict that WCAD will have at least one member at the World Championships in Holland this October, infact I won't be a bit surprised if we have more than one! Now that would be some going for a small local club !
I guess you're wondering "what has all this got to do with bass fishing ?" Well I'm told bass is going to be one of the main target species at the World Championships and this should give Ireland , Wales and England an advantage as our team members should be as good at catching them as anyone and in all conditions?
They probably won't be favourites though , the amount of times I've read that the French are the best/most advanced bass anglers in Europe ? and also the fact that they are defending champions should put them in that position .
Either way I do hope bass feature strongly in the catches and we will all have an interest in this years competition .
Well, except for anglers who may look down their noses at bait fishermen ........
If your not one of them it might be worth considering joining a local angling club, aswell as getting you through tough and sometimes bass-less winters, it will definately improve your range of skills and ...... who knows where it might take you ? !
As anyone who has done the secretarial role in an angling club will know the start of the season is a fair amount of work collecting memberships, registering members for IFSA Insurance, entering members in regional qualifiers, writing letters , sending emails,and plenty more, I've even been helping design club clothing this year along with my family. Its definately a commitment that can cut into your fishing time , ironic really!
WCAD isn't a club that is relaxed in its approach to competitions either.With some of the best match anglers in the World (and Gold medals to back that up) , Irish internationals and team captain, Munster champions numerous times over to name but a few accolades, its just not your average club.
Getting a lucky match win is not going to happen, you will have to work your socks off to have any chance of being competitive . Personally I've started well this year in the club but I don't expect to make the top three by the end of the season, infact I would be delighted with 4th !
Many decent anglers including internationals have left to join "easier" clubs because they just can't compete with the quality they're up against over a season. They can find easier routes to the Master Angler elsewhere and I don't blame them one bit.
The system in Ireland is run that the top 10% in each club will get to go on and compete in the next round of qualifiers for the national team the following year , this is called the Master Angler and is held in a different province each year . The top 6 out of over 120+ anglers over the three competitions in the Master Angler get to go on to the "fish-offs".
There they will make up a panel of the best 40 anglers in the country who have mostly qualified by other avenues, for example the previous years' team will be there.
If you come in the first few (top 5 I think?) in that series of comps you will not only be a well earned International Team Member but in my mind will practically have supernatural powers or have sold your soul to the devil! :-)
It takes dedication and consistency over the club season just to earn those master angler positions in WCAD let alone go on through the different rounds to make the Irish team .
WCAD will have 3 places for the master angler this season and none of them will be easily won, but on the flip side those anglers who do get through will be well prepared by the process.
I'm gonna stick my neck out here and predict that WCAD will have at least one member at the World Championships in Holland this October, infact I won't be a bit surprised if we have more than one! Now that would be some going for a small local club !
I guess you're wondering "what has all this got to do with bass fishing ?" Well I'm told bass is going to be one of the main target species at the World Championships and this should give Ireland , Wales and England an advantage as our team members should be as good at catching them as anyone and in all conditions?
They probably won't be favourites though , the amount of times I've read that the French are the best/most advanced bass anglers in Europe ? and also the fact that they are defending champions should put them in that position .
Either way I do hope bass feature strongly in the catches and we will all have an interest in this years competition .
Well, except for anglers who may look down their noses at bait fishermen ........
If your not one of them it might be worth considering joining a local angling club, aswell as getting you through tough and sometimes bass-less winters, it will definately improve your range of skills and ...... who knows where it might take you ? !
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Bass en masse
Loads of sub 4lb bass around the West Cork (and probably East too?) coast at the moment . Easterly winds , neap tides and bass all over the place.
Its been so mild (hot !) for this time of year and the fish have responded . Its going home once you've caught 10 kind of fishing , a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, too easy, but blows the cobwebs off nicely.
Normally the bigger fish wouldn't start showing till the second half of April at the earliest , I'll be keeping an eye on that situation this year. 2012 has really started well lets hope it continues , Happy Bassing.
Its been so mild (hot !) for this time of year and the fish have responded . Its going home once you've caught 10 kind of fishing , a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, too easy, but blows the cobwebs off nicely.
Normally the bigger fish wouldn't start showing till the second half of April at the earliest , I'll be keeping an eye on that situation this year. 2012 has really started well lets hope it continues , Happy Bassing.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Quick Report.
Julian fished a local rock mark tonight as the weather had been warm and sea conditions perfect.
He dug ten lug and a clam as he'd planned to do a bit of lure fishing then switch to bait as darkness came on. February can be hit and miss on the lures with bait more reliable into the surf.
Making a few casts with his shallowfeed ,now re-armed with single hooks, he thought he could feel fish swiping/hitting at the lure but wasn't positive as he was out of practice.
Sure enough the rod buckled over and let him know his hunch was correct as he landed a 4lb bass in great condition.
After a few more casts he clipped on a komomo and caught and released 5 more fish including one of 5lb to round off a great hours winter lure fishing . All 6 of them were nice and fat and he was delighted as we finished our phone call , his bait now cast out , would there be more to come?
I'd better get my act together and have a look with the lure rod myself this weekend.
He dug ten lug and a clam as he'd planned to do a bit of lure fishing then switch to bait as darkness came on. February can be hit and miss on the lures with bait more reliable into the surf.
Making a few casts with his shallowfeed ,now re-armed with single hooks, he thought he could feel fish swiping/hitting at the lure but wasn't positive as he was out of practice.
Sure enough the rod buckled over and let him know his hunch was correct as he landed a 4lb bass in great condition.
After a few more casts he clipped on a komomo and caught and released 5 more fish including one of 5lb to round off a great hours winter lure fishing . All 6 of them were nice and fat and he was delighted as we finished our phone call , his bait now cast out , would there be more to come?
I'd better get my act together and have a look with the lure rod myself this weekend.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Irish sport fishing dot com.
I'm enjoying this site , it's informative and has good variety and pictures.
http://irishsportfishing.com/2011/08/
http://irishsportfishing.com/2011/08/
Fish Grip Science
I've said before I'm not a huge fan of the trend for using fish grips and this evaluation of the injury and short term survival rates of fish only re-enforces my opinion.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783608001781
If you have a habit of getting hooks stuck in your hand maybe you could consider crushing the barbs , also swapping the trebles for singles and rubberised landing nets can help in this regard.
Its been debated many times and is currently on topic again on WSF , it will probably always be a contentious issue I suppose?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783608001781
If you have a habit of getting hooks stuck in your hand maybe you could consider crushing the barbs , also swapping the trebles for singles and rubberised landing nets can help in this regard.
Its been debated many times and is currently on topic again on WSF , it will probably always be a contentious issue I suppose?
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