Absolute Fishing

Thinking about your fishing.....

2012-02-20T20:19:00.004Z

A question we get asked a lot in the shop is "when is the best time to catch bass on lures".... I wish there was a simple answer!!!

However there are a few things I think are important when it comes to increasing your chances.

When I started lure fishing I blanked as good anyone (and still do) however I would like to think not as much anymore, and for me it all comes down to thinking about your fishing.

The word "watercraft" gets thrown around a lot in fishing and all it really is at the end of the day is thinking logically about Where When and How!

Rock Marks

For me favourable weather conditions are the first thing I look for. When it comes to weather patterns what I like to see is High pressure with either a Southerly or South Westerly wind direction these are the prevailing winds for Ireland and generally bring damp mild weather, anything from a force 2 upwards will create a "fizz" or life on water and that is what you want, this fizz as we like to call it increases oxygen levels in the water, and probably encourages the bass to actively forage along the rocky shore.

Tides are for me the next most important (blog post to follow) but generally if you want to increase your chances aim for spring tides 3 days either side of new and full moons will produce the best fishing. On our stretch of coast 3.9 to 4.2 produce the best results for us (the smaller set of springs during the month).

Clarity, this is a much talked about topic when it comes to lure fishing, and it can be one people can get over bothered with if you know what I mean. Crystal clear water and very murky water certainly make it harder but definitely not impossible. What I love to see when I arrive at a rock mark is a small tinge in the water not quite crystal clear but certainly not overly coloured either. The Copper Coast as it is so shallow can get coloured very easily but by simply adapting (thinking about your fishing) you will increase your chances no end (vibrating lures, soft plastics etc.).

Marks, if you email us we will send you a link to all our marks highlighted on google maps....yea right. This for me is what it is all about. Getting out and discovering the coastline making a decision based on what you are looking at, at your chosen mark. Anywhere where there is shallow rough ground along the copper coast you are likely to pick up bass and when we say this to people they don't believe us, but we are not lying.

What you are looking for is structure and tide movement. How many of us look at a rock and think there has to be a fish sitting around that, look for clues as to where the fish might be. What a predator wants is cover and ambush points so in your mind try to figure out where these points might be at the mark you are fishing. To increase your chances even more visit your mark at low water, look for gullies, holes, weed cover, bolders anything you think a fish might use as potential cover because 9 times out of 10 they will when the tide pushes in...

These are just a few simple rules I follow when I am fishing off rocks.

Thinking about your where you are (fishing some bassy looking ground) when your best chance will be (i.e over high water or filling tide when all those ambush points are covered or getting covered) and how (what lure will get down to where the fish might be and what best represents what they might be feeding on) will make a big difference. Don't just go out there and flog lifeless water.

However the bass will always find a way to through what you think you know right back in your face when everything seems just right.... and I guess that is the joys of it.

Some things I look for when estuary fishing or fishing moving water will be in the next blog post....

Tight lines,

James.

Zonk Gataride....

2012-02-14T11:10:00.001Z

The Zonk Gataride is one of those lures that everyone seems to ask about when they come into the shop, it certainly is a much talked about lure (and rightly so). The Gataride is by far my number one bass lure and 9 times out of ten the first lure I pick out of my box when I arrive at a mark.

With regard the divide over the Gataride, we all know it has a fragile bib and smash it into structure and you can kiss you Gataride goodbye. It simply wasn't designed to be fished over the rough ground we fish it, but that sure as hell isn't going to stop me using it because it works so well and simply catches me a lot of fish.

To be honest I learnt the hard way how to fish these lures on my marks, but get to know your area and you won't break or snag your precious Gataride.

I generally retrieve my Gataride quite slow (when fishing shallow ground) with the rod tip in the air, this way if you feel the lure bump into a rock you simply stop retrieving and the lure floats up and away from the rock out of harm's way and you can start retrieving again. If you crank the Gataride over shallow ground you will be looking for trouble. Even with a slow retrieve the Gataride still picks out the fish, a quick crank and pause letting it float back to the surface is lethal with this lure.

The much talked about hinged lip is what gives the Gataride its superb action which the bass just can't seem to ignore. It is also a definite to have in the box if you are fishing in rough conditions as this very stable lure will bite down perfectly to where the fish are feeding.

There are two types of lips on the Zonk Gataride Yoro-Yoro and Hi-Pitch.

The Yoro Yoro is designed to run slightly shallower than the Hi-Pitch. So if you are fishing shallow ground I would recommend starting with the Yoro Yoro as you will not get snagged up as easily. They both catch, but in my opinion the Hi-Pitch just seems to have a little extra erratic action than the Yoro Yoro does not. And that is why the majority of the Gatarides in my box are Hi-Pitch.

The Gataride also accounted for a lot of fish in the dead of night for me last season, the great thing with the Gataride is that it will work well even on a very slow retrieve (what you need at night).

Tight lines,

James.

Fly Fishing....

2012-01-31T16:36:00.003Z

We have had some inquiries into the possibility of opening a fly fishing section for the Irish Bass Festival this summer. We have no problem in opening a fly fishing section as long as there is enough interest. If you would like to fly fish during the festival please inform us and if we get enough numbers we will be happy to open a fly fishing section.

Granted conditions are the key for fly fishing so if on the Friday of the festival we think that it will not be suitable for fly fishing you will have the option of entering the lure section...simple. However you cannot fish lures and fly you must decide on the opening day what it will be for you for the weekend.

The fly section for the festival all depends on whether we get the interest, so please let us know so we can try to arrange it and publish it onto the website asap.

_________________________________________________________________

The pictures below are of Nick Hart who last season out fished us lure guys spectacularly during an afternoon session. It was one of those days, the sun high in the sky and the sea was calm and clear. The bass simply refused to look at all manner of hard and soft lures we chucked at them.

Nick fished in between us and was using one of his very subtle sandeel patterns. He proceeded to land some fine bass while us lure guys blanked.

If conditions are right the fly is certainly a very effective method of catching bass and has to be up there as one of the best ways to catch bass through the sheer exhilaration of the fight.

So let us know if you would like to see a fly section in the Festival this summer.

Tight lines,

James.

Festival Website....

2012-01-25T10:05:00.001Z

The Irish Bass Festival Website is now live and hopefully you will find all the information you need on the following site.

www.IrishBassFestival.com

If you have any questions please contact us.

Tight lines.

Irish Bass Festival...

2012-01-20T16:26:00.003Z

On the 20th-22nd of July this year the Irish Bass Festival will take place along the South East coast of Ireland. Anglers are free to roam around and fish wherever they please in search of bass. This is the first of its kind event running over 3 days with some great prizes up for grabs.

We will be running a fully "catch and release" concept and all the rules you need to know and how you can enter will be on the official festival page when it goes live early next week.

There will be some great package deals available for visiting anglers which include ferry and accommodation deals. And Irish anglers will also be able to avail of the great accommodation deals available.

This will be a lure fishing event. All anglers will be welcome, whether you are a beginner or hardened lure angler. There will be people on hand to help and give tips and advice on any questions you may have.

So hold tight all the information will be on the official website which will be launched next week.

Tight lines

Doubles up...

2012-01-16T10:31:00.001Z

Well done to Ger Griffin who landed (and released) this specimen bass yesterday on lures. Ger was letting his jig flutter through a current when he hooked this fish. Coming in at 10.5lb on the boga it is Ger's personal best. A bait angler all his life, he took to lure fishing in a big way last season, its always nice to see the hard work paying off with a nice fish.

Well done again Ger on a cracking fish.

This fish swam off strongly, so she is still out there which is always nice to know... I cant say it enough how important it is to release these mature fish as they are the most valuable to the species due to the large number of eggs they can produce at spawning time.

Tight lines,

James.

Great week....

2012-01-14T15:21:00.004Z

It has been a cracking week on the bass with a few sea trout making an appearance along the way. Since Sunday and this is no exaggeration between 5 guys fishing days when they could 87 bass have been landed. Granted they were all schoolies it is great sport for January.

The area where we have been fishing is full of herring sprat at the moment as you can see below a sea trout coughed up this herring sprat just after it was landed.....

Using metals and trotting them through a current the bass where hitting hard as we jigged them through...

Double hook ups were the norm and it was constant action from the off.

On Friday I brought a friend of mine lure fishing for the very first time, he landed four fin perfect bass and now has the lure bug bad. It is always great to see the face of a dyed in wool bait angler when he hooks a bass on lure gear....something tells me his bait gear might be gathering a bit of dust in the future.

Conor with his first lure caught bass.

One that got away....

When fishing this area there are some nice sea trout in between the bass. Here is Pat with a nice sea tout coughing up a herrirng sprat. And only a few minutes a go Barry Howlin from Wexford just arrived into the shop with a picture of a 8lb sea trout which he caught on a Gt shad .... fish of a lifetime. Well done again Barry a super fish.

Eric with a nice schoolie caught on his beloved jackson athlete

All in all it was great week and long may it last. I will do a blog post during the week on tactics and lures which worked well for us.

Just a reminder shop will be closed on Sundays for the next few months.

Tight lines,

James.

January Silver...

2012-01-09T11:01:00.003Z

It is always nice to get a phone call from guys that come into the shop telling you how they smashed some bass, however not so nice when you were suppose to join them for the morning.....

Mark and Tony Phelan have taken to lure fishing in a big way and their hard work was rewarded during 2011 as they got out there and found some hidden away marks along the copper coast and smashed some very tidy fish on hard lures.

As the water temperature dropped the guys concentrated on fishing xlayers in moving water and had some good sessions up until Christmas. With the mild settled spell and some good tides the guys fished a tidal lagoon yesterday and concentrated on bouncing xlayers into a channel that was filling with the rising tide.

I wont lie it was hard getting the phonecall and hearing that their xlayers were in the water a matter of seconds before being hit by some very hungry bass. Here are some photos the guys send through.

Fin perfect bass

Tony with a nice January bass

They had 15 fish in total the best around the 5lb mark. Superb fishing for January, well done lads.

Gutted that I missed getting a few fish yesterday I headed out this morning before work. Fishing an xlayer into a current and letting it run downtide I had one schoolie and missed another before having to leave to come open the shop. So it seems there are plenty of fish around with this mild weather we are having, so dont pack up your lure gear just yet.

*On another note the shop will be closed on Sundays for the next few months opening again on Sundays when the season is back in full swing*

Tight lines,

James.

Pausing your lure.....

2012-01-04T11:29:00.001Z

So how important is pausing your lure and how many of you actually do this regularly while lure fishing? I have watched a lot of anglers simply casting and retrieving straight to their feet and pulling the lure out of the water.

At times I am guilty of just casting out and cranking the lure straight back in and not really thinking about what I am trying to achieve with the lure I am hoping a bass will hit. When I started lure fishing many moons ago I was retrieving a lure quite quickly when someone called me to say they had a fish on I stopped looked around (stopped winding) and I was hit straight away by a fish that was obviously following my lure. This of course got me thinking...how many fish did I miss, would I have caught more if I paused my lure for a few seconds mid retrieve and so on....

From that point on I started to pause my lure while retrieving a lot more and it slowly started to result in a lot more hits from fish. It makes sense when you think about it, an injured baitfish is not going to just fly past a bass it will move erratically and fast at times but inevitably if it is injured it will slow down and stop maybe only for a split second but this is most likely the best opportunity for a bass to hit its prey.

On most casts I make I do pause my lure at least twice the first occasion maybe half way through my retrieve for 5 seconds letting it move slowly back to the surface, I then pause it again about 5 to 10 yards from me at the end of the retrieve. Even if you dont see a fish following your lure it doesnt mean a fish cant see your lure and a very high percentage of the bass I hooked last season came at this point close in towards the end of the retrieve. Nothing really beats the rush you get from seeing a bass flare its gills and hit your lure under the the water right at your feet.

Below is a picture of bass I hooked on the IMA Sasuke 140 a fish I am sure I would not have hooked unless I paused my lure at the very last second, this fish hit the lure a couple of feet from the shore, I didnt have any idea this fish was following my lure.

There will of course be times when the simple but very effective cast and crank will catch you fish but if you think about what you are trying to achieve (injured baitfish) when you are retrieving a pause does make a lot of sense.

If you dont pause your lure on the retrieve give it a go in the coming season, try to get in the habit of incorporating it into every cast as I have no doubt it will result in more hook ups.

Tight lines.

James.

First fish of the year...

2012-01-03T12:46:00.000Z

There is still chances to pick up the odd bass on the lures this time of the year but it does get difficult but if conditions are right you will still have a great chance as the water temperature is still high for this time of the year.

On New years day we could only get out for a evening session and with reports of some great ray fishing the decision was easily made as to where we were heading.

Pulley Pennels and One up one downs were the order of the day fishing onto clean sand, we had action from the off with some nice codling making an appearance, then came the ray which were great sport.

The majority of the fish came on crab and lug.

Here are some pictures of the New Years Day Ray.....

Just to let everyone know the Sale is on this weekend,, make sure not to miss out as there are some great offers....

Tight lines,

James

On The Incoming....

2011-12-30T15:12:00.000Z

Thousands of fish up to 40lb's crash the flats,, says it all really. Here is some really cool striped bass fishing they really are a super looking fish..... may have just given me the final push I needed....

If you would like to check out the coolest fishing videos out there have a look at the the drake mag site here go to the video section and dream......

Tight lines.

Christmas Opening Hours.....

2011-12-23T16:45:00.001Z

Happy Christmas to everyone and we would like to say thanks for all your support throughout the year. Below are the Christmas opening hours for the shop...

Dec 24th - 10.00 - 14.00

Dec25th Closed

Dec26th Closed

Dec 27th Closed

Dec 28th 10.00 - 17.00

Dec 29th 10.00 - 17.00

Dec 30th 10.00 - 17.00

Dec 31st 10.00 - 14.00

Jan 1st Closed

Jan 2nd 10.00 - 14.00

If anyone needs anything over the Christmas period and the shop is not open just call the shop on 051393559 as the phone will be diverted to my mobile and I only live two min from shop and have no problem opening up if anyone needs anything .

We will be having our January Sale on the 6th 7th and 8th, so make sure to call in as there will be some outstanding offers on all gear.

Happy Christmas....

Top 5 Hard lures.....

2011-12-19T17:14:00.000Z

Top 5 hard lures of the year,

I try to keep a diary of my fishing during the year and looking through it today I picked out the lures which worked best for me this year and here they are no surprises with number one the same as last year....in my opinion the ultimate bass lure....

1) Zonk Gataride (have a soft spot for the pearl rainbow but also had a lot of fish on this colour)

2) Tackle House Feed Shallow (sardine and sardine red belly)

3) IMA Sasuke 140 (cotton candy)

4) IMA Komomo SF-130 slim (definitely the find of the season for me worked extremely well in ultra shallow water)

5) Megabass X-140 (hama shirasu)

Others worth a mention that didnt quite make it into the top 5 would be the SF 125, FX9 and the Jackson Athlete all outstanding lures on their day.

Tight lines,

James

IMA Sasuke 105.....

2011-12-13T12:59:00.000Z

The IMA Sasuke 105 (this weeks special) has been one of my go to lures this year. It is an excellent casting lure and cuts through strong winds. Working this lure on a steady retrieve with some added action will account for a lot of fish, however a method which has worked well for me this year is, lifting the rod tip and cranking the lure back very quickly the lures rises to just underneath the surface and the action the lure makes when it is being worked this quick is excellent and it seems to really draw the attention of any bass within the area you are fishing. Hits can be savage and a lot times will be right at your feet, make sure to pause your lure just before lifting it out of the water as I have found I get hit 90% of the time at my feet when cranking it back like this. A very fun method with savage hits.....

Sasuke 105 (candy)

Sasuke 105 (prune)

Tight lines....

Weightless Soft Plastics....

2011-12-08T22:24:00.001Z

These have to be the find of the season for me. One evening during the summer the surf was breaking perfectly over a reef, at this location the fish hit you behind this reef in the white water. Myself Ger and Cian had been hammering "the zone" for about 20 minutes with hard lures to no avail. Everything seemed right but we couldn't understand why the bass where no hitting the lures?

Cian goes and put on a wave worm on a texposer hook and proceeds to cast into the white water. Within four or five cast he hooks up with a nice bass which gave an excellent account of itself in the well oxygenated white water. Catching on a new method was great and excitement levels were high. Cian managed another fish shortly after and with that had me convinced by these weightless soft plastics. All he was doing was casting into the surf and keeping in contact with the soft plastic as it got washed are around in the surf waiting for the fish to pick up the sp move away with it and then lifting into the fish. Simple but deadly method as we soon found out trying the method on a number of marks latter on in the summer.

For the next few weeks numbers of fish on the weightless wave worm started to add up and they accounted for some nice fish in both estuary and rock marks in all types of conditions.

How we fish the wave worm:

Pretty simple really, If you are fishing a rock mark I will either let it get kicked around in the surf reeling up the slack line so that I am just keeping in contact with it. In this situation the current (if there is any) and the wave action do all the work for you.

In an estuary mark we fish frequently in the summer the water is never clear there, visibility being 1.5 foot max. A steady retrieve with constant wrist flicks gives the wave worm a great action that the bass just cant seem to resist.

One thing to note if you feel a fish pick your wave worm up when you are letting it get kicked around in the surf do not strike let the fish have it feel him move away then lift into the fish, when fishing the worm on a steady retrieve...hold on cause they will hit you hard and usually do all the work hooking themselves. The hook holds with the texposer hooks are excellent.

The water temperature is still up around 12C this settled spell on the way may be just what is needed to get some good fishing, and a method well worth a go this time of the year will be the weightless soft plastics.

Tight lines,

James.

The value of bass...

2011-12-06T15:24:00.004Z

This is a great video about the importance and value of the recreational striped bass fishery in America, it strikes some similarities to our own bass especially as the commercials continue to push hard to open the fishery. Lets hope the laws stay in place and that the bass we have along our coast stay protected.....

Tight lines...

Grab A Bargain...

2011-12-05T12:14:00.002Z

Fancy a deal coming up to Christmas....

We have decided to put a Daiwa Caldia 3000x and the Anyfish Anywhere 9ft MK1 lure rod on special for two days only....

Get in quick, if your interested give the shop a call on 051 393559 or you can order online here

Daiwa Caldia 3000x

see here

"The Caldia X range is so precisely made that everything winds, rotates and moves does so with un-erring accuracy. This makes for high efficiency in the winding power, smoother motion and fantastic durability. This reels 5 ball bearings deliver excellent line lay and by placing your trust in their reactive drag, which is waterproof your hook holds should have no fear".

Anyfish Anywhere Travel lure rod MK1 9ft 12-60g

see here

9' Lure Rod Mk1 12 - 60 grams breaks down into 4 sections so you will transport this rod with ease. From soft baits with jig heads starting as low as 12grams, this rod will handle just about anything. On the hard bodied lure front, it has the sort of tip that will impart life and action into any lure, diver or surface. The 9ft gives you more control and will cast slightly heavier lures, so if you are roving wild coastline the 9ft may just edge it for you.

Tight lines.

Braid...

2011-11-30T16:37:00.005Z

Braided lines have gained a lot of popularity among lure fishermen in recent times. The biggest advantage of braid is that because of its zero stretch the angler can work a lure with minimal effort allowing a lot more control over the lure. Bite detection is also enhanced which can be a great help when fishing soft plastics. Casting distance is also improved with these low diameter braids, allowing more ground to be covered.

The weeks special is The Daiwa Tournament PE braid and its about as good as it gets when it comes to 8 strand braid. I have been using this braid for the last few months of the season and honestly cant find a fault with it. This very smooth low diameter braid is a pleasure to use. Check out Henry's thoughts on this braid here

This sensitive braid is VERY strong and gives you alot of confidence when fishing over rough ground when your line can sometimes rub against rocks when retrieving a lure or playing fish. This braid also casts very well and I have had no problems with wind knots.

There are a few things you can do to avoid any problems with braid these include under filling your reel (2mm), close your bail arm manually after a cast and it also important to ensure after your lure hits the water the slack line is wrapped onto the reel tightly before beginning the retrieve....3 very small things to ensure you have no problems with your braid.

Tight lines,

James.

Fishing into coloured water....

2011-11-28T12:01:00.004Z

So we have all been faced with coloured water, you have planned your trip everything seems okay but when you arrive at your chosen mark you are faced with coloured water. Conditions seem good otherwise, no suspended weed and a nice fizz on the water. There is no doubt, the fish are there but how do you manage to to draw their attention to your lure when visibility is low?

In the past when I was faced with conditions like this I would have walked away and left it for another day but as fishing time can be limited these days it has forced me to fish in these conditions and granted it will be harder success it achievable if you persevere.

These are just my experiences of fishing in coloured water, what has worked for us and some of the methods we use.

Stay or go?

This is the water clarity I was faced with yesterday, on other occasions I would have walked away. However in similar conditions during the summer I have had fish in this kind of water clarity. I hooked one fish yesterday which was only on for max of 5 seconds. It is always going to be much tougher in these conditions but if you know fish are in that area it has to be worth a go, does it not?

Conditions were good, there was a nice fizz on the water and apart from clarity tides were ideal for the location I was fishing. I generally go for lures with chartreuse and and white colours as I have found this has worked well for me in the past. I fish these two ways, very slow retrieve or a quick crank and pause (the theory being that the quick retrieve and emitted vibrations draw the fishes attention to your lure). Hard lures which have done well for me when the water clarity is far from ideal are the Jackson Athlete the Daiwa Shore Line Shiner and my favourite in such conditions the Zonk Gataride. There is no doubt that the rattling and vibration given off by the lures helps in these conditions.

Its not impossible....just harder,

Here is Paul with nice bass taken on the Zonk Gataride in November last year, fishing into coloured water.

Another method which has worked very well for us this summer when fishing in coloured water is the Wave worm which I will talk a bit more about soon.

We have decided to open the comments on the blog so it would be great to hear your thoughts of fishing in coloured water.

Tight lines,

James.

Still Fish Around....

2011-11-22T13:10:00.004Z

A lot of people have started to put away there lure gear but if you get favourable weather conditions this time of the year the fishing can be outstanding. Windows to get out can be hard to come by but if you get the chance dont delay. Check out Alans blog here and you can begin to see why this time of the year can be good for bass.

Henry Gilbey is over for the week and today is their first day on the water and reports are already in that they have landed a few bass fishing a mark at first light this morning. Keep a eye on Henrys blog here for updates of how he gets on fishing this week.

The weather is going to close in on thursday so if you get a chance to get out before then make the most of it.

Megabass Vision Magnum

"At 130mm, 17.5g, this shallow diving suspends when you stop retrieving"

This weeks special is the Megabass Vision oneten Magnum, see specials here

Tight lines...

Could it be a good start to the week...

2011-11-19T11:04:00.003Z

With the water temp still just over 12 degrees and some decent looking weather on the way with building tides during the week it just might be a good week to get the lures out .
The weather over the last few weeks has been less than ideal for lure fishing but this ( fingers crossed ) could be the break we have been waiting on . If the weather does what it is supposed to do the main challenge is going to be finding clean water . Now when I say clean water it does not have to be gin clear and no weed just clean enough for me to see my lure from about 10ft . Over the last two years I have started fishing water that before I would have walked away from . A bit of colour in the water does not put me off anymore as it has been proven over and over again that the fish are still there and willing to chase a lure in coloured water .

So if you are like me and itching to get out with the lures this could be the week to land a monster .

The hard lures I intend using this week will be from 120mm upwards and a range of soft plastics , slow the retrieve down and give the fish an opportunity to hit . ( just my thoughts on how I will approach my fishing this week )

Hope some of you can make it out for what seems to be a small window of opportunity .

Tight lines.

A day on the water....

2011-11-15T11:45:00.004Z

Here are some pics from a recent cod and pollock session. Soft Plastics were the order of the day and the usual's such as wave worms, ulti shads, sayori shads and sakura magic eels all worked well for the very hard fighting cod and poll0ck....

We have also just got in some very nice Gamakatsu hooks and jig heads which have just been put up onto the site check out the new products for November here

Also this weeks special is the Yamatoyo (Famell) Braid see specials here

Tight lines...

IMA Komomo SF 110...

2011-11-08T17:28:00.002Z

This weeks special the IMA Komomo SF 110.... check out the specials page here for colours available

On the fishing front we had some great soft plastic fishing for cod and pollack on the boat recently, report to follow...

And there are still reports coming in of some good bass fishing on the rocks, so its not quiet over yet as the bass are chasing herring inshore....

Tight lines.

Daiwa Shore Line Shiners...

2011-11-01T15:29:00.003Z

Continuing on with our weekly specials, this week we will have daiwas shore line shiners on offer.

"Daiwas sliding Long Cast System provide both casting and optimum lure action even in choppy conditions. The Shoreline Shiner series is the ideal choice for anglers seeking an ultra long distance casting minnow"

See here for the range of colours and the types of shore line shiners we have available.

Once again this special will finish on Sunday so do not delay as stocks are limited.

Tight lines....

Weekly Special....

2011-10-26T16:29:00.005+01:00

This weeks special is the Megabass zonk gateride. See here (scrolling through the pages) for the range of colours available. This special will finish on Sunday so do not delay as stocks are limited.

Tight lines.

Could this be a good one...

2011-10-23T17:01:00.007+01:00

Tides building and a window of opportunity appears...conditions look good from Tuesday on....

Its that time of the year...when every cast you make could result in a fish of a lifetime, the bass are filling up for the winter ahead and are in prime condition!

Tight lines....

Weekly Specials....

2011-10-18T20:57:00.007+01:00

We are starting our weekly offers which will be running throughout the winter. To start it off we have a great offer this week.

The Megabass X- 140 is on special this week for 5 days or, while stocks last . You can see the range of colours here and the the price for five days only. After the five days are up the lure returns to the original price so do not delay as stocks are limited.

Here are just two of the X 140s on offer....

Megabass X-140 SW (SG Teaser)

Megabass X-140 SW (Ensyu Kibinago)

"The X-140 is a proven fish catcher with an irresistible action, this lure will also work in coloured water with its great flashing plate attracting hits from bass...."

Also later in the week we will be putting up a permenant offer of a great rod and reel combo for getting started in lure fishing...

And there will be much more to follow in the near future.... so bookmark the Specials Page to make sure you don't miss out.

On the fishing front now is the time to get out and try for the big bass.... there are reports coming into the shop daily now of some outstanding catches along the coast.

Tight lines....

Its that time of year...

2011-10-14T13:30:00.003+01:00

October has to be up there as one of the best months for bass fishing along the south coast of Ireland. Reports have been flooding in of some excellent fishing being had all along the copper coast and further afield so get yourselves out there its prime bass season.....

We have also just put up some new specials on the online shop see here

Tight lines.

How important is lure colour....

2011-09-30T11:19:00.005+01:00

Found this very interesting article online a while ago. Its based towards fly fishing but this can also be applied to our lure fishing. see here

Fish Eyesight: Does Colour Matter?

If you get the chance make sure to pick up the new sea angler, there is a great interview with Ger Carey, a super read where Ger talks all about his bass fishing.

Tight lines

White Water....

2011-09-26T21:26:00.006+01:00

Bass fishing in fizzed up oxygenated water is a hell of a lot of fun and mostly involves just holding on while the line screams off your reel....

You cant help but feel that every cast you make in these conditions is going to result in a rod wrenching hit from a bass fizzed up in the white water..... excitement levels slightly high to say the least.

Lures that bite down into the water in these conditions make a difference, if your lure can not get down to where the bass are feeding it will make it difficult to get that hook up.

We have found that Gatarides, X-140s and Sasuke 140s all do this job well.

Tight lines

Light Bait Fishing....

2011-09-19T15:39:00.002+01:00

When conditions are far from ideal for lure fishing.....how about chucking a bait into that favourute gullie of yours. Thats what Paul did this morning and it resulted in this fine bass.

Tight lines

New IMA lures...

2011-09-10T14:13:00.004+01:00

Some great new IMA products arrived in and are now up on the online shop here

Tight lines.....

Just in....

2011-09-07T14:19:00.005+01:00

Heres some new stuff that has just arrived in today.....

Check online shop here

Megabass Oneten Magnum (SP) Blue black Oikawa

The Megabass Oneten Magnum is a serious bass catcher this suspending lure has a great action, this lure seems to result in savage hits from bass, and it is also available in two other colours....

We have also got back in FX 9s.

Megabass FX9 SW GG Rainbow II

Megabass FX9 SW Cruising Blue

We also have the FX 9 in GG Bora and LZ Tougorou Iwashi, this is a cracking little lure its movable lip gives this little lure a great action and has worked very well for us in calm clear conditions.

The X-140s in Ensyu Kibinago and Hama Shirasu are also back in stock along with the Hi-Pitch Pearl Gataride

Tight lines

Plenty of Fish Around....

2011-09-05T14:04:00.006+01:00

So its that time of the year, September is a special month for bass fishing so be sure to make the most of it when conditions are right during the month because it could result in some outstanding sessions.

Bigger fish also make a pronounced appearance from September on. First light sessions can result in some super fishing, when everything comes right. Heres some pictures from a session we had a couple of days ago.

On a side note we are constantly working on the online shop uploading new products and editing etc. make sure to check out the current Specials we have ....and there will be some nice shiny lures arriving in the next few days so be sure to keep an eye on the New in section.

Tight lines,

James.

Online Shop

2011-08-29T17:51:00.002+01:00

At long last the online shop is up and running , we hope ye like it ...
Over the next few weeks we will be adding many more products and of course as new products come into stock they will be going straight up on to the online shop . You can look at the shop at www.absolutefishing.ie

Cian.

A change from the norm....

2011-08-27T19:51:00.003+01:00

With plans all made to go lure fishing Ger Carey persuaded me to go bait fishing, something which I have not been doing a whole lot of lately. But as usual Ger made the right call as we both caught but yet again Ger had the nicest fish of the night nailing this bass of 10.5lb on lug cast no more than 30 yards out into the surf.

Tight lines,

Cian.

Another day on the Copper Coast....

2011-08-21T16:09:00.006+01:00

There is no getting away from the fact that August is a difficult month for bass, it is most likely that the bass are simply full up on the masses of bait fish which are around the coastline at the moment and are simply not that interested in our lures. However if you put in the effort in the right place at the right time you will more often than not be rewarded with a few fish.

We have been fishing weedless plastics a lot at the moment which have been working very well. Myself Cian and Ger where fishing a mark the other night where the bass seemed to have turned off from the night before. Over comes Ger "Any chance I could try one of those wave worms" Cian gives him a chartreuse wave worm and first cast he go's and nails the bass in the picture below.

Impressed with the wave worm?

The wave worm which did the business, we have also found we are getting great hook ups with the lunker city texposer hooks.

We will have a wide range of wave worms arriving in the next couple of days so be sure to call in to see the great selection of soft plastics available from wave fishing.

We fished a rock mark yesterday evening, once again the bass were not playing ball but Ger did manage to land this fine bass on the old faithful Pearl Gataride....

Tight lines,

James

August Bass....

2011-08-15T10:15:00.005+01:00

Here are a few pics taken over the last few days, the fishing was difficult at times but if you put in the time you will more often than not be rewarded.

Cian picking out this nice fish on a weedless soft plastic, sorry for the poor pic was taken on my phone.

Alan with a nice fish which he had on the Zonk Gataride in possibly the most bassy looking conditions imaginable..... the kind of conditions you expect a bass every cast.

....what its all about, watching the bass swim away.

"Game fish are to valuable to be caught only once."

Tight lines,

Times are good....

2011-08-09T17:12:00.004+01:00

The fishing has been really good on the last set of good tides and we are still getting reports of good bass fishing over the current neap tides, moving into another set of springs this weekend with the wind in the South West the rocks should well produce some good fishing this weekend.

Due to the demand from our customers we are currently working on the online shop which should be up and running within the next couple of weeks, due to large amount of lures, soft plastics, rods, reels, braid etc you can understand it is taking a while to get everything up, but we are getting there.

Here is a small snippet of what the online shop will look like, with hundreds of products from all the popular brands it will be your one stop online lure shop....

Tight lines....

A couple of sessions....

2011-08-05T10:31:00.003+01:00

We have been out for a couple of sessions during the week with some nice bass coming to both hard lures and plastics along the copper coast.

The night fishing has got to me in a big way, the anticipation of a take while you are retrieving so slowly in the dead of night really is exciting fishing, waiting literally for the rod to be wrenched out of your hand.

In the picture below Ger is holding a fish I hooked on the Zonk Gataride fished dead slow, the take and fight was something else this fish went for it, and with rocks to your left and right and the fish running where you cant see....adrenaline fueled fishing!!!

Ger also had a few fish which he took on the Gataride Pearl Rainbow a colour that is working really well for us in this night fishing game...

We also headed out yesterday fishing hard lures into fizzed up water that was breaking over a reef, we hammered every conceivable hard lure onto serious looking bass ground without a sniff of a fish everything seemed right but we couldnt get a hook up, until..... Cian went and put up a weedless soft plastic keeping in contact with his sp he managed to winkle out 2 nice fish and got a plenty of more hits. A excellent method that if Cian didnt try yesterday evening we probably would have gone home thinking the fish just were not there....lesson learnt.

Tight lines,

James.

Daiwa...

2011-08-03T10:33:00.009+01:00

We have just got in the much awaited shore line shines series these lures have been working very well on the bass. Daiwas sliding Long Cast System provide both casting and optimum lure action even in choppy conditions. The Shoreline Shiner series is the ideal choice for anglers seeking an ultra long distance casting minnow.

SL 17 Laser Spot Sardine. (170mm, 28g, Floating)

R50+ F-G Laser Spot Sardine (120mm, 15.5g, Floating, ultra shallow)

R50 LD F-G Burning Sardine (120mm, 15.5g, slow floating)

SL 12 F-G Laser chart Rainbow. (125mm, 12.8g, Floating)

SL 14 F-G Anchovey Z (140mm, 19.5g, floating)

We have all these lures available in the different colours seen above.

We have also got in some of the very impressive Daiwa Luvias 3000 reels, I know Henry uses one of these reels and likes it a lot the few times I have fished with this reel I have also been very impressed. Check out Henrys write up on the reel below here.

We also have limited stocks of the very popular Daiwa Branzino 80ml and the Daiwa Ardito 7ft and 8ft. Call the shop if your interested for more info.

Tight lines,

James.

Few fish about...

2011-08-01T13:25:00.004+01:00

The fishing is good at the moment and there have been some great reports of good numbers of fish coming to the lures in darkness, and with Ger smashing a nice double yesterday morning on the Jackson Athlete 140 the next couple of days will be interesting with the tides starting to fall back off the springs and the wind in the South West its certainly looking good as long as you can get away from weed which is making some marks very difficult to fish.

Heres some pics of some new colours in the popular IMA lures and we have also got in some Jackson lures....

Limited edition Komomo

SF 125

Molmo

Pugachev Cobra

Jackson Artist (sinking)

And here are the very popular Jackson Athletes, we have both 140s and 120s in both floating and sinking...

Tight lines.

Some good fishing...

2011-07-21T10:11:00.010+01:00

So your fishing one of your favourite bass marks, that you know like the back of your hand.....or so you think, the only difference is its pitch dark and using your head torch will spook the fish as they are lying so close in, at your feet. Buzzed up is not the word this really is heart stopping fishing.

The initial hits were subtle with the odd savage hit adding to the great fun which is night lure fishing for bass.

The lures which worked well for us were the Zonk Gataride retrieved VERY slowly with the best fish of the night running to 7lb.....

We are also having some good fishing along the rocks during normal hours....

Fishing some seriously shallow ground, drag has to be wound up tight

as the fish will head straight for them snags, no records broken but some nice fish in difficult conditions with this constant NW wind and flat seas, smaller lures working well again in these calm conditions.

Tight lines,

James.

Fish The Dream

2011-07-19T14:06:00.005+01:00

Just a quick blog to let anyone who may be interested know that Rodney of fish the dream has only 2 slots remaining for prime Tarpon and Permit fishing . The dates are the 4th to the 10th of May . There are two Irish guys booked for this week and the package works out at great value if four people take the week together . May is when the Tarpon are running hard in the Florida Keys and believe me after float fishing a live crab back under 7 mile bridge in the dark you will never be the same again , I am still shaking . The thought of that float vanishing in the blink of an eye and you know that whatever has taken it is not going to be small . Also it is the perfect time of the year to target Permit on the wrecks and on light gear these things go like nothing else , I think I was nearly sick after my first one with the amazement of the raw power .

The accommodation is outstanding with the boat docked in the back garden . Rodney himself is seriously clued up on the fishing in the Keys and amazed me with his skill at putting us on whatever we wanted to catch every day . So if you fancy the the fishing holiday of a lifetime give Rodney a shout here as these dates will soon be gone.

Hit hard...

2011-07-18T16:53:00.003+01:00

A nice morning session today resulted in a couple of nice bass fishing in and around very shallow reefs.

The lure which I had the fish on today was the IMA sasuke 140, the last couple of fish I have had on this lure I have been holding the rod tip up and working the lure back very quickly and the takes have been savage getting hit very hard right at my feet.

A cracking lure that is working really well for the bass at the moment.

Tight lines,

Fly and Lure....

2011-07-08T13:04:00.006+01:00

Henry and Nick were over for some bass fishing both on the fly and the lures last week. As always it was a pleasure to fish with the guys and a joy to watch nick casting a fly for some bass and he was duly rewarded for his efforts with some nice bass on the fly. You can check out Nicks blog here.

Here are some pictures from the guys visit....

Nick fighting a nice bass on the fly

Fly caught bass...

Off course conditions at times were far from ideal for fly fishing....

Nice for lures though...

Nick and Henry on the lures.

Lure caught bass (Photo courtesy of Nick Hart)

Lure caught double (Photo courtesy of Nick Hart)

The guys have moved down west to fish for some pollack along the beara and wild trout in the mountain lakes, to follow how the guys are getting on see Henrys blog here.

Tight lines.

Some new toys...

2011-07-02T12:13:00.009+01:00

Some new lures have arrived in the last few days.

IMA popkey 80.

IMA trip 85 (24g).

IMA Sasuke SF-95

IMA molmo 80. This is a ultra shallow diving lure, and has also been working well for us. This lure imitates a bait fish struggling at the surface.

IMA Komomo II 90. This cracking little lure has the great action of the renowned bass catcher the komomo II, however komomo II 90 bites down into the water very well and can be fished into turbulent water very effectively. We had some nice bass on this lure on the last good tides when we were fishing some extremely shallow ground.

IMA komomo II. This hugely popular colour is a well known bass catcher along the waterford coast.

IMA komomo SF-130. Another super IMA shallow diver also worked very well for us when fishing into really shallow ground.

IMA Run dams are also in, as well as a range of colours in the lures above. Also in are the Duo Tide minnows 140 slim and 145 sld's.

Tight lines.

Great week....

2011-06-23T12:23:00.008+01:00

Henry and Andy have been over since the day after the ban and have been fishing non stop since arriving. Granted the conditions were far from ideal we still hit it hard trying our best to find the fish and from time to time we managed to track down some bass and at times had some superb fishing.

During the week Henry, Andy, Ger, Cian and Paul had good numbers of fish ranging from 3-8lb, Ger as usual seeming to sneak out the bigger fish on his tried and well and truly tested Feed Shallow. Both Henry and Andy lost some really nice looking fish (possible doubles?) but we will try not remind them of what could of been.....maybe next time lads.

It has been a real fishathon since the lads arrived dawn to dusk most days, its great fun fishing with the guys they are seriously passionate about their lure fishing and no doubt we will wet a line again over the next few months. Looking forward to it already.

Check out Henry's blog here for some really outstanding pictures of the fishing during the week.

Here are a few pictures of my own from the week.

Henry

Ger fishing some nice ground

Andy with a nice fish

Henry behind the lens

Henry at the other side of the lens

The result of non stop fishing....

Tight lines.

Back on the bass...

2011-06-16T11:54:00.005+01:00

So the day has finally come the 16th of June, time for the summer bass fishing to begin.....

Due to the wind picking right up last night my confidence was well down, I did a quick recce yesterday evening to find the marks I hoped to fish, a total write off due to brown water and a lot of floating weed.Slightly disheartened I still set the alarm for 3.45am and proceeded with plan b which was try my best to find clean water. To my surprise the water was not as coloured as I expected as the wind settled right down during the night.

There was plenty of life on the water and the ceremonious wave over the head within the first few casts had me wide awake, sure enough within the first half an hour I had a nice bass hammer my pearl zonk gataride which gave a great account of itself in the well oxygenated white water. As the tide pushed in so did the weed....

So on to the next mark which usually fishes best on the rising tide but I said I would chance it on the drop, fishing a cruising blue gataride into coloured water a nice bass of around 4.5lb snatched the lure right at my feet, another great fight in lively conditions.

Crusing blue

On a side note this little guy got washed up on to the beach a rare boarfish looks like it should be swimming around tropical reefs and strange to be found in shallow water this time of the year as this fish is generally associated with deeper water, so what lure can we use to match the hatch here??

As I write this the wind has picked up again which will most likely make things extremely difficult along the copper coast in the form of weed and coloured water.

Make sure to keep an eye on Henrys blog here from what I here the guys smashed serious numbers of fish this morning to 8lb, so looking forward to seeing the pics.

Tight lines,

James.

Almost there now....

2011-06-14T10:13:00.006+01:00

So with only a couple of days left until we can wet a line and chase some silvers along the coast again excitement is certainly building, conditions look good in the form of a nice SW coming onshore, nice set of tides. So time to get the lures ready for hopefully another bumper season on the bass.

Looking Good!!!!

And to add even further to the excitement levels its now time to get those surface lures ready the water temperature is up and we all know its by far the most exciting and visual way of hooking a bass.

One lure I will have at the ready as soon as the season opens is the super effective Xorous Patchinko. I know that this lure did serious damage for Cian and Paul last year accounting for a lot of their bass last season.

Heres hoping there will be plenty of fish and smiles like this in the opening few days of the season.

Tight lines to everyone for the start of the new season.

James

Soft Plastics...

2011-06-06T14:06:00.003+01:00

We have just got in some great new colours in the Slugos (4.5, 6, 7.5) and now have texposer hooks from size 1 up to 5/0.

From top to bottom 7.5 inch Arkansas Shiner, 6 inch Pond Shiner and 4.5 inch Green Phantom

7.5 inch Albino Shad and 6 inch Pond Shiner

7.5 inch Seafoam Shad and 4.5 inch Green Shad Flash.

We have also got in some Delalnde articulated jig heads, 5g 7g 10g and 12g available. These articulated heads work very well with shads giving extra movement to your soft plastic, a 10g articulated head mounted onto a GT shad can be seen below.

Decoy nail bombs have also arrived which sit very nicely on the xlayer seen below, these jig heads work well when you want to fish your xlayer into snaggy ground.

Tight lines

Some new toys...

2011-06-04T14:26:00.006+01:00

Some new colours in the IMA sasuke 105 sinking

IMA salt skimmer see video here

Megabass Dorum 100, also available in 120 size see swim video here

The new IMA SF 130 slim candy see here

IMA Pugachev Cobra see swim video here

Colours available in the Zonk Gateride....and many more

Megabass FX-9

New Megabass Vision see video here

Colours available in the megabass X-140

IMA Barborossa see swim video here

Some new colours in the IMA honey trap and many more in stock.

Slugos and texposer hooks have also arrived pictures to come on Monday with plenty of new colours.

Tight lines.

Great offers..

2011-05-26T18:13:00.005+01:00

Special offer on this Friday Saturday and Sunday to help cheer everyone up during the bass ban with great offers all lures. Pop into the shop or give us a ring for some great offers this weekend.

Back to reality

2011-05-24T17:12:00.003+01:00

Well what can I say as many of you will know I was looking forward to this trip for a long time and it lived up to everything I expected it to be and more . Henry did a lot of blogging while over in the Florida Keys so if you want a good look at what we were up to over there check out Henrys blog here and scroll down through the last few pages .
It amazed me how well managed the fishing is over there , I will not get into it but a big part of the reason why the fishing is so good is the way that it is managed and policed .
It was hectic fishing from day one with a great skipper and great company (Henry, Nick and Paul ). If we did not have the help of an experienced Florida Keys guide we would have caught fish but nowhere near on the scale that we did. Yes you could go there do your own thing and catch fish but for me travelling all that way to fish a place that you know nothing about you may as well do it right and get put on some of the best fishing of your life by someone who has there fingure on the pulse . It amazed me that our guide Rodney Goodship would ask us what we would like to do that day and whatever we sugested we would like to have a go at catching he was able to put us on fish and show us the best approach to catch whatever the species may be . Saying that he was completly openminded and encouraged us to try our own techniques some of which worked and others that did not . Anyone who is planning a fishing trip abroad I would highly recomend the Florida Keys and I would highly recomend Rodney at Fish The Dream you can contact him here for some very reasonable rates for accomodation and guiding . If you do not believe me go and quote some other guides in the Keys .
Anyway I must get back to work and catch up with a load of stuff after being away , it is not easy getting back to work when all you can think about is Tarpon , Permit , Amberjack, and Sharks.

Fabulous Fishing....

2011-05-18T13:18:00.004+01:00

The lads are really having a blast over in Florida. Just got another email from Henry of some of the fabulous fish the guys are lucky enough to be connecting with over there.

Tarpon, Permit, Jacks, Cuda, amberjacks you name it the guys are smashing them in style, here are some more pics of the outstanding fishing the guys are having.

Permit Please.....

2011-05-14T09:01:00.003+01:00

Just opened a email from Henry with a few photos of the lads with some fish from their first day on the keys. The guys are having a ball and had a great day hooking up with some nice Permit. From talking to Cian yesterday about the fishing Il be suprised if they ever come home. For a full account of the first day the guys had check out Henry's blog here.

Lures...

2011-05-11T11:34:00.007+01:00

The megabass X-140 has accounted for numerous bass already this season and became a personal favourite of mine at the back end of last season. We have a range of colours in the X-140 which have just arrived, which are well worth a look at.

GG Inakko

SG Teaser

GG pink back gold

GG red belly

Also just in the DUO Tide minnow slim 140, a real gem of a lure in that natural sandeel colour, can work well when fishing into clear water when the bass are being a bit picky.

And finally this nice sandeel colour in the mighty feed shallow.

Tight lines,

James

Nice weather....

2011-05-08T20:35:00.005+01:00

Some really nice weather we are getting at the moment.....yea right! Due to the constant barrage of easterlies and southerlies along the Waterford coastline fishing has been hard to say the least for the last while. I went for a quick scout along the coast today and the power of the sea rolling in however disappointed I may have been that I couldn't of been fishing still was pretty cool...

However not all doom and gloom on the weather front from looking at the forecast it looks like it might just settle down enough to get out with the lures before the ban hits home on the 15th May....heres hoping we get a few windows of opportunity to get out before the month off.

While wer waiting for this spell of weather to settle down to chase some bass, Cian and Paul are preparing for their much anticipated trip to Florida, so Il be in the shop while Cian is away smashing big tarpon and the likes....

Cian will be sending over pictures whenever he can so il be sure to update the blog with the latest catch reports, from what I here Henry who is also heading over with the guys is really looking forward to the great trolling Florida has to offer see here . The lads have the reels loaded, red rods packed and countless lure boxes stuffed full of every lure imaginable to chuck at the tons of really small fish I here swim the waters over there!!

The guys are heading over to Rodney Goodship from fish the dream see here for some info on the fishing the guys are likely to have over there.

Jealous much....you bet I am!!

Tight lines,

James.

The gataride does the business....

2011-04-27T21:13:00.003+01:00

Well done to Andrew Murphy who got this clonker of a bass today in very tough conditions on the Zonk Gateride Edomae Laser. Some great fishing being had at the moment roll on the next set of good tides.

A great morning session...

2011-04-25T10:25:00.005+01:00

After the disappointment of last night, losing a decent sized fish I was determined to get out this morning to try to make up for my error of not checking my drag last night.

On checking the forecast last night it was giving a strong breeze from the North not ideal but I still set the alarm for 6am and was on the rocks by 6.40 chucking my feed shallow into filling gullies as the tide proceeded to push in.

As I arrived I noticed some sprats jumping out of the water and I could see terns working the water not 30 yards from the shore. Anticipation was building....

Almost immediately I had a follow from a nice fish, and after half an hour I had 2 3lbers and one just over 5lb landed with countless follows and one lost fish. The place was simply alive with bass, the days you dream about....

After a lull in activity I struck lucky again as I was reeling my feed shallow back in with the rod tip held upright I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a a big spikey dorsal fin and tail half out of the water homing straight in on my lure, with an almighty thump my feed shallow was seized by the fish no more than 6 foot in front of me the fish immediately turned on the water and I knew straight away that this was a nice fish. After an initial run of well over 20 yards the fish held up and did the usual viscous slashing on top of the water after an almighty tug of war where the fish really put my injection under serious pressure I managed to slide the bar of silver of just over 9lb onto the shore. Shaking uncontrollably after such an epic fight I popped out the hooks put the camera up onto a rock and set the self timer for a quick snap and back she went strongly......

All the fish were caught on the feed shallow sardine, a lethal lure over shallow ground.

Mornings like this don't come around to often, but it makes it all worth while when everything finally comes right.

Tight lines,

James.

One very happy angler.....

2011-04-21T21:27:00.003+01:00

Worked very hard for this fish but it was well worth the wait, the smile says it all....

Tight lines.

The Mighty Xlayer....

2011-04-18T20:27:00.004+01:00

Its a very simple method casting the xlayer up current and letting it bounce down current, and with the joys of braid you can feel every knock as it trundles through.

Anything out of the ordinary and I strike or lift into it, if your xlayer becomes weightless lift into it as this might be a fish after picking up your soft plastic, this happened to me a couple of times today its vital you connect with the fish quickly as they can drop the soft plastic as quick as they pick it up. I also had some very subtle bites and missed a few fish but thats all part of it. And your always going to get the fish that really smash your xlayer...the ones we all love!!

It is important to match you jig head size to the speed of the current you are fishing it into. Too heavy and your xlayer will not bounce through the current, too light and it will flow through too quickly.

A simple but lethal method for bass. There are some excellent reports coming in at the moment around the majority of Waterford marks.

Tight lines,

James

April Bass...

2011-04-12T12:26:00.003+01:00

We fished a few marks in the last couple of days that had been producing fish over the last set of good tides and even on the slacker tides there is still good fishing to be had.

Fishing over some extremely shallow ground the lures that are working well for us are the megabass x-140 and the Feed Shallow.

Tight lines,

James.

Jackson Athlete...

2011-04-10T10:17:00.004+01:00

We have just got in some of the much talked about Jackson Athlete lures.

We currently have the Jackson Athlete slim series in stock.

14FS (floating slim 21g) & 14SS (slow sinking 25g)

Due to inside moving weight system long casting distance is easily achieved and this lure works great in rough conditions as the athlete is very stable in the water.

Both the 14FS and the 14SS have a mixture of rolling and wobbling action both being medium divers.

140FS slim 21g (Pearl)

140SS slim 25g (chartreuse with orange underbelly)

Tight lines.

Some good reports coming in....

2011-04-07T16:34:00.006+01:00

The bass fishing is really kicking off here, with reports of some excellent lure fishing all along the south east coast.

Heres one from a quick session I had earlier, the xlayer doing the business today.

During the last couple of sessions we have noticed the bass have been nipping lures and are not smashing them like you would expect in the summer months, moving to smaller lures such as the Zonk 77 or megabass edonis seems to be working well for us at the moment, something to try?

Tight lines,

James.

Time to get the lures ready...

2011-04-04T10:36:00.004+01:00

We had our first real go of the year chasing bass with hard lures on a Waterford rock mark yesterday. Hopes were high, tides were spot on, life on the water and reports of plenty of bass around.

We made our way out along a rocky ledge (its going to take a while to get back into the swing of rock hopping again) out to some weed clear water. From the off the bass were hitting our lures. Cian moved out onto a promising looking rock, fishing his favourite megabass x-140 (hama shirasu) into a nice deep gully.......Cians first 4 casts resulted in 3 drooped fish and one landed!

At this stage I was all thumbs desperately trying to get on my own x-140 after seeing the damage it was doing. It didnt take too long, fish started nipping the lure almost immediately and a brief pause of the lure during the retrieve resulted in that unmistakable bang of an aggressive bass. These bass were really putting up great scraps and it was nice to finally have a bend back in the lure rods.

As I looked down to my right Cian was still hitting fish and managed to land a few more bass on the Zonk Gataride pm hot shad.

Plenty of action was being had by all of us along the rocks, a great session for this time of the year. Most of the fish landed were aound the 3-4lb mark however just as the tide made it final push Ger Carey stole the show as he connected with the fish below on the feed shallow, the fish came in at 7lb a great fish on the hard lure for this time of the year.

A great evenings fishing was had by all and hopefully this is a sign of things to come this summer.

So if your thinking of getting out with those lures dont waste any time the bass are back along our shores and are more than happy to hit some of those shiny lures.

Tight lines,

James.

Just in....

2011-03-29T11:07:00.006+01:00

Some new lures have just arrived in. With the evenings getting longer, its only a matter of time before we will be out chucking these lures off the rocks again....cant wait.

Sasuke 75 Shad (SK75-003)

"The Killer" Sasuke 140 candy

IMA Gyo Do 130 MD Candy

IMA KO 130S Ko-011 (also availble in candy)

Komomo II (11-005)

Sasuke 120 Candy

Sasuke 120 RP117

Sasuke 105 (sinking) candy

Sasuke 105 (sinking), SKF105-034

Tight lines.

Last night...

2011-03-22T09:25:00.002Z

Some nice bass starting to show around the Waterford coastline at the moment. Heres Cian with a nice fish of around 5.5lb from last night.

A couple from last night...

2011-03-20T10:18:00.007Z

Myself Cian and Paul decided we had to get out to have a go for some bass last night....

Some quick running ledgers rigged up and with some top quality popping peelers as bait we set off with the light gear quietly confident of hitting a few bass as they are really starting to make a good appearance around some Waterford marks at the moment.

We wernt disappointed, myself and Paul had some nice bass (CIAN BLANKED, not that we would get onto him in any way) and also a couple of bin lid flounders insured we had some good sport for the night.

Its nice to finally know that the bass are finally making there way back inshore close enough for us to finally target them on bait and lures.

Tight lines,

James.

Paddy's Day Bass

2011-03-18T15:19:00.004Z

Well the bass are starting to hit lures and I am sure plenty of you will be out over the weekend to give it a go . Hopefully ye will all do as well as Declan Halpin did on Paddys day and have a few fish on lures like the one above . It was a long winter but now we are coming to the end of it and the fish are becoming active and hitting lures again as the water heats up.

Tight lines,

Cian

Just arrived...

2011-03-14T16:51:00.004Z

Just some new colours and lures that have just arrived , also some colours that have been out of stock.

Xpod and Pop-max

Ringo Star II

GG Heat Iwashi

GG Kibinago

Sinjatsu Iwashi

HT Hama Shirasu

X-140 GG Bloody bait

PM Pearl rainbow

Not too long now....

2011-03-07T16:23:00.007Z

Im sure we have all faced conditions like this above, flat calm with little or no life in the water. These are difficult conditions for catching bass and frustrating when you know the fish are there but they just seem a bit lazy or shy away from bigger lures.

I like to use small subtle lures in such conditions however a lure I have just got my hands on recently is the sasuke 75 shad, I know some guys swear by this lure and it is a proven bass catcher. And I am sure this little lure will be very effective in these calm conditions. The sasuke 75 shad is a sinking lure which has a really nice tight rolling action and you can really feel this lure vibrating on the retrieve.

Another lure which has just arrived is the zonk gateride SG Teaser. I like to use bright visible lures when conditions get rough and the water clarity can become an issue. This is one lure I will certainly have in the box when water clarity isn't great.

Tight lines,

James

Megabass Flutta Bait...

2011-02-23T12:55:00.002Z

This is a lure that I have had in my box for a while and have caught on. Using it over clean ground with fast moving current , sinking and drawing it as the tide carried it from left to right . This method works well for this lure and I put my hand up and say this is probably the only situation and method that I would have used this lure for ( not anymore ). After getting a demo on this lure in France last weekend it is going to move up into a lure that I will turn to far more often . It is amazing on a straight retrieve with a few twitches and if the area allows ( depth of water ) stop and pause for a few seconds a few times through the retrieve . It is one of many lures that really impressed me over the weekend . It weighs 35g so you are certainly going to cover plenty of ground and when the wind is up you are going to have no problem pumping it out. One situation that I can not wait to give it a go is off the rocks with a big surf coming in as it will certainly stay down and stable. Some of the best lures on the market can not handle these situations but as you know we get lots of rough weather and wind, finding another lure to have in my box that is going to work well in this situation gives me another advantage (I can not wait to get out with some lures).

More reports on lures seen in Nantes to come during the week.

Cian.

Nantes

2011-02-21T14:54:00.004Z

Firstly I would like to thank everyone who reads the blog . While I was away over the weekend in France the blog reached over twenty thousand hits since we started. It is amazing how many people are reading the blog and both I and James love doing it . So thank you to everyone .

The picture above is of me Paul Burns ( my fishing buddy and tackle junkie) , Yannick ( the owner of ultimate fishing ) and Mick Ward (my good friend and ultimate fishing agent ).

Myself Yannick and Mick.

The lure forum gang having a meal on the Saturday night . What a great group of guys and passionate lure anglers . It was a pleasure to spend the weekend which such a nice group of lads . It was great to spend time with these lads and find out what techniques they are using and what lures are working for them .( also just to have a good laugh in good company).

One of the lure tanks at the show where lures are demonstrated . It is brilliant to see lures being worked at close range. What action needs to be put into these lures , what speed to retrieve and so on . But most important to look at new shiny stuff swim by .

If you are a lure fishing nut I would highly recommend making the trip over to this show . To be honest my mind still has not caught up with the amount of information I took in over the weekend . Hopefully I will settle down and be able to right about what I learnt over the weekend but at the moment my head is buzzing with info .

Above are two of the product designers from DUO . Both of these guys had great English and were more than willing to share information . To be honest they blew my mind . We went to the lure tank where they did demos of some new lures and some which I have been using for years . There is no right and wrong but I have been shown some very effective ways to use these lures that I would have never come up with on my own in a lifetime of using them . Later in the week I will get some pics of lures up and explain as best I can what was shown to me and what way these lures were intended to be used by the guys that designed them .

Cheers,

Cian.

That time of the year again....

2011-02-20T10:07:00.011Z

As winter slowly starts to slip away and with those nice spring days hopefully just around the corner, I cant help but get sea trout off my mind.

Sea trout run the majority of Irish rivers to spawn from October-December then as spent fish fall back out to sea to feed and condition themselves at sea before returning to their rivers for their next spawning period. So sea trout are hungry predators gorging in the sea surely they will be easy to catch....think again, catching/chasing sea trout on lures, is to say the least challenging and sometimes quite frustrating (but can become an obsession very quickly), but well worth it when that bar of silver slides onto the beach.

These silver bullets are a great sport fish which will do everything they can to shake the hook and they have quite a nack of doing just that. It is also hard to get good hookups as sea trout have very soft mouths while at sea. Small trebles are a must when fishing sea trout if you want a good hook hold.

The key to locating sea trout is to find an area where you think they may be feeding, estuaries, lagoons etc. Visit these marks at various stages of the tide and if there are sea trout present they will show you wont miss them as they jump clear out of the water on a regular basis some say this is to knock off irritating sea lice they may have picked up at sea.

So once you have located the sea trout or know of particular marks where they are present there are a couple of lures I wouldnt be without. As most areas where sea trout hold have a flow of current I like to knock small jigs through the current such as duo press bait fusion and kamuy, p boys and nabura dekas etc. This method can be lethal for trout covering a lot of ground quickly fluterring baits just above the bottom where sea trout sit in wait for passing food.

There are also areas like back eddies (slack water) where small lures like the Zonk 77 and Grace minnow can be very effective lures for catching out sea trout feeding in these areas.

The sea trout are predominantly feeding on small sandeels and small fish therefore these lures seem to work well. Match the hatch!!!

Zonk 77

Grace minnow

Press bait fusion

Press bait Kamuy

Nabura deka

*Important Note*

If you intend to fish for sea trout you will need a licence. You can purchase your licence here

Nantes 2011

At the moment Cian is away in Nantes at the superb fishing show see here for some words from Henry Gilbey about the show. Cian will write up a full report of all new findings (lures/rods/techniques) from his visit over to France sometime next week.

Tight lines,

James.

Sakura Shinjin....

2011-02-13T12:26:00.004Z

The new sakura shinjins have just arrived and boy are they impressive pieces of kit. Since I heard the sakura rookie range was being discontinued I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new sakura shinjin which take the place of the rookie in sakuras range. The shinjins are extremely light and very well balanced. The shinjins also have new fuji K anti tangle rings to avaoid looping of braid around the rings.

Sakura have really done it again producing a superb lure rod that is sensitive, light, very well balanced but also extremely powerful for a great price.

We currently have the long range series in stock which include;

SIS 702 LR-M 10-35g

SIS 782 LR-M 10-35g

These two rods are great all round fast responsive rods with stacks of power in reserve when needed. They are suitable for fishing both hard and soft baits (Fuji K guides).

SIS 862 LR-MH 15-50g

This rod has a lot of power. When the sea is alive and really pounding in this is the rod to deal with such conditions, built for long range casting and also having all the power you will ever need in a lure rod when fighting fish in big swells. Also fitted with the excellent Fuji K guides for tangle free casting.

For more information on these rods give us a ring in the shop or call in for a look yourself.

Tight lines,

James.

It has only begun

2011-02-04T17:53:00.003Z

Lure fishing is only getting started.

It amazes me how quickly lure fishing has taken off in the UK and Ireland . It is a great way to fish , light tackle , moving around and finding fish . Tempting a wild fish to hit a lure is something else and highly addictive . What really gets me is that I think we are only scratching the surface of the possibilities , there are so many techniques and variations- the mind boggles . Lots of guys are adapting their lure fishing to target different species, not just bass . One that really gets me is what James did last week in Cork and that is taking decent cod on Sp's, on light gear - he was using a 2500 size daiwa and a 7ft rod . If you told me a few years back you were going cod fishing with that kind of set up I would had a pain in my side from laughing . Lrf is also taking off in the winter months , guys going ultra light to fish for an array of different species , cod , coalie , pouting, pollack and so on . A conversation today with Henry Gilbey really sent me off thinking , we were talking about Lrf and he said after talking with some guys who are really in to it that the technique used and learned will work extremely well for bass . Another technique or skill could mean the difference between catching or not .

Lure fishing is moving so quickly and we are all being flooded with information . The Japanese are at the top of there game when it comes to lure fishing with company's like Megabass and Ima constantly developing new products . Whats happening now is they are developing more and more products to suit our type of fishing in Europe , which is great for us . Yes you can get very technical with your lure fishing but do not let that put you off , that can come in time . First of all get yourself a couple of decent lures and get out there and find some fish . You could have all the gear and be chucking your lure a mile away from the nearest fish . Bass are predators and if they are hungry and you put a decent lure in front of them they will most likely have it. Get to know your marks and when they fish , what state of tide , wind direction and so on and you are more than half way there . Take your lures to a place where you can have a good look at them coming through the water and try to put different actions into them see what way the lure likes to be worked , fast or slow retrieve , twitch or not , pause , suspend . Also have a look on you tube you will find a demo video of most lures .

Tackle

Tackle has come along way in the last few years and no you do not have to have a red rod and a five hundred euro reel to get started. Yes there are some amazing bits of kit available and yes some can be amazing to fish with but there are so many options now of reasonably priced kit that has been designed for our lure fishing . The quality of some of the rods and reels available now is outstanding , Daiwa , Sakura ,Shimano, Savage gear and many more have some outstanding affordable kit out making it easier for everyone to get out and give it a go . The thought that you need a € 1000 euro to get a decent set up is far from the truth .

Any one looking to get started and they want to pick my brain call in to the shop send me an email or call the shop , you can get all the contact details at the top of the page .

Hopefully the season ahead will be as good as the last .

Tight lines,

Cian.

A day on the water...

2011-01-27T12:45:00.006Z

I was lucky enough to spend a couple of hours yesterday with James MacSweeney on board his boat "Bass Bandit" in Cork harbour. Conditions were against us with a howling north easterly the fishing was going to be very hard and to be honest I was not too confident as we loaded up the boat in Monkstown for the off.

On our way to the first mark James showed me all the nooks and crannies that he knows very well all around the harbour where he has had some really nice specimen bass last season. There is some serious bass ground around cork harbour and Im already looking forward to getting down to fish some of these marks in summer.

Anyway we arrived at our first drift where James reckoned we would have a good chance of getting some cod on soft plastics. This sounded interesting as Id never had cod before on sp's....loads of things were running through my head like will this work? and will cod really give much of a fight or will it be like bringing in a dead weight?

They really do hammer these soft plastics

Happily the questions I was asking myself were answered pretty quickly as I got my soft plastic bouncing on the bottom i felt a solid bite I struck and FISH ON!! and this continued on each drift after with a couple of double hook ups this really was curing the winter blues and the lack of bass around at the minute!!!

My injection was seriously tested by these smashing codling they ranged from 3-5lb and boy do they go..... a different fight to a bass but when these fish are hooked at a good depth they do not give up easily. As you try to bring them to the surface expect vicious head shaking and line being stripped off the reel when the cod go on long powerful runs....this is proper fishing for this time of the year.

We ended up with a some really nice cod and I managed to sneak out a nice pollack, James aslo got broke up by two seriously good fish, maybe a big pollack or big cod but whatever these fish were they went on huge runs thats simply could not be stopped. I suppose a good days fishing would not be complete without the "ones" that got away.

If you want to contact James you can reach him on james.macsweeney@yahoo.com , weather it be some cod on soft plastics in the next few months or bass on surface lures in the summer and autumn, the fishing that can be had in cork harbour is awesome.

Tight lines,

JamesB

Whats to come...

2011-01-24T14:46:00.005Z

This time of year is not easy for us lure fishermen , fishing is difficult to say the least . Now if we got a week of westerly winds and the water cleard up we might be in with some chance but I would say that is wishful thinking . Myself and James have been doing a bit of bait fishing over the last few weeks for cod , coalie , flounders and always trying for a bass . To be honest I have forgotten how much I enjoy it and I am kicking myself I did not do more of it over the winter months . Saying that I can not wait to get out with the lures especially when seeing pictures like these.

These are some pictures James Mac Sweeney sent us. (Pictures courtesy of David Gauduchon)

James MacSweeney is a bass guide in Cork harbour , he sent me these pictures last week of a day out with a client last summer . He certainly got me thinking about the season ahead . What a fish and just before this fish was landed James lost a fish at the boat which he estimated to be at least 2lb heavier . James knows his stuff and puts his clients on fish so if you are heading to Cork harbour you wont go too far wrong booking a day out with James you can contact him at james.macsweeney@yahoo.com.

New Komomo SF-125

2011-01-18T21:34:00.003Z

Below is a picture of the new super shallow Komomo SF-125.

This is the lure to have when fishing extremely shallow reefy ground and will work in the top 30cm. Retrieving this lure slowly while raising your rod will ensure the lure will work just beneath the surface with a tight rolling and wobbling action if the lure is stopped it will float slowly to the surface which is sure to entice and bass following the lure. Definitely one to think about for the coming 2011 season if fishing shallow ground.

Tight lines.

Copper Coast....

2011-01-11T16:02:00.006Z

Scouting for new marks along the awesome copper coast.... mile upon mile of bass heaven!

SALE

2011-01-06T11:48:00.003Z

There will be a sale in the shop this weekend, starting tomorrow there will be some great deals on lures, rods and reels so be sure to call in!!

Happy New Year...

2011-01-02T12:17:00.000Z

Happy new year to you all and heres to some good fishing in 2011.

I also want to remind people that we are having a SALE on Friday (7th) Saturday (8th) and Sunday (9th). So be sure to call in to avail of some great offers to be had on rods, reels, lures etc.

Tight lines.

Absolute fishing 2010....

2010-12-29T14:44:00.000Z

Christmas Opening Hours

2010-12-20T15:13:00.000Z

Dec 24th - 10.00 - 15.00

Dec25th Closed

Dec26th Closed

Dec 27th 10.00-15.00

Dec 28th 10.00 - 18.00

Dec 29th 10.00 - 18.00

Dec 30th 10.00 - 18.00

Dec 31st 10.00 - 15.00

Jan 1st Closed

Jan 2nd 10.00 - 15.00

Then back to normal .

If anyone needs anything over the Christmas period and the shop is not open just call the shop on 051393559 as the phone will be diverted to my mobile and I only live two min from shop and have no problem opening up if anyone needs anything .

Water Temp is still Good

2010-12-08T14:53:00.000Z

Water temperature is still at 10.4 degrees and for me that is still more than enough to go fishing with lures. It has been a tough two weeks on the weather front here with freezing temperatures roads not passable but saying that I have had reports of people making a serious effort to get out and fish . Reports of catches are still coming in and I for one can not wait to get out and give it a good go with the plastics . Saying that all the fish that I have heard of being caught in the last week fell to hard lures . There were even guys catching on surface lures two weeks ago ( insane for this time of year ). The sun is out here today and the snow is starting to melt so hopefully anyone who has been stranded will be able to make it out and give it a go there are fish around and some big girls too . James is just back from a trip to Poland , so soon as he recovers and is able to mind the shop I am going fishing . Once the water temperature stays above 8 degrees I am happy to fish with lures . At the moment it is a case of slowing everything down and getting down deep . This is why I favour soft plastics at this time of year . If possible let the current do most of the work or stick to a very slow retrieve . As the water temp drops so does the metabolism of the fish which makes them less likely to use up a load of energy chasing a fast moving lure . Offer them easy pickings ( nice and slow moving plastics ).

If anyone else is like me and wishing this weather to go away so we can continue fishing I hope you all can make it out over the next few days as the tides are perfect and who knows when your going to hook into a monster .

Tight lines,

Cian.

When will it let up ?

2010-12-02T11:38:00.000Z

If any of you are like me then you are starting to go Stir crazy with the snow . Bad weather or not I will be out fishing soon . If I have to walk to a mark I am going .
They are starting to clear some of the roads around Tramore so the shop is open but please be careful .

Cheers,

Cian.

Snow Day Again

2010-12-01T10:26:00.000Z

As you can see by the outside of the shop we got a lot of snow last night . The roads in Tramore are treacherous so I walked down to the shop to check emails and parcel off a few phone orders . Not much point in sitting down here for the day but if anyone needs anything just give the shop a call as it is diverted to my mobile and I am only a short walk away . Enjoy the snow and hopefully we will all be back fishing soon before the withdrawal symptoms get unbearable.

Cian.

2010-11-29T15:16:00.000Z

The snow is very nice BUT !!

2010-11-29T14:59:00.000Z

The snow is very nice but is seriously effecting our fishing and not because of the temperature , because we can not get to our marks . Most of the places we fish involve country roads which have not been treated . It is frustrating as we know the water temp is still good , the clarity is good and there are still a fish around as many people proved last week with some outstanding catch reports coming in . Anyway such is the way of life and I am sure will will get out soon enough .

Christmas is just around the corner and just to let ye all know there are gift vouchers available .

Also we can take any credit or debit card orders over the phone .

Cheers,

Cian

November Rock Fishing.....

2010-11-19T19:29:00.000Z

Plenty of action still to be had along the copper coast at the moment. There was a window of opportunity to get out early this week and although the tides weren't great conditions were spot on....nice onshore wind with reasonable water clarity.

Myself and Paul fished a rock mark on early this week which produced some nice fish. The lure of the day was once again the Zonk Gataride in a variety of colours and we are really starting to think that colour doesnt matter when it comes to this lure as one colour seems to be as good as the other, but wer always going to have our favourites.

Fishing into gullies on a flooding tide worked to great effect for us. Visiting your mark at low water and finding gullies and ambush points for the bass can be a great help when the tide floods in over these areas you have a much greater chance of connecting with a bass or two knowing where these areas are instead of casting blindly into the water.

When there is a big surf/swell rolling onto the rocks like in the picture above a lure which can really bite down into the water can be a great help, the Zonk 120 and sinking tide minnows can be a great help and can sometimes make a big difference giving the lure that extra bit of stability needed in such conditions.

So before you put away your bass gear for winter get out and give it another go as there seems to be good numbers of bass around the rock marks, if the water clarity isnt great try a xlayer or a shad type soft plastic as they can be very effective over rough ground fished nice and slowly which may entice a fish that may not come as easy to the plug.

Tight lines,

James

New stock arrived....

2010-11-17T13:25:00.000Z

Megabass Gaterides, Zonks, X140's, IMA sasukes are all back in stock.

Zonk Gataride Pearl rainbow

Zonk 120 GG Bloody Bait

X140 Sw GG Heat Iwashi

X140 SW HT Hama Shirasu

Zonk Gataride HT Hama Shirasu

IMA Sasuke 140

Ring the shop or call in for more details and for the full range of colours available.

Tight lines.

Trout n About....

2010-11-15T16:13:00.000Z

Myself and Cian decided to try something a bit different yesterday, we headed to a trout fishery to practice the fly casting and to have a bit of craic with some lively rainbows.

James.

Fishing Junkies

2010-11-10T11:54:00.000Z

It makes me feel better about myself to hang around with people who have the lure fishing bug as bad as me . Above are some of the fishing junkies that I fish with Paul, James, Henry and Nick. Henry and Nick were over for a week recently and we all fished a lot and when we were not fishing we were talking fishing . For me it is a complete obsession , lately because I am not getting out fishing as much as I would like to be I am dreaming about fishing , I caught a 15lb bass in my dreams the other night ( not bad ). It is evident since opening the shop that there are a massive number of guys who have the fishing bug as bad as me . Getting stressed when they can not get there favorite lure in there favorite colour, going crazy when they can not fish due to weather . To me it is the best pastime in the world . Playing a soccer match or a game of golf would not have the same effect on me that's for sure but I am sure that there are people who get that buzz out of there chosen hobby's . We who are addicted to our hobby's are lucky people to have found something that gives us such pleasure and excitement and will continue to do so as we are forever learning . Fishing is something that I will never figure out or master and that is why I love it so much , no fishing sessions is ever the same .
Weather looks perfect today SW breeze at 15Kpm and I am in the shop for the day wishing I was out on the rocks. Hope a few of you are out giving it a go . Tight lines

Plastics at the ready....

2010-11-03T19:40:00.001Z

There are still some reports of bass hanging around the rock marks and they seem to be there in reasonable numbers, if the water temperature stays where it is at the moment and we get some good conditions with some reasonable water clarity I have no doubt that we will get some good bass fishing off rock marks for the next one or two good tidal cycles, and heres hoping conditions are like this below...

However as winter starts to get a proper hold and water temperatures start to drop, a lot of people think its time to put away the spinning gear and time to dust off the bait gear in pursuit of the silver fellas which are still around the coast, however November and December can give the dedicated lure angler a great chance of connecting with a double in the many estuaries found along our coastline if conditions are on your side.

As water temeperatures begin to drop the fishes metabolism slows down so in other words there not going to be as willing to chase down a plug being retrieved at a quick pace. This time of the year soft plastic fishing comes into its own twitching slowly along sandy bottoms or allowing them to bounce through a current can lead to some excellent fishing.

Around this time of the year a lot of big fish tend to make an appearance in these estuarine areas which are ideal locations for working soft plastics. Numerous bass over the magical 10lb mark are taken this time of the year, when conditions are right.

For example check out the fantastic session Henry Gilbey and co had on a winter bass hunt in Waterford from a couple of years ago here and here

The photos from Henry's blog show just how good the bass fishing can be in the winter months when conditions coincide with good tides, at this special time of the year the results can truly be outstanding.

Heres some photos of some of the well known but deadly soft plastics we will be using in winter months which lie ahead.

GT shad

Megabass spindle worm

Megabass xlayer

Tight lines,

James

A big thank you...

2010-10-27T15:05:00.000+01:00

A big thank you to everyone who was at the opening day . It amazed me the amount of people who turned up to the official opening and I would just like to thank everyone for making the effort and taking the time to come along . It has been hard work setting up a tackle shop but seeing the crowd that turned up on Sunday made it all worth while. So again thank you all very much.

Cian.

Nick Hart and Henry Gilbey arrived over last thursday for a marathon week of bass fishing and to help out with the opening day. The weather was mixed while they were here but we still managed to get some good fishing in between what at times were difficult conditions with the lads having a very enjoyable week with the bass making an appearance at times, Nick managed to get his first bass on lures and now has the bass bug bad!! For some great pictures from there week here take a look at Henrys blog here

James.

Opening day....

2010-10-20T17:14:00.001+01:00

Difficult Conditions

2010-10-17T10:26:00.000+01:00

This settled weather is very nice but it is making fishing difficult . The water is gin clear and there is still plenty of bait fish around but in my opinion without that bit of fizz ( life in the water ) it is hard work fishing with lures . The bright sunshine and clear calm water give the fish too much opportunity to see the lure the line and you . Also I think with a bit of movement or surf they do not get as much time to think about attacking something if they don't have it straight away they could loose it in the next wave . Saying all this there are still some fish being caught and nice ones too.

Here is a little story that explains the catching of the fish above .

A few weeks back myself and Paul were fishing a mark , nothing new about that only that Paul lost a brand new Yellow Patchinko. That evening Marty Harrison and his friend Austin arrived into the shop just after fishing the same mark . Marty announced that he had found a Yellow Patchinko. When I informed him about Paul's loss we had a bit of a laugh and Marty was sure it was going to catch him fish but the lure obviously had bad luck attached to it because Marty did not get a touch on it . Marty and Austin were down again this week and again the Yellow Patchinko did nothing for Marty so he handed it to Austin and within five min the picture above explains what happened . Austin smashed this fish on Marty - Paul's Yellow Patchinko . Well done Austin what a great fish off the top . That lure certainly does not have bad luck for you.

Tried a bit of bait fishing with James earlier in the week which was nice and we managed a few fish nothing spectacular but very enjoyable . The biggest fish was 4lb and full of life when hooked but all of the fish landed were just plucking at the bait , it was like flounder bites . I do not know does the same go for bait fishing as lures , do they need that bit of fizz in the water to really switch them on or is there still just to much food in the water for them.

Just a quick reminder about the opening day Sunday the 24Th a week today from 1pm to 4pm . Everyone is welcome .It should be a good day and you never know you could win something .

Cian,

Easterly

2010-10-09T10:34:00.000+01:00

It has not been a great week for fishing with all that wind we are getting and now its in the east and due to stay there for a while , which is certainly going to make things a lot more difficult . It is such a shame with such nice tides this week that the weather got the better of us but we can not complain too much as we have had some fantastic fishing so far this year . In my opinion we still have a good bit of time lure fishing left this year . The water temperature is up there has not been too much rain and all we need now is for that wind to swing around and settle a bit and we will be out again . This time of year right up to Christmas and after if the weather allows is probably my favorite time for lure fishing . Its time to get the plastics out slow it down and hopefully see a few big fish .The weed will start move on and make it possible to bounce plastics where it was impossible during the summer . If all that fails I will be sure to be getting out the light bait fishing gear a bucket of crab which I must admit I am looking forward to . It is another nice way to approach bass fishing and if it means getting fish when lures wont work I am quite happy .

Official Opening
We are having an official opening of the shop on Sun 24Th of October from 1pm to 4pm . There will be a raffle with loads of prizes and a top prize for lure fishermen of a Tenryu rod and a top prize for bait fishermen of a Daiwa 7HT Mag and lot more . Henry Gilbey will be here for the day doing the official opening so come along and pick his brain . Everyone is welcome and hopefully it will be a great day .
Just a quick thank you to everyone who is reading the blog its great I can not believe so many people are reading it , James and myself enjoy doing it so thanks to everyone .

Not a bad day.....

2010-10-03T22:12:00.001+01:00

After checking the weather last night I was delighted to see some high pressure sneaking in between the constant low pressure we were having. From past experiences I found that if you can find some clean water on the open coast the day after a strong blow that it can fish its socks off, so hopes were high for a good day.

I arrived onto the copper coast early afternoon and after checking the usual marks it was clear that it wasn’t going to be easy to find some clean water, after checking countless marks I said Id take a gamble and try a mark I had not fished for a couple of years. After a bit of a trek I found what I was looking for, some reasonably clean (mixing) water with plenty of fizz!

Lure of choice was a Sasuke 140 in candy colour. Within the first few casts I had a nice Pollack, I was delighted thinking to myself if the Pollack could find the lure if there were any bass around Id be in with a good chance. Sure enough within 20 minutes I hooked a good fish that doubled the Injection and proceeded to strip countless yards of line of my 3000 sized reel, the gear was well up to the test and after a few minutes I slid the most well conditioned bass I have ever seen onto the shore, the girth of this fish was remarkable, on the boga she came in at over 9lb.

The tide was really pumping in at this stage and there was a thick line of kelp on the foreshore which was slowly starting to get picked up and beginning to float in front of where I wanted to fish, making things difficult. Fishing amongst this floating weed was a nightmare, but on one of the retrieves I felt a bang then another, thinking to myself here is another Pollack I stopped the lure and bang…not a Pollack but bass on, the fish really wanted that sasuke, giving yet another outstanding fight on the light gear, definitely the best way to catch these fish. Again on the sasuke 140.

Confidence was sky high at this stage and but the line of kelp had made its way out in front of me so time left fishing the mark was of the essence. A few minutes later I hooked another fish again in close which went on one hell of a run but the on this occasion the fish won and all I got back were two big bass scales on my sasuke.

A quick break for lunch and into the shop for a couple back up lures to have for the dropping tide and of course to let Cian know what he was missing. So onto the next mark that I generally fish on the dropping tide, and which had been fishing very well for me of late. Sure enough within 5 minutes I had a fish which came in around 8lb on the boga.

Fishing where I was I only had another 30 minutes before the water would strip off in front of me making the gulley I was fishing into impossible. Just as I was thinking I would move on I hooked a reasonable fish which after a bit of head shaking on the surface took me to ground,, DISASTER the fish and the lure of the day gone.

The confidence knocked a bit after losing my lure of the day I fished on and to round up the day nicely I had a nice 6lber as the sun was setting on yet another perfect day on the copper coast.

Tight lines,

James.