So i'm going tope fishing this weekend...

danniemcq

so i am going out for the rathmullen fishing festival this weekend. i'll be tope fishing and as i have been for the last seven fecking years and never even had so much as a run i'm desperate this year for something!

so has anyone here got any tips on a way to improve my chances? any tips would be greatly appreciated!

i'll post pics (if) i get anything!!!

sgb

Fresh mackeral presented as a flapper in my opinion is the best bait. Hope your skipper takes you mackeral bashing before the tope fishing

danniemcq

sgb wrote: »

Fresh mackeral presented as a flapper in my opinion is the best bait. Hope your skipper takes you mackeral bashing before the tope fishing

yah we usually get a box of mackeral and then try and get a few fresh ones ourselves.

Been using the flappers (sadly the doggys seem to love them more than the tope though) but can i ask do you find it more effective to put the hook up through the head or down near the back?

sgb

Has to be fresh mackerel strait out of the sea, hook through the head, so it presents a big bait which helps in keeping the doggies at bay. Tope normally feed at certain times, usually at the start of the flood tide but different areas can throw different feeding pattens, you must ask your skipper what works best in the area is taking you

dbrock

i normally use a whole mac, and find the doggies dont seem to get through it so quick, head hooked or use a penel and put a hook in head and tail i use small cable ties to keep the bait well presented, also found i hooked alot more when using mono as to wire, good luck with it

sean raff

a squirt of wd40 some times helps,at slack water try a flapper under
a balloon.good luck and tight lines

GLC

Here's a tip, fish the Sunday next year!!

danniemcq

GLC wrote: »

Here's a tip, fish the Sunday next year!!

were you out?

sickened now thats nothing in 8 years not even a run again.

Still at least I was one of the (very) few that didn’t get sick, the swells were crazy.

The only one of the above tips I didn’t use was the WD40, was gonna but one of the other lads said whatever they had in it before that worked was removed so no point

thanks for all the advice though

GLC

Yeah I was on the Vagabond with you! I had a 41lb specimen Sunday, came third overall, just after getting €100 in the post there, not so bad. Was a bit calmer on Sunday but the rain never stopped.

danniemcq

GLC wrote: »

Yeah I was on the Vagabond with you! I had a 41lb specimen Sunday, came third overall, just after getting €100 in the post there, not so bad. Was a bit calmer on Sunday but the rain never stopped.

Ah jeez fair play lad! Next year I think I’ll try the 2 days, have to much coming up to afford it this year, were yous up behind inch or did yous head back to where we were on the Saturday again? I heard there was 10 caught on one of the boats?

GLC

Yeah we anchored up at the hawks nest, was slow enough but at least we got two on board, the Bonito had one just. The explorer stayed out off Dunaff and had a great day but sure that's just the way it goes! Hopefully I'll get another crack at them before the year's out.

gerryphelo

hi there was just wondering can you catch tope off the shore around wexford quay or where is the best spot to do so,im from waterford and never caught one before. if any one had any pointers or tips to catch one off the shore would be a big help.
cheers gerry

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Went sea fishing for the first time last sat, got a charter in rathmullen. Most people on the boat had never been sea fishing before, so we spent most of the day using feathers. Spent around 2 hours fishing for tope and landed 2 tope I was lucky enough to land one around 30lbs. Not bad for a first time tope fishing!