Sea fishing on the East Coast

rabbit assassin

Hey Im a game fisherman (trout and salmon) but with the ongoing hassle with salmon fishing , the expense of trout clubs (in places) I have been unable to join any this year. The only sea fishing Ive ever done was for mackeral off the shore. I was wondering whats the most simple methods for maybe cod off the shore or are there any to be found off the north east coast especially skerries? Id like to stay away from using bait if possible and just use spinners and lures.

dvae

Unfortunately there is very little cod caught from shore anymore except for some codling (small/young cod).
While i know perks and feathers tipped with mackerel can catch cod from a boat, id say there is little or no hope catching them with spinners or lures from shore.

mattcullen

how's it going. I'm no expert but from what I can tell, the codthat are caught from the shore are generally on bait. On a boat you'll get them on feathers etc. If you're interested in lure fishing I'd say focus on bass. They are difficult enough to locate but will definitely take lures (plugs or lures such as kiltys or tobys) . Wexford is seemingly very good but you will get them around dublin and meath/louth etc . More so prob later in the summer. Have a look at http://www.probassfisher.com/. Youll get loads of info if not specific marks from the sea angling ireland website. Pollock will also take lures but I'm not sure how great the east coast is. I hear you can get them up to 2lb off te back off the piers in dun laoghaire. Usually a deep rock mark is best.Likewhat you get over in the west. Like I said I'm only learnin but thats my take on it. good luck

Holyboy

mattcullen wrote: »

how's it going. I'm no expert but from what I can tell, the codthat are caught from the shore are generally on bait. On a boat you'll get them on feathers etc. If you're interested in lure fishing I'd say focus on bass. They are difficult enough to locate but will definitely take lures (plugs or lures such as kiltys or tobys) . Wexford is seemingly very good but you will get them around dublin and meath/louth etc . More so prob later in the summer. Have a look at http://www.probassfisher.com/. Youll get loads of info if not specific marks from the sea angling ireland website. Pollock will also take lures but I'm not sure how great the east coast is. I hear you can get them up to 2lb off te back off the piers in dun laoghaire. Usually a deep rock mark is best.Likewhat you get over in the west. Like I said I'm only learnin but thats my take on it. good luck

Ive had pollack up to about 8lb from the back of the east pier in dun laoghaire and have seen some caught which must have been double figures its a great little spot,very hard to fish though,hooking the fish is easy but landing them is a nightmare!

mattcullen

must give it a shot. would you recomend spinners or jellyworms or bait? is it very snaggy?

Paparazzo

Anyone ever fish the south bull wall? The area at the half moon battery looks like a nice spot

Holyboy

mattcullen wrote: »

must give it a shot. would you recomend spinners or jellyworms or bait? is it very snaggy?

Ive always used 1oz jensons the bright orange and yellow one being my favourite,they look aweful but they catch fish,its an odd spot, fishing on a low tide is easiest,there are a couple of shelves on a low tide you can stand on the first shelf but theres another about 30 yards out then its all sand,thats where the fish are,let your lure hit the bottom and then slow sink and draw works the best,if you hit a good fish youll know straight away but youve got to get him over the shelf, they always try to dive right into it and many times will fray the line while doing so,ive been smashed by so many big fish there I lost count a long time ago!

mattcullen

can't ask for better advice than that! Thanks. Do you go right down the end of the east pier or anywhere off the back of it? East pier better than west? Do you tend to snag the lures on the shelf itself a lot?

Holyboy

mattcullen wrote: »

can't ask for better advice than that! Thanks. Do you go right down the end of the east pier or anywhere off the back of it? East pier better than west? Do you tend to snag the lures on the shelf itself a lot?

The east is much better than the west,you can fish anywhere along it but about a third of the way up theres a huge pile of rocks,i like to fish in front of those it seems to be where the biggest fish are but its dangerous climbing out to it and keep in mind the wake from the ferry!if your careful to keep your rod high and reel fast before your lure hits the shelf you shouldnt lose to many but its always tempting to just give it one more jig in case you hit a fish;)youve missed the may madness,thats when on a good day you can hit a five pounder nearly every cast,it actually gets boring and sore at times!