Mega Mackerel thread 2017 - reports, queries and chat

kisugem

Anyone caught any mackerel this year in Ireland yet?

.red.

kisugem wrote: »

Anyone caught any mackerel this year in Ireland yet?

Good few being caught off ballycotton but very scattered.

nokiatom

I caught a good few but only brought a few home to test what they tasted like. they were just ok to eat but a lot of flavour lacking. late next month the will have built themselves up better and will taste a lot better

Mikecraddock

Where did you catch these?

Bikerguy

Mikecraddock wrote: »

Where did you catch these?

+1

nokiatom

outside of Youghal

Bikerguy

Went again to Clogherhead.... lovely weather.... water was clear but there was some kind of residue in it... i cant describe it...but it was getting on the line while retrieving...like a glue covering the line... i didnt make a pic... ;( so imagine clear mono covered in the brownish residue..discusting.... the tide was up... no fish caught tho...

mattcullen

Bikerguy wrote: »

Went again to Clogherhead.... lovely weather.... water was clear but there was some kind of residue in it... i cant describe it...but it was getting on the line while retrieving...like a glue covering the line... i didnt make a pic... ;( so imagine clear mono covered in the brownish residue..discusting.... the tide was up... no fish caught tho...

Were your hands stinging a bit after taking it off? I've got this boat fishing before and it's from Jellyfish but not sure if we're talking about the same thing.

Bikerguy

mattcullen wrote: »

Were your hands stinging a bit after taking it off? I've got this boat fishing before and it's from Jellyfish but not sure if we're talking about the same thing.

Went there today again....the same... it can be scrubbed of the line....it sticks only on mono not on braid..but it makes the line from clear to dark brown in 3 casts from the pier in harbour. It doesnt smell tho....feels like a dirt some kind of... but its not nice.... the feathers needs to be washed after 3 casts only...

ardinn

Bikerguy wrote: »

Went there today again....the same... it can be scrubbed of the line....it sticks only on mono not on braid..but it makes the line from clear to dark brown in 3 casts from the pier in harbour. It doesnt smell tho....feels like a dirt some kind of... but its not nice.... the feathers needs to be washed after 3 casts only...

Why didnt you take a pic today?

Bikerguy

ardinn wrote: »

Why didnt you take a pic today?

Me idiot left my phone home.... will go there tomorrow or saturday again and if ocuring i will make the pic.

Just realised i didnt clean it after ...moment brb

Bikerguy

Pic
This is after one cast....3 casts and its like a dark brown and has to be scrubbed

Bikerguy

More..


NOTE THIS WAS AFTER ONE CAST

The feathers were brand new....as i though maybe the mono is the culprit...so brand new used for 1 hour...thats how they looks like now

Bikerguy

Any ideas whats that?

PopSensyDad

Cannot see very well but rotten weed or meat of large animal? I hope it is not oil....

Bikerguy

Hm..was there today again...the same...i am no expert but i asume its kind a dirt to me...kinda plankton... but why it sticks only to mono...thats strange to me.... as if its dirt it would stick to braid...as i said i am using main line blue braid and the end are feathers only on mono. But its really bad..i cant see any fish breathing in the water with this in it. I was there like 5 days in the row and i caught 0 fish....

nokiatom

It could be an algae bloom. I've seen monofilament nets destroyed with it in years gone by.

thefisherbuy

I think nokia has it correct algae would probably be the problem sticks to mono alright.. don't know what else it would be..

Bikerguy

thefisherbuy wrote: »

I think nokia has it correct algae would probably be the problem sticks to mono alright.. don't know what else it would be..

Thats not the thing....defo not... at least looking at it it doesnt look to me...

nokiatom

judging by your photos it does look like algae bloom. I can recall seeing that on monofilament nets many years ago. we would spend hours tryin to get rid of it by shaking the nets vigorously as we pulled them into the boat. we would catch nothing as the nets looked like a wall in the water and the fish could see them without any problem

Bikerguy

nokiatom wrote: »

judging by your photos it does look like algae bloom. I can recall seeing that on monofilament nets many years ago. we would spend hours tryin to get rid of it by shaking the nets vigorously as we pulled them into the boat. we would catch nothing as the nets looked like a wall in the water and the fish could see them without any problem

Well then it must be the algae....i was only googling pics and its not the same.... but i am no expert by any means. I will check again next week and see if its still there... thank you.

On another note does it go away? Or can it harm a fish?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Bikerguy wrote: »

Well then it must be the algae....i was only googling pics and its not the same.... but i am no expert by any means. I will check again next week and see if its still there... thank you.

On another note does it go away? Or can it harm a fish?

We've wandered a bit from a Mackerel thread but that is definitely a plankton bloom. It's a result of the recent weather, will dissipate, and does no long term harm.

dmc17

Collin Clean Tail wrote: »

We've wandered a bit from a Mackerel thread but that is definitely a plankton bloom. It's a result of the recent weather, will dissipate, and does no long term harm.

Back on topic

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dmc17 wrote: »

Back on topic

Where and when?

dmc17

Collin Clean Tail wrote: »

Where and when?

Yesterday in Clare

nokiatom

Yes it always happens in hot weather.

Bikerguy

No macs in Clogherhead yet...3 lads fishing...water was muddy as the deep "trollers" (boats) were digging near harbour and the water was like a milk - sandy...hopping for this weekend that it will give some fish.... nice weather outhere....

Bikerguy

Anyone getting any fish...the weather outhere is stunning....planning to go tomorrow... hopefully it stays like that

Bikerguy

Just came back home... 1 hour in... got at least 50+ polocks....took 2 big with me and 6 small for dead bite.... rest back...


Every single cast got 2-3...it was one of my best day out there....even better then with mackerel... i was just beside harbour casting from rocks...


It was really amazing...mother nature rewarded me for patience.

Superb

gumbo1

Bikerguy wrote: »

Just came back home... 1 hour in... got at least 50+ polocks....took 2 big with me and 6 small for dead bite.... rest back...


Every single cast got 2-3...it was one of my best day out there....even better then with mackerel... i was just beside harbour casting from rocks...


It was really amazing...mother nature rewarded me for patience.

Superb

If you put the time into anything you will see the rewards. Well done on a good days fishing.

ardinn

Bikerguy wrote: »

Just came back home... 1 hour in... got at least 50+ polocks....took 2 big with me and 6 small for dead bite.... rest back...


Every single cast got 2-3...it was one of my best day out there....even better then with mackerel... i was just beside harbour casting from rocks...


It was really amazing...mother nature rewarded me for patience.

Superb

Good job. Where were you?

gumbo1

Anyone out and about around Dublin catching from the shore at all?

Merkin

Was that in Clogherhead bikerguy?

Bikerguy

Merkin wrote: »

Was that in Clogherhead bikerguy?

Yeh it was..back on friday when the water was crystal clear...but it wasnt from the harbor itself but from the rocks instead harbor gave me no fish at all.

Bikerguy

Still no mackerels in Drogheda area.... caught again some pollocks.. not big tho but its fun... they fight and if you get 2 or 3 in one throw its not bad at all.... but the seals are back in business....

Lost 3 rigs to them.... 1 seal is now with pink feather hook on his lips swimming around... lol


Anyway...probably a few weeks before macks arrive...

SeaFields

MOD - I split the most recent post from the 2016 thread and put them here for the 2017 mackerel thread, although the 2016 never really stopped reporting catches throughout the winter! :eek:

Bikerguy

Was out good few times in clogherhead.... Drogheda area... the dirt aka plague bloom is all over the harbour again..... i was talking to some fisherman....he said its never been so bad..... acording to him its because of pesticides used by farmers....

I am no expert...just saying what i have been told...the water is a mess and no sign of mackerel neither..

Bio Mech

Bikerguy wrote: »

Was out good few times in clogherhead.... Drogheda area... the dirt aka plague bloom is all over the harbour again..... i was talking to some fisherman....he said its never been so bad..... acording to him its because of pesticides used by farmers....

I am no expert...just saying what i have been told...the water is a mess and no sign of mackerel neither..

It won't be down to pesticides. They don't cause algal bloom. Fertilisers and slurry will because blooms are often caused by excess nutrients along with warm and sunny weather. Likely it's down to nutrient runoff due to spreading slurry and or fertilisers along with the recent warm spell. I would guess the fisherman has mixed up pesticides and fertiliser.

Human sewage could also be a contributor.

Fisherman1997

Anybody know when i will catch loads of mackeral and where? I was in howth many of times somedays i caught nothing and only on one day i caught 5,was in greystones and dalkey and caught nothing either? Whats wrong am i too early or late ??

mattcullen

Fisherman1997 wrote: »

Anybody know when i will catch loads of mackeral and where? I was in howth many of times somedays i caught nothing and only on one day i caught 5,was in greystones and dalkey and caught nothing either? Whats wrong am i too early or late ??

More than likely not doing anything wrong. If you caught before chances are the tackle is ok . Watch what others are doing and ask them for advice. I'd say more than likely there's just no shoals around when you've been out. If the fish are there you'll catch. As for when they'll be there, just keep trying and keep your ear to the ground. They're not that predictable but settled weather in July and August should see you right.

Fisherman1997

mattcullen wrote: »

More than likely not doing anything wrong. If you caught before chances are the tackle is ok . Watch what others are doing and ask them for advice. I'd say more than likely there's just no shoals around when you've been out. If the fish are there you'll catch. As for when they'll be there, just keep trying and keep your ear to the ground. They're not that predictable but settled weather in July and August should see you right.

Yes howth seems to be best spot but the mackerel were very small althought when i was there last week everybody caught mackerel i think when the tide came in

Fisherman1997

If anybody catches anything in dublin please share your post here. Thanks

Bikerguy

Bio Mech wrote: »

It won't be down to pesticides. They don't cause algal bloom. Fertilisers and slurry will because blooms are often caused by excess nutrients along with warm and sunny weather. Likely it's down to nutrient runoff due to spreading slurry and or fertilisers along with the recent warm spell. I would guess the fisherman has mixed up pesticides and fertiliser.

Human sewage could also be a contributor.

Yeh i did some " google research " and yes your theory seems to be 100% acurate. Will go there overweekend again and i will see whats the story.... fingers crossed it will clear up a bit....

Last year i was there almost every day work permitting and i havent experienced such a issue.... as i said the mono is getting dirty and as per my research the water is starved i mean lack of O2 will either kill the fish or make them to avoid the area... ;(

Bio Mech

Bikerguy wrote: »

Yeh i did some " google research " and yes your theory seems to be 100% acurate. Will go there overweekend again and i will see whats the story.... fingers crossed it will clear up a bit....

Last year i was there almost every day work permitting and i havent experienced such a issue.... as i said the mono is getting dirty and as per my research the water is starved i mean lack of O2 will either kill the fish or make them to avoid the area... ;(

With the warm weather forecast it might take a while to clear.

Geezer1000

Im going on Sunday for a while (might even skedaddle tomorrow if i can). Hope it will have cleared a bit, been years since I had a line in the water

Bikerguy

Geezer1000 wrote: »

Im going on Sunday for a while (might even skedaddle tomorrow if i can). Hope it will have cleared a bit, been years since I had a line in the water

Was there all afternoon....4pm till 9pm..


Water in harbour mess.... 0 fish to be seen or caught.... from the rocks "on open" sea it was a bit better and i hooked few pollocks.... but in 5 hours i say 20... i didnt take any..all went back... but no sign of mackerel....

Hint; the algea bloom was still present but only in harbour.. people mad were swimming in it and jumping.... the mono was getting dirty there... +it didnt move away with tide....

Anyway good day out.... defo positive experience topped with some facial sunburn....

Mikecraddock

I caught a few mackerel today, all rather small.
Got them behind irelands eye, then the resident seal showed up!

stretchaq

Anything around slade/hook head??

Ultimate Seduction

What's the water like in Youghal or Ardmore at the minute? Thinking of heading down tomorrow for a blast

nokiatom

no mackerel ashore in Youghal yet. was out in the boat last weekend and caught one for the day and we were out 7 miles from Youghal. Other angling boats had the same reports but things might have improved with the good weather during the week

Lyle Lanley

Catching them by the box load in Clew Bay County Mayo for over a month now. All from the boat.