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Novices first time fishing Blessington Lake

  • 17-05-2019 8:46pm
    #1
    FirstIn
    Registered Users Posts: 655 ✭✭✭


    Folks, hope you can help. My young lad is 11 and mad to go fishing. We hired a cruiser on the Shannon last year and he did a bit of float fishing with maggots. He caught quite a few rudd and roach and every time we stopped; lunch break/at a lock/evening he was fishing. He loved it.

    We're in Wicklow so Blessington lake seems to be the obvious place to go with him and the plan is to go on Sunday. I called Baumanns in Stillorgan and they have maggots (I'll get them tomorrow) and i can buy a permit in the maxol station on Sunday (the camping place isn't open till 2). I read you need one.

    Given the lake is so big is there a decent spot to float fish from? We're novices to this so it will be just a a few maggots on the hook and see what happens. I have a few mepps spinners from many moons ago so we might do that for a bit too. I guess perch, trout or pike (if there are any) might take that.

    Or given we are in wicklow perhaps there is a better bet to Blessington for us to try. Any advice gratefully accepted.


Comments

  • #2
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/east/dublin/blessington.htm

    http://www.fishinginireland.info/trout/east/dublin/blessington.htm


  • #3
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    Van Black Barmaid wrote: »
    http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/east/dublin/blessington.htm

    http://www.fishinginireland.info/trout/east/dublin/blessington.htm

    Tbh I wouldn’t bother reading anything about the reviews. You and everyone else will also read it and that’s why the places told and methods no longer work because areas are fished out.


  • #4
    Charles Ingles
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,181 ✭✭✭Charles Ingles


    Hire a boat if you can afford it.
    Fishing much more successful from the boat in the quieter areas.
    Was out in February brought two rods, spinning and floating the spinner was much more successful , first day caught 6 fish none the next Day which was a raining.
    Hope you and the young lad have a great Day, used to bring my boys when they were young great memories


  • #5
    FirstIn
    Registered Users Posts: 655 ✭✭✭FirstIn


    We gave it a go yesterday. Bought the permits in the maxol and fished for about 6 hrs near Russborough house. There’s a slip and I think a canoe club there. Anyhow , the young lad float fished with maggots for the first 2-3 hrs and caught nothing. I was spinning with a mepps and he did so for the second half too. I managed to catch a small perch. That was it for the day.

    I did talk to two guys dead baiting for pike , big float etc and others ground baiting ( one chap had 5-6 rods on the go, quite professional setup) over near the bridge / baltyboys car park and they said they weren’t catching much.

    They all reckoned float fishing with maggots was a waste of time.

    We’ll give it another go. Perhaps just spinning somewhere else ( boy it is a big lake). I’m not in to ground baiting , I prefer to be more active when fishing.


  • #6
    Zizzle
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Zizzle


    I've been fishing Blessington lake for a few months now. Using feeder tactics with maggots.
    You're right, it is a big lake, semi-natural, with lots of places for the fish to hide.
    It's also really deep in places. At the Baltyboys bridge it is 30+ feet deep not too far out, so be careful if you are wading out. My fishfinder has the fish at 15 feet deep usually but as it gets warmer they will come up.
    I don't think Blessington lake is the place for you if you are just float fishing. However I am usually wrong and someone on here may PM you with a good spot.
    My advice is to hit the canal. Look for locks or marinas. Float fishing maggots and feeding little and often with a catapult should net you a few.
    I used to take my son to Meadow Lodge fishery in Maynooth. It was fish a chuck on the coarse lake on float tactics. he used to love it. I think they have shut the place though. No idea why.


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  • #7
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Wear a life jacket, even on the bank and especially at the russborough house side.

    There's a little plaque there where kids drowned.

    It's deadly. There are ruins of houses near the shore. Walk on them and step off and your gone.

    Tulfarris side isn't too bad. It's flat and shallow.


  • #8
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    If you are going as far as Blessie, would you consider going a bit further to Sallins or Monasterevin on the Canal, much more comfortable (park and fish), not as dangerous, and some decent fishing to be had

    21/25



  • #9
    Charles Ingles
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,181 ✭✭✭Charles Ingles


    FirstIn wrote: »
    We gave it a go yesterday. Bought the permits in the maxol and fished for about 6 hrs near Russborough house. There’s a slip and I think a canoe club there. Anyhow , the young lad float fished with maggots for the first 2-3 hrs and caught nothing. I was spinning with a mepps and he did so for the second half too. I managed to catch a small perch. That was it for the day.

    I did talk to two guys dead baiting for pike , big float etc and others ground baiting ( one chap had 5-6 rods on the go, quite professional setup) over near the bridge / baltyboys car park and they said they weren’t catching much.

    They all reckoned float fishing with maggots was a waste of time.

    We’ll give it another go. Perhaps just spinning somewhere else ( boy it is a big lake). I’m not in to ground baiting , I prefer to be more active when fishing.

    Great to hear you had a great day with your boy.
    Catching the fish isn't really important the time you spend with him is precious treasure it.
    Little tip instead of maggots try tiny bread balls perch love them, you just have to change them more often every couple of minutes


  • #10
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    Be careful on the banks. Very easy to just drop in and that lake is unpredictable.
    Also in terms of maggots afaik only white maggots are allowed to be used up there. I’ll check my licence when I get home but from what I remember only white maggots allowed.
    You should try feeder fishing. Great way to bring in fish and keep them in the area. The likes of Russborough is over fished. And kind of an obvious choice for people that are not used to the lake. I always avoid the areas that people are in but in saying that I do know the lake very well so I know where to go to avoid people and get fish.


  • #11
    wannabecraig
    Registered Users Posts: 761 ✭✭✭wannabecraig


    I'm going out here on Sunday. I've hired a boat, any place in particular I can look to fish?
    I have floats with live worms for baits, prob wont use those often. Have a meeps spinners and some larger pike lures,
    I'll probably used the lures more than the live bait tbh.


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  • #12
    onz
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭onz


    Me too, if anyone can recommend a good spot, fished the lake years ago, knew some good spots the locals offered, always liked to the right of the main bridge from Blessington town & Tulfarris side. Don't know if it's the same today. Catch and release is key & legal requirement now I believe.


  • #13
    wannabecraig
    Registered Users Posts: 761 ✭✭✭wannabecraig


    Late reply but no, I can't recommend good spots!
    WE got one pike and one perch while out there, near Vallymount. Didn't make it over as far as Tullfaris.
    We were only out for 5 hours, fishing on spinners, didn't feel like there was much out there to catch.
    Going to give it another bash in Dec if I can rent there.

    I've fished from the shore for pike on small jerkbait and spinners around the Russletown side, also without any luck.
    Spoke to a guy there who said he got a decent amount of perch with bait.


  • #14
    Feld
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Feld


    Could someone please tell me where to buy earthworms in blessington village please? Been about 4 or 5 yrs since I was last out that way tbh



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