Donegal kayak Angler: My first run out off Dunaff this year.

Hi all,
Here's what happened last Saturday may 31st.
Finally the weather had settled and as per usual tope where never far from my mind.
I had 2 had a few goals this year and I mark 2 of them off on this run out.
I wanted to get a tope on an articulated jig head and catch a tope on the Dip jigger rod.
The jig head for added sport and the dip rod as I was asked could I get something decent on it to give it a good run for it's money. I had a 7lb Pollack on it last year but that wasn't big enough lol.

A slow start.
I met with Bob and Joe from Buncranna at the launch site.
We launched up near Dunaff 2 hours before low water. So I could get bait paddle out the 3km and be ready for my toothy adversaries.
The first 2 didn't happen I went out past the coalies as I didn't want to get hung up them and playing with them even though they are good fun.
I went past them and it was not as calm as first hoped, so the lads stayed in at the Pollack and coalies and I went on out.
I dragged my feathers up and down and not 1 mackerel appeared, But I bumped into the old reliavle coalies and though they will do. So I just kept just a few for emergency bait.

At anchor.
Reluctantly I anchored up with only coalie and small whiting for bait from a previous trip. Also I had some rag. So I dropped a limi B trace baited with the rag down hoping for gurnard etc. The other rod had a pulley rig baited with a coalie fillet.

Down they went and all was quiet enough. I had some coalies and some Pollack which I don't normally hit here. But a short bit of under water filming made the reason clear.

But I fished away and with that a good rattle on the limi B's and up came this lad another unusual catch on this hard open ground.

I was happy to see him but no tope yet, But the bait fishing was improving.

And soon after this lad I got another and not a bad wrasse at all.

Although I was glad to see them the where not tope and that's what I was after.

By now I decided to try 2 things my Dip jigger rod with an articulated jig head on it.

And since it was quiet I would send the camera down with the jig head on it.

This would show I had landed on a small rocky reef so that why I was getting wrasse and Pollack.

I sat there and the nerves got the better of me and I hauled the camera up as a tope tangled in the camera is not worth the head ache.

But I put the jig head back down let it hit bottom and wound it up slightly so it lifts and falls with the swell.

The first of the toothed lads.

I was sitting there contemplating a move when the coalie fillet got the old familiar nod nod , I had the reel in free spool gave him a second and struck hard.My first of the year and a decent fight ended in a lively spurdog, my first of the year and weighting 11lb.

Terrible pic sorry, dirty lense .

That set the scene for the rest of the day.

Very soon after the this spur the coalie fillet got another enquiry and a short run resulted in a hook up and a fine scrap. I was in my element.

I must be getting forget full in my old age lol, but the tope this year seem to be much harder fighters.

Lines screaming off all over the shop, great craic.

My first of the day and I was delighted.

Let the mayhem begin.

Lines in again the Dip jigger down with an articulated jig head and the coalie fillet on a pulley rig.

This time things would go from a bit quiet to madness lol.

Again the tope rod got a nod nod but nothing else, But then he came back 30 seconds later and hit it hard. With that I struck and he gave a half arsed fight and came up quiet easy, that was until he realised he was hook then he powered away like a steam train taking lots of line with that I was about to reel the Dip rod with the jig head on in and it got a serious take.

I couldn't believe it.

I couldn't believe it lines flying every where lol.

But thankfully the one on the light boat rod had powered off and I had room to play the tope on the jigger rod. It was great fun and although the rod is not one of those bendy rods nor is it a broom handle it was ablr to work the fish and have room for more pressure if needed.

The fight was great fun and I got him to the kayak and I was delighted.

Here he is with the jig head hanging out of his mouth. He was about 23lb

Again a poor pic, but it's mayhem on your own.

Back to the other rod, and yes he was still there. Oh I was delighted. another great scrap and another lovely tope was on my lap. A better fish and this day was really looking up.