Donegal kayak Angler: Common Skate, from my kayak at last.

Common skate at last.
Hi all.
This fishy adventure started back about 2 weeks ago when I was lucky enough to capture a common skate on my gopro camera on the sea bed in 100ft of water.
It had been a quiet days fishing that day and when I got home and checked the camera I nearly leapt off the couch with the excitement of seeing that fine skate swimming around and around my bait.

So I have been dreaming of hooking that fish for the last 2 weeks.
Earlier in the year myself and 5 others [Anthony, Tony, Andrew, Rob and Daniel] travelled to Scotland in search of these beasts, and we done an epic bit of traveling only to be literally blown off the water, But we had a ball and lots of Scotland's finest cheap beer.
Would you believe it they where on my door step all along.

Attempt 1.
My first attempt was made very close to where I caught the skate on camera but I had no luck but I also had no rubby dubby either, so that didn't help.
But I did catch this beauty of a lobster

Nearly got the fingers there.

Attempt no.2

This time I wasn't on my own and Mike a keen kayak angler from Belfast joined me for attempt 2.

We camped out near Malin Head on Saturday night with the intension of getting an evening session at the Pollock or what ever else was about. But the weather was brutal and there was a strong breeze blowing.

So what else could we do but get the camp fire going and have a few beers.

Sunday morning.

Sunday morning came and between a sore head and it still being a tad breezy we held off until 7am to head out.

Mike and myself headed out in a decent swell and headed to a mark not far from where I had hooked a skate on light gear and lost it about 6 weeks previous.

So this time the proper skate gear was going down a 50lb class rod, 80lb braid and a Penn 10LD.

Mike and I anchored about 200yards apart and I started the rubby dubby.

I had a decent bag of fish scraps along side the kayak and also I had my mini chum bag attached to my lead loaded with mushed up sprats.

Originally I wanted to use mackerel for the skate but when I checked my first bait after 30mins between doggies and crabs the only thing that was left was the head.

So luckily I had caught some nice scad and with them being as hard as a block of wood I stuck one of them on.

Again I checked this bait every hour or so and it was in perfect condition every time, so that was handy. A good scented doggie proof bait.

The first surprise of the day.

The first surprise came as I was fishing a second rod with light weight gear for scad and gurnard and as always I had the squid jig attached to the top of the rig.

But as I sat there the light rod got a got pull down. I lifted into it and I was getting several good pulls so much so I thought I had a spurdog. As quiet often they come up with out much of a fight only to take off when they realise they are on a line. But this fella was giving a decent few pulls and even took a small bit of line as the swells rolled past. The leader came up and to my surprise what was it but a massive squid. The biggest I have ever caught. I very gently reached for him and got him into the kayak before he could come off.

Plenty of doggies but not much else.

The fishing was poor enough but the thoughts of a skate being about had me pinned to my seat and I was happy to sit there all day even if I blanked.

Thankfully that wasn't going to be the case. I was fishing the light rod and all had gone very quiet, I had a few scad but the doggies had vanished and from the last days video of the dogs scattering when the skate was around had my hopes high.

The take.

Well I was sitting there and the big rod got a tap and the line had tightened. I left the rod in the holder and lifted the line by hand and gave it a small lift to see was it crabs or a bullhuss. As I lifted the line I got 2 solid knocks back.

The heart was flying now and the adrenaline was up. I lifted the rod and put the reel in to strike, reeled down and heaved hard. As I did I could feel the lead running down the leader and a very strong fish on the end.

Thankfully not a doggie or crabs but it had to be a skate.

She was a very strong fish, and it fought hard. I had huge pressure on her to stop her from getting stuck on the bottom.

I had her coming up by now and I let a roar over to Mike FISH ON.

Mike came over as the skate broke the surface and he managed some nice photo's.

In she came and I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe it my second attempt and I had her.

What a sight a fish I have been wanting to catch for a long time and it was finally on my kayak.

So now the big question. Is this the same Skate I caught on video. In one way it would be a classic to catch the one from the video but on the other hand it would mean there is more skate in this area. So what do you think is it the same skate. Here are the pics what do you think.