Tope have landed

Well the long awaited tope have landed.
But with bait being very scarce at the moment we headed out near Malin head for a bait hunt on Saturday afternoon.

Sodding weather.
As the general theme this year. The weather for cast was a bit out and it was considerably breezier than we had hoped for.
But we got out and fished away until the weather made it to uncomfortable to fish. We done well and we all had some fine coalies and I managed 1 mackerel. But the beer and steaks made up for weather. It's looking like it will be a great year for it all going well. we are well set up now.

Mackerel.
Sunday came way to quick as we may still have been recovering from the refreshments from the night before. But up at 7am and out we went in search of bait. We gave it 2hrs and I only found 2 mackerel. A lonely grey gurnard. And a good helping of some fine coalies. I had my mark3 live bait tube out on trial again to see if putting the floats inside would help stream line it will paddling. It ended up not too bad and still works very well. This 2lb coalie was in it for well over an hour while I paddled around.

He was returned after his little trip around the area. So with that, we had enough bait and away went went. The lads were under pressure and didn't have time to hang around. So I was heading out on my own for the tope.

Time to try the tope.

Oh I was busting to hit the tope and with the lads catching some on Lough Swilly I had high hopes.

So 3 nice fresh mackerel and some more coalies things were looking good.

I was launching close to time low water so it was out asap and anchor down. 

I had the new fin nor lethal 100 out to see what it was like and the usual tope set up on the other. So 2 lovely mackerel fillets on pulley rigs and even though the fillets were fresh I couldn't resist give them a dose of Bio Edge sardine oil. I didn't have a bag to marinade them in so I just stuck the nozzle into the mackerel fillet a few times squeezed some in and it had a great scent trail coming off it.

Time was ticking and would the bad weather come in before the tope. 

By now the lines had been in about 30 mins and not a tap and the tide was easing off. Normally I would be hitting tope by now if they where around. But my fears eased as the rod tope got a classic bob,bob take. The heart was near jumping out of my chest waiting for some thing to happen. 

But no nothing. After a few minutes I lifted it and there was a couple of nicks at the edge of the bait so it definitly was a tope. Line down again and 10mins later the bait on the rod with the new beast of a reel got a take.

Doesn't matter how many tope you catch, the first of the year is epic. Pure tension, excitement and delight all rolled into one. 

A bonus flounder while trying for bait.

The take.

Sorry got side tracked there lol. Ye the take. I had the Fin nor drag set very light so the tope could take the bait with no resistance. As he took the bait and started to go I sank the hook. I had my finger on the spool so he could run a bit. But the drag was a bit light. So a I quickly turned the drag 1 full turn and, well I kind of over done it and stopped a tope in full run dead in his tracks lol.

He wasn't happy he turned and gave a mad close hand fight and rolled the trace all around him. The bugger was mental. I also had the water wolf camera on and he mangled that. Bent the wire and all sorts. But it is still working, thankfully.

So a mental tope along side  the kayak , wrapped in my trace and still full of life. In he came and as every year their sheer power amazes me every year. Pure muscle and power. 

 Oh he was a handful, but I wouldn't have it any other way. So after a wrestle , hook out and away he went. He was a feisty bugger lol.

So that was my first tope of the year. Oh it was great to have one in and released to start the season. But I had hopes of more but the weather rolled in. You can see from the time on the photo's how quick it changed. In less than an hour it went from a light breeze to strong breeze. I had to up anchor and make a run for shore and dodge the yachts as I went , or they dodged me lol.

So That was it, tope account opened and ready for more.

Until the next time tight lines and thanks for reading.

Also don't forget. Boat angling Ireland tope meet greenore co. Louth 10th/11th/June 

Tope 80lbs possible all welcome 
Find us on face book

While I'm waiting on the tope.

Hi all,
As the title says, since the weather was to dodgey to heading to far from shore in search of tope I head to a local in shore mark.
I was hoping pollock and wrasse but fishing the ebb tide it was never going to be a bumper session.

Something new.
I had some nice fresh rag with me and the usual assortment of feathers and some new soft lures from http://www.fish-dynamix.co.uk/ . Their that new they don't have a name or packaging lol.
I am as bad as most anglers always looking to try something new so it will be interesting the try the whole range out over the summer.

On my pollock mark.
I got on my Pollock mark, But today there was an unsual amount of coalies on the mark. Lots of them hitting the feathers when I was looking for mackerel.
Great to see a hard fishing fish about but a bugger when your after Pollock or mackerel.
So the feathers I use for early mackerel is the bleeding glow worm rig. Always a killer for early mackerel and herring. But it was a waste of time with the coalies around. So it was on to rag on a flowing trace or soft lure.
By now the lovely sunny day had turned to over cast and quiet breezy. But I was alright sitting aound the head land out of the breeze.
As the tide was running very fast I decided to anchor and tried the new lure with a 1.5oz lead head. I fished it for 30 mins with not so much as a tap.
So it was onto the rag,  but as the breeze was getting up all the time I didn't route out a boom I just run a line from above the jig head and use it as a weight as it was an ideal weight.
So rag down and fished very slow and deep and as expected on my second cast and retrieve I got the bump bump and take of a lively little pollock. I was sure he took the rag but no he took the new lure fished dead slow and deep.
Which surprised me, it did have a rub of the smelt wand on it too so that may have encouraged the take when fished so slow, I'm not sure yet.

No beast by any means but it was encouraging to see him on the lure when there was a nice rag worm behind it. 

Another couple of casts later and another classic pollock take with a much feistier fish this time and nearly up and another burst of life and a tustle and up came 2 pollock one on the rag and one on the lure.

The better fish was on the new lure, with a little one on the rag. Seems the better fish took the lure before the rag again. May be coincidence but some more testing in the future will give a better picture of how the new lure is working. I have a right few to try out so its going to be fun trying the them all. 

Getting very windy.

By now the wind was kicking up rightly and it would soon be time for home. I had to try the wrasse before I went home so I whacked some rag on the glow worm rig and let that sit while spun for pollock.

It was down only a short while when I had my first wrasse.

Another 20 minutes passed and I hadn't another bite from pollock or wrasse and as the wind was howling by now it was a pain fishing at anchor. So lines up and in I went. It was a tough paddle in and I was glad I didn't go out to the tope or I would have had a nasty run in for sure.
Mind you when I got back on the shore the wind was totally missing the beach. Typical. I should have went after the seatrout.
But sure I had edible size pollock for the dinner and got at least one new lure tried out so it was a good run out despite the weather.
Until next time tight lines.