Common skate, a fantastic day and fantastic weather.

Hi all,
The good spells in the weather have come like buses, one for ages and a bunch come at once.
Thankfully this calm spell was perfect for an offshore attempt for common skate.
This day, Michea'l Bates was keen to get out so he was up in good time and a plan was hatched to get up at silly O'clock being 5am and hit the road.

It was flat calm and were raring to get out.
Yeah , it was a perfect day and we were launched and fishing for bait by 7am.
Though the bait fish seemed to have missed that memo and were very scare.
We did have a few nice pollock but they are poor bait for common skate. Eventually we managed eight mackerel between us so that was enough to get started.
Out we went out to an area I have fished before, though it is littered with large boulders so it can be pure pot luck if your bait lands in a bare patch or in between some boulders where large species can't reach it.

Thirty minutes later,
We were doing alright, red gurnard, ling all the usual stuff when Michea'l shouted I think I am getting a bite. He was getting the tell tale signs of the skate settling on his bait. With using a short trace you can feel the skate rubbing the mainline as it takes the bait.
Soon after he reeled down and heaved like hell to set the hook and the fish took off.
A good fight saw a nice male skate of at least 120lb, Michea'l was delighted and after a few quick pics the Skate took off back down to the bottom none the worst for its few pohots.

AGAIN, ANOTHER SKATE TAKE.
Sitting there fishing away I had some nice bits and pieces and unusually for this spot a bullhuss of 7lb 10.

Though no sign of any skate for me and I was not expecting one either as I only ever see one a day here, and Michea'l and I were laughing about as I was calling him a bugger for nicking my skate when his skate rod took a good hit.
Rod bent ninety degrees and heaving hard and after a 20 minute fight the beast was only a leader lenght under the kayak when all of a sudden NNOOO, the rod went skyward and a bullhuss came flying out of the water.
Turns out the skate was not hooked at all. When the huss took the bait a large skate jumped on it immediately ate the huss. The bull huss was not small either it was a hefty 12lber.

Move or hang tight.
It was obvious by now that I was in the boulders, I had a at least three ling by now, a good coalie, ect.
                                     

Though the tide was picking up by now I was hoping that my baits would land on a clear patch, though Michea'l could feel his gear sliding down the side of the boulders as the lead reached the bottom so he up anchor and moved.
General bottom fishing was not bad apart from the endless stream of dogfish.

Though on two occasions they vanished, so I was watching the skate rods closely as normally they scatter when a skate comes near.
The third time it happened was mid tide and the top of my rod started to get some action, I was hoping it was not a huss. I gave it a minute then gave it a lift to see what happens.

Fish on,
I thought I was not going to get the chance to yell those words out that day. The fish was on and putting up a cracking fight, though it took the rod with the fin nor offshore reel on which some how had a very damaged wire on the bail arm.
The fight continued for about 20 mins and it was using the full of the tide so as it came to the top to came up under Michea'l's kayak and its wings actually slapped off his kayak, lol.
So I just let my anchor go and in no time I had a nice female skate alongside that was a good 150lb, again a few nice pics of fantastic animal and away she went back to the depths.

We were elated, two skate in the one day for the area was a cracking result.

Though we hadn't finished yet.
Back on our anchors the general fishing kept coming, I managed another surprise bull huss again just over 7lb followed by a 10lb spurdog. Plus more gurnards red and tub.
With a nice ling for this spot of 4lb10.

                                               I know eyes closed, lol.
By now the day was getting on and the forecast gave a breezy evening so we would soon have to leave despite the sea being near flat calm.
Again, I was sitting there out of the corner of my eye my skate rod began to nod. At this stage I normally hold the line in my hand to get a better idea of what is happening.
It had seemed to stopped so I lifted the lead of the bottom to try gauge if the was anything there.
I lifted it at least 5ft off the bottom to be sure but no nothing there, when WHALLOP.
Something grabbed it and yanked it out of my hand. The rod was grabbed but nothing happened unfortunately and I was about to shout to Michea'l what just happened when I could see he was lifting into a heavy fish.

Fish on,
Yeah he shouted in a strained voice fish on. Another good fight saw a fine male skate on the better side of 150lb. More photos and video of the goings on and away the beast sailed to the bottom.
They actually look like they are flying, cool fish.
 What a day, good company and great  craic and fantastic fish.
Fingers crossed for another chance to get out where monsters swim.

     Thanks for reading and paddle safe out there, the current forecasts have been very changeable.

From blank to an excellent session,

Hi all,
Thankfully we're getting a few breaks in the weather that are fishable.
So one day towards the end of last week I hit lough Foyle looking for tope.
Not only did not even get a take from a tope I couldn't even tempt tiddlers with chum.
The river was full of long strands of muck and dirt.
So it seems it completely ruined my chances.

A blast along the sea shoreline.
Since the Foyle was out of action I decided to try some rocky shore marks, first a short session of spinning along the shore then a drift across the bay and a rock mark on the other side of the bay was the plan.
Ten yards from my launch spot I began trolling a metal lure that works well while paddling at a decent rate, so I wouldn't be all day going across the bay. Halfway across the pollock were interested and I caught three pollock between two to three pound. Which was a good sign as the tide was in the first hour of the flood tide.

Happy enough I neared the end of my troll when I got some more interest in the lure, about four light taps then the rod arched over into a very energetic fight which had to be a trout or a coalie.
Thankfully it was a seatrout which after a quick pic was released.

Again I started to troll and I watch 3 good swirls come from the area where the lure was and as I reeled the lure near and a figure shot after it but missed it. I thought it was gone but it turned in a heartbeat nailed the spinner and done a backflip out of the water onto my leg and shot off with the spinner not attached to him, lol.

Time for the sand.
By now it was time for a drift on the sand towards my last intended mark.
I drifted for a good half of the bay with only 4 dogfish for my efforts.
So lines up and headed for some wrasse and pollock bashing, with a chance of a run out for some tope.
First I tried for the wrasse with my favorite rig two up and one down. Unfortunately, the wrasse were playing hard to get and the wind was making things very tricky.
So I went behind a huge rock to shelter from the wind and the wrasse rig went down and I began to spin with a 22g Sandy Andy from westin. The pollock were a fish a cast, the lure absolutely hammered the lure bumped along the bottom.

I was hoping for wrasse with this technique but I was only getting pollock. Although I was getting a lot of plucks as it bounced along the bottom.
Sure I wasn't worried and I was having a blast with thhe pollock testing my gear to the limit.
Since the pollock were feeding well, I thought I'd try and get some pollock takes on camera.
Boom rigged with camera 4ft of line and 8oz lead to keep it down as I trolled.
Well I didn't get far and the rod lurched over and although it's great to see, it is a bit of a squeaky bum moment until you get that fish clear of the bottom with your camera.
Clear of the bottom I thought great but no sooner had I thought that he was away back down again. Thankfully and to my extreme delight I had my first wrasse on a lure and it was a cracker, a lovely red colour and just over 3lb.

Happy as I thought I could be I the pollock action continued culminating in a mega-powerful take with multiple very strong runs a fine pollock of 8lb surfaced by my kayak and the hook was just sitting in the roof of its mouth. The soft part of the lure came off in its mouth and its mouth was big enough to put my whole hand into get it back lol.

I was getting the impression I may need to go soon as the breeze was freshening, despite the forecast saying different. I just glanced at the point of the rocks to see what it was like and the corner was pure white tops, not very big but a pure bugger to paddle in,. Seemed more water was coming over the top of me than under me lol.
Some extra exercise going home but didn't bother me paddling back with a big dopey grin on me with the days fishing.
Love those days afloat.
Thanks for reading and paddle safe out there.