Ireland 2019

[chealy]

Ha can you imagine coming up out of some kelp and seeing three of those things looking at you...

If i'm not out over the weekend I am going to head out Monday if your around Rob, I've a new spot to try near the cove you showed me a few years ago..

 

[fla]

Had the first good dive this year the day before yesterday, plenty to look at as the vis was great and a fat plaice for dinner that fed 4. Looking forward to the rest of the year.

 

[bobdonny]

Photos or it didn't happen

 

[bobdonny]

Ha can you imagine coming up out of some kelp and seeing three of those things looking at you...

If i'm not out over the weekend I am going to head out Monday if your around Rob, I've a new spot to try near the cove you showed me a few years ago..

Popped out today and swell picked up to 1m viz was muck.
Was thinking bout an early swim tomorrow but having second thoughts. Maybe only a sheltered bay will work 1m swell today picked it all up and mixed it around.

Oh... And I did think about the orca in the crappy viz! What time you thinking Monday?

 

[bobdonny]

Last weekend I went out with Sean and we swam around ballycotton island, the near one anyway. Lots of wildlife with great viz but futile using my small 75cm. I ended up with a flattie and Sean picked about 10 spider crabs and kept the best 3. Fantastic 5 hour swim.
This weekend I wanted to use my new salvimar metal 105 (with dual 14mm..). Seems a little underpowered but we'll see.
I also spotted and picked up a bargain beauchat carbon 105 with dual 16mm. I could consider turning this into a roller with the right muzzle. Not too sure it will take it though, I'll need some research.

This weekend was a massive pizza oven party and bbq for visiting family and way too much booze. Wind and swell were up so didn't miss much.

I did change my 75 stock commanche muzzle to an open geronimo muzzle so I actually have 3 guns to test... Hoping for viz next weekend!!

 

[chealy]

Dare I say it looks like the weather might start to settle abit hopefully East cork will have the viz back

 

[chealy]

anyone been out lately?

 

[AHG]

Hi,

Sorry to post this here, but this is the only forum/thread I could find related to Freediving/Spearfishing forum related to Ireland.

I recently did a freediving course, really enjoyed it, and am looking to venture into the world of both freediving and spearfishing, probably start with freediving and move from there. I was hoping to get a bit of info about where to buy some equipment, I'd rather buy it from a shop than online on the first go anyway, and also if there's a community for either in Ireland, I've found very little so far online?

Any help is appreciated, and sorry again if this is off topic....

 

[bombadil]

Hi. Here is an online shop https://subandcast.com/, but I guess you can meet the man who run it and buy it straight from him. He’s from Galway. Spearfishing and angling Facebook page-where you can find some information about spearfishing.
Freediving Ireland do some courses and trainings. Community of freedivers is not that big to organize regular trainings. We use to do this in Portroe few years ago. More people do just spearfishing right now, as is not that challenging and most of us do this alone ( I know it shouldn’t be).

 

[AHG]

Hi Bombadil,

Thanks so much for the response. Looks like spearfishing it is so. Could i just ask, I live on the east coast, just north of Dublin. I gather from reading this that most of ye are south/west coast, just wondering if any of ye could recommend any spots over this side. I have decent access to the coast from north Dublin up to Carlingford?

Thanks again!

 

[bombadil]

Hi. I don’t dive around east and north. Plenty of fish and nice spots around south and west. I know there are people from Dublin who dive there. Don’t know them, but they are there. I think some of them are in Irish Spearfishing Association from Facebook. Go and ask

 

[AHG]

Hi Bombadil,

That's great, thanks, I'll give that a look so, just need to set up a FB account now!

Thanks again for all your help, very much appreciated.

 

[gingebailey]

Hi all,

Just got this today and was wondering is it an average size for a bass. Weighed just over 9 and half lbs.

Cheers.

 

[bombadil]

Nice one! It’s above average from my experience. Not usual got some above 9 pounds. For me at least, and I didn’t see many reports from other spearfisher with catches like this one.

 

[gingebailey]

oh, that’s annoying as I missed a bigger one just before I seen this one.
Anyways it’s cleaned and filleted and ready for the dinner!! (Was a bit of a bugger to fillet due to the rib bones.)

 

[denian]

Very nice fish well done that's a big fish .is there a story to go with it !

 

[Derekn]

View attachment 54816

Hi all,

Just got this today and was wondering is it an average size for a bass. Weighed just over 9 and half lbs.

Cheers.

From my experience that would be on the larger size, average size would be around 5-7lbs. I usually find 'schoolies' are 2-4lbs and 5-7lbs can be found in groups of two-three while the larger bass tend to be more solitary.

 

[bombadil]

From my experience that would be on the larger size, average size would be around 5-7lbs. I usually find 'schoolies' are 2-4lbs and 5-7lbs can be found in groups of two-three while the larger bass tend to be more solitary.

Fully agree.
Give us the story. It’s from the deep/shallow?

 

[gingebailey]

Very nice fish well done that's a big fish .is there a story to go with it !

A story! Well got in at a spot I hadn’t been in at before but had a feeling that it could be good. Jumped in around 2 hours before low tide. Vis was around 5m and headed off round a set of cliffs where it drops straight from the cliffs to a nice sandy bottom! Prob around 3m deep. Seen a few shoal of mullet, a few large velvet swimmers but nothing worth taking. Made my way along to a point where I could either carry on round the coast or a short swim over to a few small rocks just getting exposed due to the tide dropping so decided to make the swim and have a look for some flat fish across the sand on the way over. Didn’t see anything. At the rocks it’s a bit sheltered from the tide so vis still not bad. Slowly I made my way through the kelp attached to the rocks hoping something would make an appearance but nothing so I thought I would push on and round the rocks and into where the tide was flowing a lot faster and vis dropped to 2-3m. Found a lovely gully between the rocks, the tide was ripping through and decided to sit there for a few minutes. Then a large shoal of mullet passed without noticing me so checked each one in case it was a bass, they weren’t. Knowing I was in a good spot I thought I’ll hang on a few minutes on the off chance a bass would come through. Then just as I was about to move on into the tide a fecking massive bass came passed but I got a bit excited as it was huge and pulled the trigger to early and went under it. Shit I thought I’ve blown me chance. So I reloaded the gun and moved on not hoping for much else as I was in about 1.5m of water and shit vis now and decided to call it a day. About 1 minute into the swim back I was just coming up to a rock or bank of weed and saw this thing come darting passed and quickly tracked it and pulled the trigger! Got it!!! Then at this point it took off like a train, it was powerful and thought to myself how the fuck am I gonna get this under control as I just realised I left me knife behind. Anyway it slowed down quick enough and then I thought I can stand up which made things a lot easier. Cleared the spear and stuck it on me stringer and decided to head home for sure as that’s me for bass. Then on the way back right in the shallows I spotted a lovely flounder. Ah perfect. So that came home with me as well. And that’s the story!!

Hope you enjoyed!!