Ireland spearing 2007

[sunfish]

Congratulations on the bass AL. I'm assuming its the one in your avatar picture.
Today I went back to where I got the big bass last Wednesday. Again I was hoping to get gilthead. It was high tide this time and I was curious to see what difference this might make. There were still mixed shoals of mullet and bass, but I saw no gilthead at all. I had no intention of killing any bass or mullet unless they were personal bests so I just enjoyed watching the shoals circle round me as I lay in the kelp. Both bass and mullet ranged from 3lb to 5lb. Last Wednesday I saw numerous bigger fish, all resting up in gulleys or hidden among kelps. Both of the two fish I took on Wednesday were full of sandeels but the bigger fish also had ten hardback shorecrabs in its stomach. I found no resting fish today so I'm thinking they were ranging about somewhere looking for food.

 

[abusingelves]

nice fish AL. think i'll give the bass another go on sunday. will load up the car and head south. think i'll give lioscannor a miss this time and go further south.

must consult my maps and magicseaweed.

i've started back college so i can't just up and go any time! wish i could.

i'll have a placement in limerick for two weeks over halloween, so this would be closer to the general location of the bass.

do bass stay inshore all winter? or do they head for deeper water?

 

[Robbo66]

""""I think those bass are a good size, ive caught many that size spinning on the rocks, and spearfishing and none of the fishermen have said anything bad, and the polica local also, they actually say nice fish, now i wouldnt take anything smaller, bcos i do agree with persivering the fish, and i only shoot the ones that will feed me and my family, nothing else""""[/QUOTE]



I cannot believe that comment. You wouldn't take anything smaller......because there isn't anything smaller !. You must have a very small family.:rcard

 

[paddythefrog]

Went early this morning, 8am, weather was still, water warm, saw alot of shoals of bass, one huge mullet somewhere in the 10lbs range, but didnt go for it as old mullet does´nt taste as nice as younger one´s, saw few small grouper and the odd eel poke its head outta the rocks, i was mainly after bass today, i shot 5, two got away, as i need to put barbs into my trident so only one at the moment has a barb, so they rattle themselves free, lost a sargo of about 1lb in the rocks also, again bcos of barbless tips, but i did manage to shoot 3 nice-ish ones for the pot, so its BBQ tonight, i go again later at 7pm after i hacksaw some barbs into my trident tips...got some photos:

your bass are too small :rcard

the one in this picture measuring 42cm is about the smallest you should be shooting

 

[fcallagy]

Lads I understand why Paddy is getting a hard time over the bass sizes. I am a non spearo usuall but have speared recently in the past. Is there a knack to knowing what size the fish is before you shoot or is it all down to experiance. I shot some small pollock that looked bigger underwater. I know its not a major issue with pollock but was wondering do you have any tips for paddyc to help him out. I think hes has got the idea the bass are too small. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Spaniard]

You can put tape around the barrel to mark off 36cm or 40cm but I think it's fairly clear when you are presented with a very undersized fish; it is easy to mistake a 36cm fish for a 33cm fish but not a 10cm fish for example. Also once you've shot a few undersize fish and get 'told off' you know to shoot bigger ones next time, that at the very least is a step in the right direction.

 

[Cavan AL]

Hey guys, thanks. Think the photo should be there for you now.
Donnachat - the fish was got is shallow water 2m, but it varied, it was very uneven ground covered in weed.
Abusingelves, when you find some nice places in Limerick, let me know and I'll drive down for a day or two.
Might go over to Sligo this Sat if weather allows, anybody got some local knowlage they want to share?!? Would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Pastor]

Lads I understand why Paddy is getting a hard time over the bass sizes. I am a non spearo usuall but have speared recently in the past. Is there a knack to knowing what size the fish is before you shoot or is it all down to experiance.

Well as long as lessons are learnt

Silly as this sounds but I spend an awful lot of time in front of a computer screen, 15" and 17" 38cm and 42cm Does the Bass look as big as the diagonal of your screen?

 

[paddyc23]

Hi ive got the message now about the bass, wont happen again, you have to understand that bass dont really grow as big as the ones in the atlantic and its very difficult to dertermain how large a fish is underwater at 5-10m of water with glass goggles, anyway ill study futher on the sizes for the future

 

[paddyc23]

Got my sisters mp3 to download the pictures of the 3.3lb sargo i caught about 5 days ago while teaching my sis "garfish13" on DB how to spearfish, here we go:

 

[sunfish]

Hi Paddy, now that IS a nice fish!
The bass where you are grow faster than here in Ireland and actually get a lot bigger but the big ones are much harder to approach (thats why they got big). If you don't swim slow and quiet you won't even see them. Also, if they're fished hard commercially, big ones will be a lot rarer. If you look in the Medfish hall of fame you will see bass bigger than any ever seen in Ireland or the UK.

 

[fcallagy]

Hi cavan Al,
Give us a shout if heading to Sligo my hometown. Pm me and ill give you my number. Mullaghmore is where we usually dive but can bring you to a few spots weather permitting. St Johns is also a good spot but as spearos we might get a bit of flack if certain locals are around. Might be able to boat out accross if I can get the club boat or to Thumb rock but will depend on vis and weather. Hope you like pollock if your coming.

 

[atomichaggis]

Locals have something against spearos there Feargus?

 

[stone_shot]

Hey guys, thanks. Think the photo should be there for you now.
Donnachat - the fish was got is shallow water 2m, but it varied, it was very uneven ground covered in weed.
Abusingelves, when you find some nice places in Limerick, let me know and I'll drive down for a day or two.
Might go over to Sligo this Sat if weather allows, anybody got some local knowlage they want to share?!? Would be appreciated. Thanks

I've always had great luck around Easky. Sometimes you have to push the salmon out of the way to get to the legal fish though!!:t

 

[sunfish]

Cavan AL, I didn't notice your gun til I looked at the full sized photo. What gun is it?

 

[fcallagy]

Locals have something against spearos there Feargus?

There was a bit of drama a while back over scuab divers taking scallops. Their gear and all was taken. Since then any one that takes something from the sea without a rod seems to get a bit of grief. At Teelin last time Basilias and myself got grief but from one fisherman while the other was quite congratulatory. Usually theres no problem as the areas are remote enough. Spearing and harvesting via scuba is illegal but now people think that if you have fins its illegal. it seems the traditional way of raking the sea floor for scallops and destroying anything on it is preferred.

 

[fcallagy]

Stone shot I think I asked before but where in Easky do you usually head out from?

 

[stone_shot]

Stone shot I think I asked before but where in Easky do you usually head out from?

Right off the pier. There's a ledge that points almost straight out to sea from the end of it - you sit on the deep side of it and the fishies pass right overhead.

 

[stone_shot]

Hey everybody - have a look at Fishing in Ireland, a complete guide to angling in Ireland - Central Fisheries Board to see what we'll be after next season!!!

 

[atomichaggis]

There was a bit of drama a while back over scuab divers taking scallops. Their gear and all was taken. Since then any one that takes something from the sea without a rod seems to get a bit of grief. At Teelin last time Basilias and myself got grief but from one fisherman while the other was quite congratulatory. Usually theres no problem as the areas are remote enough. Spearing and harvesting via scuba is illegal but now people think that if you have fins its illegal. it seems the traditional way of raking the sea floor for scallops and destroying anything on it is preferred.

Thats a shame, Diver harversted Scallops are better for both the environment and the consumer. Ireland seems to have some really daft fishing laws.