Ireland Spearing 2012

[bobdonny]

Bob,this isn't on their shoulders to sort out,this is illegal fishing ,and its up to anyone with any info about this to report it to the relevant authoroties

No, you are quite right. It may not be the direct legal responsibility of the orgs but one would question how much ethical or moral responsibility the orgs have?

Surely a minimum is to highlight the incident and make a statement how this action is not condoned or supported by the vast majority of spearo's? No? If the orgs cannot work to protect our sport then what is the point... surely thats why we all agreed here to establish them?

I know the name of the restaurant and the names of the Irish guys and car reg. All has been reported, but the fisheries need to catch them in the act... so I doubt anything will come of it.
I also know that locals plan to take things into their own hands so I would advise all to avoid spearing in that area for the foreseeable future... Risk to yourself and property would be fairly high I reckon...

 

[bobdonny]

Anybody been out in east Cork lately? Whats the viz like?
MY car is packed and ready for a dive after work this evening. Will be hitting the water at about 7.30 and it may move into a night dive so my torch is charged
Anyone care to join me?

 

[sunfish]

Anybody been out in east Cork lately? Whats the viz like?
MY car is packed and ready for a dive after work this evening. Will be hitting the water at about 7.30 and it may move into a night dive so my torch is charged
Anyone care to join me?

Vis is good round about where I am Bob so I imagine it's probably good in East Cork too. Happy diving!

 

[gavkm27]

Met up with Kookiebrew and went out to Coral Beach in Carraroe,county Galway,vis was about 3m and barely saw any fish,plenty of Urchins lying around out there,was expecting a bit more,going to try closer to home this week and see if I can get anything in Salthill

 

[bobdonny]

Vis is good round about where I am Bob so I imagine it's probably good in East Cork too. Happy diving!

Nah, twas crap! Like Gavkm says.
Got down spot on the low with chealy and went in around the moorings looking for anything exotic but there was for too much sediment, and crap in the water as well as a little bit of muddy freshwater on the surface. Spotted a nice brown crab with a claw missing. Vis was only about 2-3m and as it was dusk the shadows meant you couldn't see anything unless it was over sand, even with a torch. I gave up there and wandered up the coast a bit further and spotted a bass and took a shot but my comanche was off (my friend had it for the last month and broke the line and re-tyed it...badly....) and the bass were still under me as I feebly attempted to reload. But the spear just wouldn't sit in the trigger.... musta wasted about 7 minutes and then I gave up and swam to the float to get my rob allen (I have expected something to go wrong). When I got to the float I noticed my dive flag was gone.... must of broken off somehow? However, the bass were gone when I returned but a few minutes later I came across and nice clearing and spotted a few decent pollock, as I was deciding whether to take them or not a shoal of bass came in. 5 or 6 4lb-5lb bass. They spooked and I didn't move and called them back only a few of the smaller ones came into range and when the big guys turned away I took the one closest and it was 5lb (gutted). Happy with that I continued looking for flatties.. but was absolutely amazed in that I didn't see even a single one!!!
I got far away from the exit point and the tide had turned and was driving a nice swell at me so I decided to head back and stop off looking for some lobsters. It was really murky with bad viz and I was diving into thick kelp growing on lots of rocks. Didn't see much (area heavily potted) and suddenly I saw a small crab in a big nook, I swam around some kelp to take a bigger look (was about 18inches away shining my torch in) when I realised the shadow behind him was a effin huge congor!! I got a big frieght, but funnily so did the congor... he visibly started in what appeared (to me anyway) to be a decision on what to do about this shiny intruder... I thought it prudent to leave his hole at this stage
I gave up lobsters and just swam back, at which point I saw Chealy's torch signalling he was getting out so I decided to do the same, but when I put my head back in the water there was another bass looking at me, so I poped him on the stringer too and swam home gutting the two bass as I went. Had some difficulty with a cramp in my leg but got back home safe but fecking tired
Crap viz and weather but lovely swim in Cork harbour. Once the gun was put away I could appreciate the pink sunset and all the lights from the harbour and Cobh. Twas really nice place and time to swim.

Edit: there were actually quite big for their size... but their stomachs were empty of roe or food.

 

[sunfish]

Sorry about the bad call on the vis. I didn't realize you were diving
a) In the harbour, and
b) At night.
Any bit of sediment tends to light up in the torch beam.

 

[johnnybuoy]

Was out wreck diving today and viz was 10M but very bad near the shore. We were around 4/5 miles out.
Well done on the bass rob.

 

[sunfish]

Was out wreck diving today and viz was 10M but very bad near the shore. We were around 4/5 miles out.
Well done on the bass rob.

There's a lot of runoff from the land going in at the moment but vis has been ok here, even inshore apart from a bit of bloom here and there.

 

[johnnybuoy]

I was surprised at how much fresh was there too dave. It did rain a lot last night though.

 

[bobdonny]

I was surprised at how much fresh was there too dave. It did rain a lot last night though.

Crazy rain...was worried bout my boat! especially bout all the talk of the bilge pump!!

NO bother Dave, all down to experience... will help me decipher things in the future

 

[bobdonny]

DealExtreme: $78.83 Diving Cree SSC-P7-C-SXO 3-Mode 900-Lumen LED Flashlight Kit (2*18650/4*CR123A/4*16340)
Bout 60Euro and its DAMN bright. It was actually Old man dave's suggestion a while back but I only got round to ordering it now!
http://forums.deeperblue.com/wales/83613-night-time-spearfishing.html#post807159t

Few people asking about my torch, its the one above, bout 60euro delivered and its a fab bit of kit!!!!

If you look through the site above there are several cheaper and more expensive versions but you can't go wrong with what I have above, and maybe while your at it order a cheap second/backup torch

 

[johnnybuoy]

Cree are a top torch and bulb manufacturer. That is a great torch u have for that money.

 

[bobdonny]

PS the torch didnt help me find my dive flag (blue alpha) or the flag stand that broke off my banks board... so if anyone finds it floating around roches point... please drop it back

 

[bobdonny]

Cree are a top torch and bulb manufacturer. That is a great torch u have for that money.

Here... everyone needs a backup torch... how bout this.... another cree and delivered for 4.50Euro
Cree LED Q5 500 Lumen Diving Torch Flashlight Camping Hiking Light Lamp Yellow | eBay

 

[climbingperch]

The Great Dublin Bass Challenge continued amid amazing vis unknown species, and mixed catches.
On Thursday evening I had a quick dive over HW vis was patchy 4m at best and almost zero in places. Water temp was a warm 14.5-15c I saw no bass but did manage a nice mullet of about 4lb.
Friday morning promised much better over LW when I arrived the sea was like a sheet of glass. The sun was beating down and air temp was already 20c the vis was about 3m close to the beach but cleared to 5m just beyond this. I tried the normal shallow water and gullys for bass but after 40 mins decided it was too clear and bright for the bass to come in. I moved out to the kelp beds over 2-3m water. I was hoping to find a bass resting in the kelp after bout 20 mins swimming very slowly and quitely I spotted a fish of 4-5lb in the kelp and shot him from above straight down through the skull he barely twitched.:martial
Out here the vis ranged from 5-8m possibly more and water temp was a toasty 16c. I searched around for another short while and then decided to head out to deeper water to search for pollack. I went 300-400m offshore until I got to about 10m I dived here for an hour and saw tons of pollack but nothing over 3lb. On the way back in I had a look for crabs as the misses wanted one I found a nice brown wedged in a crevice after a tusssle and a close call with the tip of a finger he was in the bag.
I got out for a drink smoke and to warm up for 20 mins getting back in I decided to look for flounder after looking at the area where the sand meets rock and kelp I saw none, only to find several palm sized ones lying on flat rocks in the open sunning themselves!!!! Eventually found one about 1lb and took him. I tried for mullet then but only saw a group of three who zoomed by far too quick to track.
Now ye know the little fish that sit on the rocks in the shallows they look like mudskippers I think they are some sort of blenny or rockling ??? Normally I see them about 2-4inches but on Friday I saw a really colourful one about 8-10 inches anyone know what it is ?????
p.s if the fish look funny its caus I scaled them at the shore.

 

[danas]

just back from holidays , nothing impressive , took advantage of windy weather started "other " hobby - Kitesurfing ....
so , Myth is broken that is no bass in Dublin , well done Neal.
Feargus , are we meeting up in Mullaghmore this weekend ? I will try do not forget my frying pan and hand-tights for Neal as i can see a challenge not only in cooking ...

 

[kookiebrew]

as Gav said we went out to Coral beach on saturday...was very disappointed...vis wasnt the best and only fish i saw were wrasse and shoals of baitfish... no crabs either...had heard a few good reports on here about it but another blank... might have to emigrate to the peoples republic of cork to start catching fish again...

 

[foxfish]

climbingperch, there are numerous colorful small fish possible the most impressive is the Common Dragonet

 

[climbingperch]

Hmm possibly these guys are normally in the shallows sitting on the tops of boulders . It was colourful but maybe not as fancy as that dragonet . I like the idea of a boat trip Feargus if u can get enough interest. I'm currently smothered with a cold .. Hope it clears for the weekend .

 

[foxfish]

well the most common type of fish that fits your description is this one British Marine Life: Sand Goby - Pomatoschistus minutus