Mackeral from the rocks.

red sean

Anybody try the macks this year yet. Last couple of years were very bad in Sligo so I'm hoping this year may be better. Heard they're getting them in North Donegal all week, so you never know.
Maybe anybody who catches some would report on this thread and give a heads-up to us all!

Not interested in reports from boats (just the shore) btw.
The main reason being you dont have a fishfinder or any other electronic aid when shore fishing.

alsace royal

nothing of the rocks yet as far as iv herd, they just hit sligo bay about a week and a half ago in fair numbers we will need to get a wee bit more heat in the water yet id say to get them close, the last few years have been dire tho as you said

rhonin

Going to head to Raghly on Saturday. Hopefully will get some for the BBQ!

red sean

Rhonin, dont forget to update. Doubt if I'll get a chance this weekend,

Brian.D

There's plenty of Shoals showing up in the bay wont be long till they hit the shores any day now!!

rhonin

red sean wrote: »

Rhonin, dont forget to update. Doubt if I'll get a chance this weekend,

Will do Sean.

Brian.D wrote: »

There's plenty of Shoals showing up in the bay wont be long till they hit the shores any day now!!

This warm weather should bring them in. The polular fishing marks will be busy though.

alsace royal

was out aughrus last nite, great evenings fishing, their a little far out so casting 2oz bombs, but most certainly in.
best of luck any of ye going out !!!

red sean

Cant get away this weekend. Depressed now!
Sorry I started the thread now

rhonin

Nothing in Raughly on Saturday

Kettleson

How did you folks get on with the mackerel from the rocks so far this season?

I have been about a 10 times and caught nothing, apart from a dozen of the smallest pollack I've ever seen caught on a hook. I even caught a sand eel.

I was out a few times at Rosses when "bucket loads" reportedly had been caught the previous day. They must know I'm coming out them mackerel.:mad:

I'm beginning to doubt if they exist anymore. :rolleyes: Having said that, I seen some landed from a boat recently, and they were the smallest I've ever seen, almost immoral to keep them and probably not even the size of a decent sausage when cooked.

Quite frankly I'm very seriously thinking of throwing my gear into the deep after my next fruitless session off the rocks as a libation to Dagon, the God of fish in a plea that he/she will surrender up something to me larger than a sprat.

So I suspect you all caught bucket loads this season?

warriorpoet

Kettleson wrote: »

How did you folks get on with the mackerel from the rocks so far this season?

I have been about a 10 times and caught nothing, apart from a dozen of the smallest pollack I've ever seen caught on a hook. I even caught a sand eel.

I was out a few times at Rosses when "bucket loads" reportedly had been caught the previous day. They must know I'm coming out them mackerel.:mad:

I'm beginning to doubt if they exist anymore. :rolleyes: Having said that, I seen some landed from a boat recently, and they were the smallest I've ever seen, almost immoral to keep them and probably not even the size of a decent sausage when cooked.

Quite frankly I'm very seriously thinking of throwing my gear into the deep after my next fruitless session off the rocks as a libation to Dagon, the God of fish in a plea that he/she will surrender up something to me larger than a sprat.

So I suspect you all caught bucket loads this season?

Not LOADS, def quieter than last year tho.... I usually fish off the rocks at Aughris (pier) - have been a few times over the last month and got 3-4 decent mackerel each time, but don't seem to be coming in in shoals... a quiet year for therm!!

Kettleson

warriorpoet wrote: »

Not LOADS, def quieter than last year tho.... I usually fish off the rocks at Aughris (pier) - have been a few times over the last month and got 3-4 decent mackerel each time, but don't seem to be coming in in shoals... a quiet year for therm!!

Went to Aughris twice this summer, went past the harbour and on round to the deep water. Nothing. Tried all baits, traces, lures. I have given up going to Raghley as I can't stomach doing the round trip of 30 plus miles and getting nothing when the petrol money would be better spent at the fish counter at Tesco.

I'm chucking my gear in the water next time out.

rhonin

Kettleson wrote: »

How did you folks get on with the mackerel from the rocks so far this season?

I have been about a 10 times and caught nothing, apart from a dozen of the smallest pollack I've ever seen caught on a hook. I even caught a sand eel.

I was out a few times at Rosses when "bucket loads" reportedly had been caught the previous day. They must know I'm coming out them mackerel.:mad:

I'm beginning to doubt if they exist anymore. :rolleyes: Having said that, I seen some landed from a boat recently, and they were the smallest I've ever seen, almost immoral to keep them and probably not even the size of a decent sausage when cooked.

Quite frankly I'm very seriously thinking of throwing my gear into the deep after my next fruitless session off the rocks as a libation to Dagon, the God of fish in a plea that he/she will surrender up something to me larger than a sprat.

So I suspect you all caught bucket loads this season?

I come from Belmullet but living up here since 1999. I haven't fished as often as I liked in Sligo but whenever I have it has been poor. Could be down to bad timing or bad fishing on my behalf However when I was growing up in Mayo I remember every summer catching loads of Mackeral off the rocks. My parents love Mackeral so none went to waste. Most of it was frozen to eat later in the year.
In the last 5 years there has been a serious drop in the amount of fish caught of the rocks . I don't know what has caused it but the general consensus back home is the sea is overfished. I would tend to agree with this. If you ever watched that show that was on RTE a few years ago about the Irish fishing boats you would see the amount of wasted fish they threw back was criminal. Then you have the French and Spanish trawlers hoovering up fish further out of the Irish coast. Also you have the Faroe Islands boats.
Eventually there will be no fish left!

Kettleson

When we were kids we waited for the summer evening boat trips to come in and often got a spare box or two of assorted fish which we shared out around the houses. Those size catches from evening trips rarely happens nowadays.

I took the kids on boat fishing out of Mullaghmore a couple of times, catches very poor and fish small.

Been rock fishing around Sligo coast last 15 years, using various spots and have definitely seen a marked decrease in catches and size. The last 5 years have been critical to the point where its almost futile. I love fishing, but catching little or nothing is all too common.

I read somewhere recently that the Irish Sea Fisheries Protection Authority were doing a survey of anglers to record their catches caught from the rocks. Not sure if it went ahead.

The waters have definitely been fished out.

red sean

I'd agree fully with both those posts. The shoals are either not coming in to shore, or they don't exist.
However, they have been bagging macks down south in the last couple of weeks according to the angling forum.

Kettleson

Something's changing for sure. I regularly find dead trigger fish washed up on the beach after storms. Apparently trigger fish have become common enough around the south coast over the past 15 years and they are beginning to make their way up and around the coast to here. Although I haven't heard of any being caught on a hook yet as is common enough now in the south.

Trigger fish normaly habitat is warmer Mediterranean type waters where they feed around coral reefs, hence the large front teeth to bite the coral.

They have little cover during storms hence they get washed up.

As well as the trawlers, the rising temperatures must be having some effect on the growth of plankton and hence the upward food chain. And it doesn't appear to be a positive one. I must see if I can find any research articles on it.

Tight lines in the meantime folks.

Kettleson

An interesting read: The first thing to jump out at me is the decline in sand eels, which will have a profound effect on bird population and species as well. The Puffin will be at risk big time.

http://www.mccip.org.uk/media/8789/37453%20mccip%20final%20lorez.pdf

Kettleson

Here's a picture of the head of trigger fish washed up on local beach.

red sean

Any mackeral being caught from the rocks this year folks?
Tried Raughly on the rising tide this morning and not a sign.

(Hope mods don't mind me bumping this thread!)