Mega Mackerel Merge 2016 - They're breaking! Mod Note #1

Olwas2014

.red. wrote:

Pollack can grow pretty big but thats a decent fish, it wouldnt be classed as "big" but id happily catch fish like that any day of the week. Theres a great fight off them, especially when they get over 4/5lbs.

How big would they get

.red.

Olwas2014 wrote: »

How big would they get

I think specimen weight is 12/13lbs. Most of these will be caught from boats but theres plenty of 10lbs+ fish caught from the rocks every year. Deep water and dawn/dusk are the best times.

bpmurray

.red. wrote: »

I think specimen weight is 12/13lbs. Most of these will be caught from boats but theres plenty of 10lbs+ fish caught from the rocks every year. Deep water and dawn/dusk are the best times.

Yep, the record is over 19lbs and the specimen is 12lbs. I find the best way to get the big ones is fishing slowly and steadily (NEVER strike!!) with a rubber worm on a lead-head.

bpmurray

They're catching mackerel off Carlingford from boats the past week,

The other fella

.red. wrote: »

I was down the old head wrasse fishing this morning and there was a lad fishing feathers. Gladly saw him blank as he ignored me when i said a cheery "morning" as i walked past him lol.

I thought the old head is closed off now? Or did you just fish before you come to the golf course?

.red.

The other fella wrote: »

I thought the old head is closed off now? Or did you just fish before you come to the golf course?

Wasnt, off the golf course, just off the headland on the hill upto it. They wont allow people in any more the cnuts.

270WIN

Any sign of mackerel at black head lately?

KnockCos

Does anybody know if mackerel are being caught off the pier in Helvick yet?

KnockCos

In Helvic last night caught 1 mackerel off the pier in 3 hours

cheddie

Has anybody had any luck yet in dalkey/ dun laoghaire ??

robbie67

I was out fishing in a boat from Dun Laoghaire tues and between 3 of us we only got about 12 mackerel all day I seen a lot of people fishing from the rocks in Dun Laoghaire /Dalkey but did not see anybody catching anything

Balfey1972

They are very scarce at the moment . Nothing out off Lambay atm. Few pollack and small whiting but no mackerel

cheddie

robbie67 wrote: »

I was out fishing in a boat from Dun Laoghaire tues and between 3 of us we only got about 12 mackerel all day I seen a lot of people fishing from the rocks in Dun Laoghaire /Dalkey but did not see anybody catching anything

Cheers for the heads up think I'll give it another week before I head out

dodderangler

Still think it's bit early yet. Middle of august id normally be wanting to head out.

Mikecraddock

Hi,
Tried Lambay yesterday, got nothing. Moved to Ireland's Eye, and got 50/60 but they were in fairly small shoals.
The resident seal showed up and that put an end to our day!

Mike

stretchaq

Anything showing off slade/hook head???

bpmurray

Yesterday we drifted from the Imogene buoy at Dundalk Bay back towards Carlingford - plenty of mackerel.

Randomise

Was out majority of yesterday at clogherhead. No joy

bpmurray

Randomise wrote: »

Was out majority of yesterday at clogherhead. No joy

We caught them outside so maybe they're heading in to shore. Hopefully!

GypsyBiker

Nothing in Clogherhead today.

ovidiu86ro

Hi I am from drogheda and I am going 2-3 days a week to clogherhead and I didn't catch any mackerel yet ! Hope to start coming soon enough !
Last year in the port I caught in 4 hours continuum around 15kg . Hope to be a good year at least like last year .

Randomise

ovidiu86ro wrote: »

Hi I am from drogheda and I am going 2-3 days a week to clogherhead and I didn't catch any mackerel yet ! Hope to start coming soon enough !
Last year in the port I caught in 4 hours continuum around 15kg . Hope to be a good year at least like last year .

It's very frustrating. Especially with people around you getting none either. Couldn't see any sprat in the water

ovidiu86ro

Randomise wrote: »

It's very frustrating. Especially with people around you getting none either. Couldn't see any sprat in the water

Just few sprats ... saw them around the port

flended12

Very small amounts of mackerel being caught off pier in courtmacsherry. Heading just offshore tmro and will report back

bpmurray

ovidiu86ro wrote: »

Hi I am from drogheda and I am going 2-3 days a week to clogherhead and I didn't catch any mackerel yet ! Hope to start coming soon enough !
Last year in the port I caught in 4 hours continuum around 15kg . Hope to be a good year at least like last year .

Clogherhead hasn't been up to much the past couple of years and this year doesn't look great either. One issue is that if there's any wind at all, the water is full of sand and silt and, since mackerel hunt by sight, they just don't come in. On Sunday, the water was very clear outside Dundalk Bay and we caught loads around the Imogene buoy.

The wind over the next 24 hours is NW going to SW, down to force 1-2, so any cloudiness in the water will have cleared by tomorrow morning. With high tide around 14:50, my guess is that tomorrow morning from the turn of the tide at 08:00 onwards should provide a good chance of catching them.

flended12

Over 80 macks of varying sizes in 2hrs between 3 of us from a small boat between blind and broad strand outside of courtmacsherry. Pike baits sorted for winter and bbq about to begin

Issac

Tackle shop in Galway saying local boats are filling their boots and they're hitting the coast in Clare.
Never fished for them before so just bought rod for the occasion!
How long does the season last?

bpmurray

Issac wrote: »

Tackle shop in Galway saying local boats are filling their boots and they're hitting the coast in Clare.
Never fished for them before so just bought rod for the occasion!
How long does the season last?

It depends on where you are and it varies from year to year. On the west coast, I'd expect them to be around from June to September, but they've only just turned up.

I hope you haven't made the common mistake of a big reel and a beachcaster with 150g lead on 15kg line! I use a very light 3m rod with 4kg line and 25g of lead (or lure) and I can cast at least as far as the beachcaster, and I can do it all day long.

Issac

bpmurray wrote: »

It depends on where you are and it varies from year to year. On the west coast, I'd expect them to be around from June to September, but they've only just turned up.

I hope you haven't made the common mistake of a big reel and a beachcaster with 150g lead on 15kg line! I use a very light 3m rod with 4kg line and 25g of lead (or lure) and I can cast at least as far as the beachcaster, and I can do it all day long.

Thanks for that. I bought a 9 foot spinning rod (Silstar Connaught Spin) with "crystal clear" line, not sure what weight it can support but it's not heave duty! I didn't buy any weights tough I picked up a couple of Connemara Krill lures that have 10 Gr written on them - think these will be heavy enough or am I going to need to get some weights?

bpmurray

Issac wrote: »

Thanks for that. I bought a 9 foot spinning rod (Silstar Connaught Spin) with "crystal clear" line, not sure what weight it can support but it's not heave duty! I didn't buy any weights tough I picked up a couple of Connemara Krill lures that have 10 Gr written on them - think these will be heavy enough or am I going to need to get some weights?

Krill are great lures. Most people use a string of feathers with a lead on the end, which is why I mentioned that. It sounds like you have a much more realistic setup - at least you'll be able to fish all day without backache or shoulder pain!