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2 hours on the east coast rocks.

779 views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  Keith White 
#1 ·
We had plans to fish as a group tonight but the weather was pants earlier and a m8 from Wales turned up today.

So, after chatting at Gorey harbour we left Christian and headed off to a nice rock mark further up the coast.

To cut a short story shorter...

18 Pollack in 2 hours or just under between us. Average size close to 1.5lb

All my hits came on the drop again.

3.5 - 5g heads. Soft lures ranging 3 -4" tonight. We both fished 8lb braids.

Lures used were, sluggo 3", Hazedong, DOA fluketail, Atomic Bass Grub 3".

















Fishing tomorrow night guys so let me know if anyone wants to join us.
Fishing was excellent tonight though we are obviously improving too with all the practice.
 
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#4 ·
Have you altered anything for fishing over the rocks Keith? Were you having to keep the baits moving more to keep them from snagging or anything?
 
#6 ·
Have you altered anything for fishing over the rocks Keith? Were you having to keep the baits moving more to keep them from snagging or anything?
Great question Ben.

Answer = Yes.

Let me explain without boring you to tears.

We have noticed that Pollack like to hold at certain depths. Around lit harbours that seems to be equidistant to the light saturation regardless of tidal height IF, no other feature takes precedence.

Over the rocks, the fish seem higher in water. They still like access to deep water and current but sit further inside the current seam than do Bass ime.

Now, the rock mark we fished yesterday has a long broken series of ledges next to a current seam. It has a few, very few submerged heads that deflect lower current and they are vraicweed covered, not kelp due to their locale and immediate depth.

The area we fished does dry on a 34ft tide or greater hence the lack of close by kelp.

Where we would use 5g to make 16ft at a lit harbour, 3.5g was better last night so as the soft lure doesn't drop though them too quickly. 5g, you might get 1 bump every three drop through's, 3.5g and you might get a fish a cast. Lighter was tried but, the current overwhelmed the fall and the time taken to reach the Pollack in the water column, too great.

Like I've said in many posts, optimising the drop through time 'in the zone' is paramount. These fish won't hang themselves. Well, occasionally they do but mostly, you'll feel a light tap or bump at best as the lure is intercepted, tested and perhaps ultimately rejected on it's journey towards Davy Jones locker.

This zone is where it all happens. The right rod, line, jig weight etc, all make a HUGE difference.

Bass are similar but the difference with Bass is you can let a lure drop through and sit deadstick for varying periods. It's a big learning curve and those, falling takes are so, so much a part of soft lure fishing that, to ignore it is like removing all the hooks on your plugs and expecting equal success.

Alot of this is new to me too and most of the light went on after Paul B hammered me at La Collette with the light rod. That was such a massive lesson. But, we learn, move on and improve.

I'm starting to feel sorry already for this years Bass.
 
#7 ·
We have noticed that Pollack like to hold at certain depths. Around lit harbours that seems to be equidistant to the light saturation regardless of tidal height IF, no other feature takes precedence.
Makes good sense. Effectively sitting in shadow keeping an eye out for food above. Using the same theory, I guess that the difference in LRF and HRF in daylight could be that we start going deeper as the external light levels increase (natural or artificial light)?!

Over the rocks, the fish seem higher in water.
I'm guessing that the bottom structure isn't necessarily important with that, but more the light levels? Or could it be that they are happier coming shallow over rock because they know they have a place to hide should predators be present? - whereas over open ground they stay deeper as they are generally more wary?

Where we would use 5g to make 16ft at a lit harbour, 3.5g was better last night so as the soft lure doesn't drop though them too quickly. 5g, you might get 1 bump every three drop through's, 3.5g and you might get a fish a cast. Lighter was tried but, the current overwhelmed the fall and the time taken to reach the Pollack in the water column, too great.
Again, makes sense. I would assume you're casting slightly up-current, but perhaps having the bait down-tide whilst being in light contact allows you to maintain a slower fall? What's the drill with casting? Where to?

Bass are similar but the difference with Bass is you can let a lure drop through and sit deadstick for varying periods.
Have you tried deadsticking yet with smaller, suspending hard lures? ...although it depends bit on the depth they're at I guess. Not so easy to be flexible with a hard lure. But at least you'd have more time in the zone?!

I'm starting to feel sorry already for this years Bass.
Same, this year's gonna be insane.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Makes good sense. Effectively sitting in shadow keeping an eye out for food above. Using the same theory, I guess that the difference in LRF and HRF in daylight could be that we start going deeper as the external light levels increase (natural or artificial light)?!
This seems to hold for Bass in clear open water.


I'm guessing that the bottom structure isn't necessarily important with that, but more the light levels? Or could it be that they are happier coming shallow over rock because they know they have a place to hide should predators be present? - whereas over open ground they stay deeper as they are generally more wary?
Seems about right. Again, all this stuff is new. Based upon reference to other species though and the way they react, yes, I'd say that is accurate.


Again, makes sense. I would assume you're casting slightly up-current, but perhaps having the bait down-tide whilst being in light contact allows you to maintain a slower fall? What's the drill with casting? Where to?
Cast. Bail off, lift rod really high, bail on. By this time, jig is dropping down to the zone and the line becoming taught. As the line starts to make contact, i lower the rod in a slow movement back to parallel with the water. Most takes occur here.
Then, lift, sweep or whatever in varying levels of distance. If you sweep high and the bite comes late in the drop, next time, don't sweep so high. If the bites come immediately on the fall, next time, sweep and wind the reel and then let it fall. You determine where the zone is. Cast, hit bottom and work from there. If you have to sweep, fall, wind, sweep, fall, wind and then sweep, fall bite....the fish aren't on the bottom so maximise your time spent in the zone by hitting bottom get taught and wind up say 10 turns before you start to jig. Work out how much line 1 turn takes back, think about the angle between you and the jig. taking back 10ft might lift the jig only 4ft in the water column.



Have you tried deadsticking yet with smaller, suspending hard lures? ...although it depends bit on the depth they're at I guess. Not so easy to be flexible with a hard lure. But at least you'd have more time in the zone?!
Due to the depths involved and the plug sizes we have, no.
not yet. We will though.
 
#9 ·
Keith, another great read.
Looks like you were using larger lures than previous trips, was that deliberate or just the ones you caught on? Wondering if due to the lack of light you chose bigger lures for them to home in on. Have you tried using the bigger lures with lighter heads to keep them inthe drop zone for longer?
 
#10 ·
Deliberate Mike.

Was totally darker, lots of current nearby.

We also quickly figured out that a mini xlayer falls faster for the same head weight than say, the Atomic Bass grub.

Same length nearly, slower fall.

I've just dropped some secret weapons into the bag for tonight. Might not be any good as we are fishing another new (to us with this style) location.

But, they are in the bag now so itchy fingers might come into it.

They are NOT soft.
 
#11 ·
Not soft-Frozen black lug!!!

Just kidding, hope you have a good one. Best of luck with the new stuff.
 
#15 ·
Keith I have some of the 3" sluggos in Arkansas Shiner, which colour were you using and how were you rigging them ?

Any trips planned for this week yet ?

Cheers
Jeremy
3" sluggo's are red/black and one of the shiners. We just picked them up from Allan at AGM. Me and Kev have thousands, yes, thousands of sluggo's in 6, 7.5 and 9" but we didn't have 3". Just picked em up on a whim as sluggo's, whilst not fashionable, still catch fish m8. Rigging so far on 2 and 3.5g heads. Nothing fancy but, later in the year, we self weight them, tandem rig them, wacky em...the list goes on.

Trips ?

Will advise.

Most likely doing quite a bit this week.
Keep an eye on your PM box.
 
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