Boat Angling Ireland members had a meeting at Greenore at the weekend where the tope fishing has been good recently. Cecil takes up the story…
The news from the Friday was that Greenore was fishing well if you got the tide right. Magnet reported that they had landed 5 tope between them for a couple of hours. Best fish went 49lb. On Saturday morning we were on our way at about 8.00 for mackerel with the boat Dinny close behind. The mackerel were a bit patchy but we got enough to get started, hit the mark and anchored up. We had spoken to a couple of guys who got on the water before us and they had two already; 40lb and 20lb. As we set up and started to fish they landed another around 30lb so things were looking good.
We had agreed that the first run on the rods would be mine and shortly we had what seemed like weed caught on the line. It turned out to be a very timid bite. We gave it a little bit more time and then put the drag up to strike and fish on!! It sped off taking line. I couldn’t stop the run and as line was peeling off the back of the boat the tope breached off the starboard side! Magnet said “That’s your fish!” which I didn’t believe as the line was still peeling straight out the back. I played the fish for a while longer and she came to the surface briefly and I didn’t think it was that big but when she saw the boat she took off again.
I fought the fish for another 10 minutes and every time I thought I was getting somewhere away it went again. Eventually she tired out and came to the surface where Magnet got excited at the size. He did a great job boating the fish. It was only then I saw the length and girth, much bigger than I had thought. After the fish was and weighed photos taken she was returned safely – a personal best for me at 60lb.
We fished hard after that changing baits to suit the state of the tide but apart from a few dropped runs, a small huss and a doggie that was it for us. We had been in contact with Dinny throughout the day and apart from shy bites and dropped runs it was the junior angler who was top rod keeping the big boys supplied with mackerel all day. The other guys who were out boated another around 30lb and the charter boat had two, no big size.
Courtesy of Boat-Angling-Ireland. http://www.boat-angling-ireland.com
