Gary Robinson reports that a quick session with his young son last week provided some enjoyable sport before the weather drove them back indoors.Using just a set of small sabikis tipped off with tiny pieces of mackerel the father and son duo had some feisty blennies only moments after starting to fish.
Gary was out on his own at the weekend – this time from the kayak. Fishing a spot that he had not done well at but really like the feel of he was rewarded for his persistence and going with his gut instinct…
“I launched and with the way the tide and wind were setting up the drift I headed for the far side of the bay to drift back and fish baits over a sandy bottom in 14 to 16 metres of water. Out went the drogue and two rods with offerings of squid, peeler crab and mackerel strips. All I had to do was wait for the bites. There were none after an hour and a half and I was getting cold and frustrated.
Impatience got the better of me so I headed off to deeper water towards the mouth of the bay. The ground here was a little rougher so I dropped anchor and put the baits back down to the bottom to test my luck. I was well wrapped up but despite that it was cold! I had a spinning rod with me so I started to chuck a lure about just to keep myself moving and a little bit warmer. First cast and I was walloped by a pollock. Small but it warmed up a cold day.
Just as I had it unhooked the bait rod started to nod and it was a dogfish. I unhooked that and sent fresh bait to the bottom and had another cast of the lure rod. Another pollock followed. Then another dogfish. then another pollock, followed by another dogfish. This scenario played itself out for the next couple of hours with me hitting fish every cast and drop and managing to hook and land most of them. I can’t seem to get away from pollock and dogfish but on a day like today they were very welcome.”
Gary Robinson
kayakfishermanireland.com
Kayak angling in Ireland
Gary discovered the thrill, freedom and pure joy of kayak fishing almost by accident. After purchasing kayaks with the intention of paddling trips with his long-suffering partner, he started to assess the suitability of such a craft as a fishing platform. Some internet searches showed him that he was not alone in his thoughts. America and Australia already had blossoming populations of kayak anglers. Needing no more encouragement, he set about rigging his first sit on top kayak and transforming it into a fishing platform to gain access to some of the more inaccessible waters. .
Find out more about Gary and his adventures at www.kayakfishermanireland.com
