Dave Edwards of West Cork Charters fishing aboard the Silver Dawn out of Courtmacsherry reports that bluefin tuna are still avoiding the south coast, but he thinks that could change any day and the settled spell forecast this week will help build the bait shoals inshore that will be ringing the dinner bell for the bluefin.
Dave is offering the option of cancelling any tuna charters that anglers have booked or switching to offshore shark fishing if conditions allow. His anglers on Sunday opted to go for shark and were rewarded with 8 good Blue Shark with 3 at 100lb.

Dave was using the new IFI Floy tags once again under the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme; he thinks they are a great improvement on the previous model and are far less invasive for the sharks which all swam away strongly after measurement.
Dave always applies best practice when bringing shark onboard for tagging which he thinks is safer for all concerned including the shark; helping the sharks to relax out of the water makes them far more placid until they are returned and the scientific study onboard Silver Dawn this year is helping prove this.

Go fishing…
West Cork Charters operates the Silver Dawn, a 41′ Rodman 1250 with twin 430 HP Engines out of Courtmacsherry. The range of fishing found within close range of Courtmacsherry is superb, with trips producing anything between 6 and 15 different species as a norm and in excess of 20 is possible if anglers are prepared to change methods and use different baits and lures throughout their trip. As a rule mackerel, pollock, cod and ling are usually encountered but several species of wrasse along with whiting, pouting, coalfish, bull huss, conger and many more are often added to the catch.
If you do choose to head offshore to sample the superb shark fishing available within 10 miles of Courtmacsherry, there is a very strong chance of encountering blue sharks and an increasing chance of bringing a porbeagle shark to the boat.
Address: The Pier, Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork.
Telephone: +353 (83) 449 1403
Email: [email protected]