Gary Jennings sent on a great report from a fishing trip in West Cork at the weekend.

My son Jack (17) was visiting his grandparents in west cork for the weekend. We went out on his grandfather John’s boat for the first weekend fishing trip of the summer.

 

Jack had his own reel and used a “Frankenstein” rod. Made up of a top section of a Shakespeare Omni Boat rod 20/30lb class, worth €25, a Penn reel seat for a beachcaster and a butt section of an old boat rod, with a wooden dowel through the reel seat! The reel was a fixed spool Okuma Ceymar CXT55 loaded with 38lb Berkley Whiplash braided line., and a 200lb leader tied to a single 8/0 Mustad 3407 Forged O’Shaughnessy Hook.

Conger eel

The morning started with 40+ mackerel before 0900. On anchor before 10. Followed by 6 hours of fantastic fishing. With bullhuss over 15lb x20, 2 x ling, 3 x conger, dogfish, large pollack to double figures, 1 dropped skate.

Well-fed pollack

But finally at 16:00 Jack hooked into a skate. All other lines up to give Jack the best chance at fighting the fish. After 30+mins and having the fish at the boat 4 times we managed to leader the fish on the 5th attempt in big tides, lifted onboard with care.

Jack’s first skate, what a catch!

We estimated the fish from measuring to approx 150lb weight. A healthy female in lovely condition. Returned to the depths after a quick photo and measurement.

Well done Jack! Keep up the fishing!