Coastal Ireland Evening: Spring Tides, Bass Action, and Pollack On the Feed

Name’s Artificial Lure here with your coastal Ireland fishing report for this evening. Around the Irish coast tonight we’ve light to moderate west–southwesterlies on most shores, easing after dark. Air temps have been sitting in the low teens, with broken cloud and only the odd light shower drifting through Atlantic coasts. Barometer is fairly steady, giving decent conditions for a night session. Along the south and east coasts, we’re coming off the back of spring tides after the recent full moon, so there’s still plenty of movement in the water. High water this evening has been falling around the 8–10 pm window on many main harbours, with lows pushing into the early hours. That turning of the tide—especially the last hour of the flood into the first of the ebb—is where most of the action has been. Sunset along the coast wrapped up around 9:30 pm, with proper darkness settling in about a half-hour after. That twilight period has been the golden hour for bass in particular, as the light drops and the inshore bait shifts tight to the surf line. Reports from charter skippers and shore lads over the last few days say the usual early-summer suspects are well in. Schoolie and mid-size bass have been showing along surf beaches and rocky headlands, with the better fish pushing into the 60–70 cm bracket. Pollack are hitting hard over rough ground and kelp-covered reefs, with plenty of 3–6 lb fish and the odd bigger lump when the tide runs. Coalfish are mixed in, especially off deeper rock marks on the north and northwest coasts. Dogfish numbers are solid on most sandy marks, with rays turning up on clean ground in the south and southeast—thornbacks being the main feature, mostly into the mid-teens of pounds. There have been decent whispers of early tope on a few deeper surf beaches and outer estuary channels, mainly on big fish baits after dark. Mackerel have started to show in fits and bursts off piers and headlands on the south and southwest—no huge shoals yet, but enough for fresh bait if you persevere. For lures, the shore bass brigade are doing best with 10–14 cm soft plastics in natural baitfish colours—silvers, whites, and olive backs—fished weightless or on light jig heads over shallow reef and surf gullies. Surface lures have been producing nice hits on calm patches during the last of the flood, especially walk-the-dog styles and slim poppers. For pollack off the rocks, 20–40 g jig heads with paddle tails or slim metals in orange, brown, or dark sandeel patterns are the go-to. If you’re bait fishing, peeler crab is still king for bass where you can get it, with razor, lug, and fresh mackerel strip also doing damage. On clean ground, sandeel, squid, and mackerel cocktails are picking up rays and doggies. For tope and larger huss, whole or flapper mackerel on strong pulley rigs is the way to go—just be sure you’re using heavy gear and giving the fish a proper chance. A couple of hot spots to keep in mind: First, the Wexford and Waterford surf beaches—places like Curracloe and the surrounding strands—have seen a steady push of schoolie bass with the odd better fish, especially on that evening flood into dusk with a bit of surf running. Second, the rock marks around West Cork and into Kerry—headlands near Union Hall, Glandore, and out around the Iveragh coast—are producing good pollack and the chance of a proper bass as the light fades and the tide turns. Overall fish activity tonight has been best where you’ve some colour in the water, a bit of swell, and structure close in: gutters, rocky points, and estuary mouths. Match your lure size to the local bait and keep moving until you find feeding fish—short sessions around the tide changes are beating long static soaks. That’s the story from the Irish coast for this evening. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn