November tope!!! off three mile rock for Screeming reels

Well, as they say in fishing you just never know what is going to turn up, and today it really came home, we were having an ok day, with plenty of good eating fish coming to the boat, after persuading seirt to switch to the big muppet rigs i had made up that were picking up the cod amoungst the regular small ling, on his first drop he had an almighty take, with the line starting to tear off his reel, a moment of confusion, is he stuck on a pot rope, are we really drifting that fast, no we have a sea anchour out, it really is a big fish!!
a cracking fight ensude with the fish making some spirited runs, and eventually seirt started to make some line back, a tense few mins passed as he expertly lifted the fish to the boat, what was it we pondered , either blue shark or possibly a tope. well we caught sight of a fine male tope as it broke the surface, a good 30lbs plus, it had taken the flyer muppet, and was hooked in the lower lip, on trying to take the fish into the boat it finally snapped the 60lb snood and of he went.
It was a great fish for this area, and really throws up a few questions as to if they are here in numbers at this time of year.( an alternative tope venue for late in the year !!??) who knows
I had already been bust up by big running fish in the same area a month ago, i think a few large baits will be the order of the day next year, it would be great to have a tope mark out of Dunmore east.
I thought yesterday was a nice day, but back at work today with a flight along the south and east coast, it could have been mid summer, the sea was a mirror.
may it last
regards
screeming reels

Posts: 738
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:49 am
Location: waterford
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nice one martyn well done, they seem to be get caught more often in that genral area angus had a few last year.
had planned to get out all year with a bag of dubby on the anchor and sit out a tide for them but didnt even get out dont mind to say try for them.
with day like the weekend you might not have to wait till next year

Spur dog - Tope and smooth hound being land each day in Tramore by the boats fishing cod nets must be a lot around never seen so many being land and sold.