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Tippe Rocks, Co. Mayo

Mike Thrussell 01 January, 2006 09:30:00

You follow the rocks round on the dropping tide walking left of the stone pier. This brings you to a series of rocky fingers giving access in to a narrow channel with a fair tide run and in to deep water. The seabed is rough with kelp beds and tackle losses can be heavy.

It fishes best from June through to November for the pollack and wrasse, with mackerel from July until early October. The huss and conger are present all year, but the best of the conger fishing is in the late autumn, especially as the weather cools.

SPECIES
Pollack, coalfish, ballan wrasse, mackerel, huss and conger

BEST BAITS
Use small rubber eels on long traces with Aberdeen hooks and 2oz leads for the pollack and coalfish. It pays to cast slightly uptide and as tight as you can to the rocks on the opposite side, let the tackle be swept round sinking as it goes until you feel it hit the seabed, before retrieving at medium speed. The pollack especially hit almost as soon as you begin the retrieve.

Feathers work for the mackerel, pollack and coalies, with black feathers especially effective.

The wrasse take hardback crab baits either ledgered, or float fished which reduces tackle losses too.

Mackerel or sandeel baits take the conger and huss ledgering in to the mid channel area during slack tide periods.

TACKLE
A spinning rod casting 2ozs of lead is perfect, and can be used to target the pollack, wrasse, mackerel and coalfish, and doubles up as a float rod. With so many snags use 15lb line and a fixed spool reel.

The conger and huss require a beachcaster capable of handling 5 to 6ozs of lead and a big bait. Fish 30lb line straight through as you only need to lob 30-yards. Best rig is a pulley rig with a weak link to the lead and ending with a size 6/0 Mustad Viking hook.

GETTING THERE
Take the road out of Belmullet heading west and take the right turn for Broadhaven Bay. Tippe Pier is signposted on the left about three miles up the Broadhaven Bay road. As you approach the pier there is a small parking space above the pier enough for a couple of cars.