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Fishing in Leap

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Join our 104 fishermen in Leap in County Cork. The fishing forecast is currently 4.3. The most caught fishes here are the horse eye jack fish, the red drum, the queen snapper and the blackfin snapper. Come try the most famous fishing techniques like the how to fish for sole at sea?, the stalking fishing technique, spoon fishing for trout or jig fishing or cast fishing for mackerel.

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Most caught fish species in Leap Top species caught by Club members

Top species caught by Club members

N°1 | Bitterling Fish

The Bitterling fish is a freshwater fish and belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Its scientific name is Rhodeus Amarus. The current size of the bitterling fish is 5-6 cm. Some individuals can reach a maximum height of 11 cm and a weight of 10 g. This species is one of the smallest Cyprinid in Europe. It lives on average from 2 to 3 years. The spawning period is between April and June. It lays 40 to 100 oocytes. This fish is easy to catch due to its small size. The bitterling is a small fish whose body is high and laterally compressed. The lateral line is short or incomplete. The scales on the back have a grey-green coloring. The sides are clear with silvery reflections. During the breeding period the silver coloration changes to a pink to bright red color with a dark blue sideband. Sexual dimorphism occurs between the male and female during reproduction. A 5 to 8 mm laying tube (ovipositor) develops in the female, which allows her to lay her eggs in the gill cavity of freshwater mussels. The male has a higher body than the female and its colors become brighter during the breeding season. The bitterling fish's eyes are quite large. Its mouth is small, oblique and the upper jaw protrudes beyond the lower jaw. The anal and dorsal fins have a short base and 8 to 10 branched rays.

Fishing period : prohibited all year

Minimum size : not available

Difficulty :

N°2 | Bleak Fish

The Bleak fish is a Cyprinidae. In general, its average size is 10 to 15 cm and its weight is 15 to 50 g. However, some individuals can reach up to 60 g for a size of 25 cm. The bleak has a lifespan of 6-7 years. The spawning period is between April and August. It can lay up to 7000 spawns. You can fish bleak from June to September. This fish swims quite fast and offers a little resistance during the catch. The bleak is a fish with an elongated body that is very compressed laterally, allowing it to have a high velocity. The upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw. The mouth of the bleak is oriented upwards (above), a typical character of fish that seek their food on the surface. The caudal fin is strongly indented and the caudal peduncle is thin. The dorsal fin is inserted behind the pelvic fins and has a shorter base than the dorsal fin. Its name refers to the bright white color of its scales, which gives the bleak a metallic sheen. Its back is darker greenish-blue, its sides are silvery white and its fins are pale grey. During the breeding season, nuptial tubers appear on the backs and sides of males and their fins become orange.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 10 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | Brown Trout

The Brown Trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. According to the location, the adult size varies from 25 cm to 80 cm for 300 to 800 g. It lives for 3 to 6 years. The spawning period starts in October and end in January. The female can lay up to 4000 eggs. The fishing period is open from the second Saturday of March until the third Sunday of September. This fish is not hard to catch but the fishing needs complex skills. Depending on its environment, the brown trout have a very variable color, but the brown trout, as its name shows, is rather brown with scattered black and red spots, depending on the spawners. It has a certain mimicry according to the bottom of its living spaces since the dominant brown will become a green dress if it lives close to the banks where yellow and even sometimes silvery white will mix. It has a "useless" adipose fin between the dorsal fin and the caudal fin. The head is tapered, strong and has a powerful jaw. Its back is a pretty black or night blue.

Fishing period : March to September

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°4 | Dolphinfish or Mahi-mahi

Dorade coryphĂšne, dorado, dolphin, lampuga, rakingo, calitos, ti-rone, maverikos, mahi-mahi... There are so many ways to call the dolphinfish (coryphaena hippurus). This species is well known for its flesh and is found in tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 20 inches

Difficulty :

N°5 | Marlin

Marlin is a fish from a large family called Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. The most popular species include the blue marlin (makaira nigricans), the striped marlin (kajikia audax), the white marlin (kajikia albidus) and the black marlin (istiompax indica).

Fishing period : All the year

Minimum size : 40 inches

Difficulty :

N°6 | Swordfish

Swordfish (xiphias gladius) is a highly migratory pelagic fish considered as one of the fastest sea animals. It tends to be large and its weight often exceeds 100 kg. It can be distinguished thanks to its long bill and its iridescent blue body. Most of sport fishermen feel really proud to catch swordfishes on their lines.

Fishing period : June to October

Minimum size : 47 inches

Difficulty :

N°7 | The Alligator Gar

The Alligator Gar belongs to the Lepisosteidae family. In its adult form, it can measure up to three meters long and weigh up to 140 kilograms. It breeds in spring. It can be fished all year round. Alligator gar are elongated fish with a long, narrow snout. Their scales form a kind of armor, protecting them from other predators, the scales are similar in hardness to our nails, hard as keratin. They are also sharp, never brush a sharp-edged club fish. These fish have the swim bladder modified into a gas bladder, it allows them to breathe at the surface.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Almaco Jack

The Almaco Jack belongs to the Carangidae family. Its adult size varies from 80 cm to 120 cm. They reproduce in spring. It can be fished all year round. It has two dorsal fins, the longer of the two is about twice as long as the longer of the dorsal spines. It has a pale blue-green color, with a lavender glow. The Almaco Jack has a short upper jaw, with a yellowish streak from the jaw to the first dorsal fin, but its color becomes less recognizable as the fish ages. Younger almaco jacks usually have six black bars on the sides. The mouth is protractile and allows it to swallow its entire prey.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°9 | The American Eel

The American Eel belongs to the Anguillidae family. The size of the adult female can reach 1 m in length, while that of the male does not exceed 40 cm. Spawning takes place in mid-winter. Females lay 3 to 22 million eggs. He can live to be 50 years old. It can be fished from April to September. The American eel is a species of fish with a snake-like body all in length with fins that extend over its back, around its tail and along its inner surface. It has thick lips and a slightly longer lower jaw than her upper jaw, which gives her the appearance of having an overbite. The color of young eels varies from yellow-green or brown. Adult eels are grey with white or cream bellies.

Fishing period : April to September

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Apache trout

The Apache trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. The Apache trout is 15 to 61 cm long and weighs 0.2 to 2.7 kg. It rarely exceeds 25 cm but can reach up to 40 cm in its natural headwaters. It breeds from May to June. Fishing for Apache trout is prohibited all year round. Apache trout are yellowish gold in color with a golden belly and have medium sized dark spots, uniformly spaced, which can extend below the lateral line and over the dorsal fins and tail. The top of the head and back are dark olive in color, and it appears to have a black stripe/mask through each of its eyes, thanks to two small black dots on each side of the pupil. There may be a throat mark under the lower jaw, ranging from yellow to gold.

Fishing period :

Minimum size :

Difficulty :

N°11 | The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark belongs to the Carcharhinidae family. The average size of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is 90 to 99 cm. Their maximum size is 120 cm. In captivity it can live up to 4 years. The young are usually born in June. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be fished all year round. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has a long snout and labial furrows that surround its mouth. The triangular teeth with smooth edges are identical on the upper and lower jaws. The livery of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be brown, olive grey or blue grey, turning white on its belly. Adults may have some white spots, and in smaller individuals the edges of the dorsal fins and caudal fin are often black.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°12 | The Atlantic salmon

The Atlantic salmon belongs to the Salmonidae family. Atlantic salmon can measure up to 1.50 m in length and weigh up to 36 kg. The average longevity of Atlantic salmon is estimated at 10 years. It breeds from October to November. The female lays 1500 to 1800 eggs per kg of weight. It can be fished all year round. Atlantic salmon have an elongated and slender body. The anal fin has eight to eleven rays. The caudal is large, concave in adults and forked in young people. The head is small and flattened on top. The mouth is large (split to the posterior edge of the eye) and has strong teeth on the jaws, tongue and palate. The scales are large and visible. The lateral line is straight. Large black dots on a light background form X on the head, back and dorsal fin. The color varies from blue to blue-grey on the back, it is silvery on the sides. It varies during the spawning season, with adults turning bronze to dark brown. They lose their silvery livery when they enter fresh water. Males are marked with red dots on the sides. The young are marked with seven to eleven vertical fingerprints that they will lose when they enter the sea. As spawning approaches, the male's head will change: it will elongate, the lower jaw will develop and bend to form a hook (male "becard").

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°1 | Bitterling Fish

The Bitterling fish is a freshwater fish and belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Its scientific name is Rhodeus Amarus. The current size of the bitterling fish is 5-6 cm. Some individuals can reach a maximum height of 11 cm and a weight of 10 g. This species is one of the smallest Cyprinid in Europe. It lives on average from 2 to 3 years. The spawning period is between April and June. It lays 40 to 100 oocytes. This fish is easy to catch due to its small size. The bitterling is a small fish whose body is high and laterally compressed. The lateral line is short or incomplete. The scales on the back have a grey-green coloring. The sides are clear with silvery reflections. During the breeding period the silver coloration changes to a pink to bright red color with a dark blue sideband. Sexual dimorphism occurs between the male and female during reproduction. A 5 to 8 mm laying tube (ovipositor) develops in the female, which allows her to lay her eggs in the gill cavity of freshwater mussels. The male has a higher body than the female and its colors become brighter during the breeding season. The bitterling fish's eyes are quite large. Its mouth is small, oblique and the upper jaw protrudes beyond the lower jaw. The anal and dorsal fins have a short base and 8 to 10 branched rays.

Fishing period : prohibited all year

Minimum size : not available

Difficulty :

N°2 | Bleak Fish

The Bleak fish is a Cyprinidae. In general, its average size is 10 to 15 cm and its weight is 15 to 50 g. However, some individuals can reach up to 60 g for a size of 25 cm. The bleak has a lifespan of 6-7 years. The spawning period is between April and August. It can lay up to 7000 spawns. You can fish bleak from June to September. This fish swims quite fast and offers a little resistance during the catch. The bleak is a fish with an elongated body that is very compressed laterally, allowing it to have a high velocity. The upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw. The mouth of the bleak is oriented upwards (above), a typical character of fish that seek their food on the surface. The caudal fin is strongly indented and the caudal peduncle is thin. The dorsal fin is inserted behind the pelvic fins and has a shorter base than the dorsal fin. Its name refers to the bright white color of its scales, which gives the bleak a metallic sheen. Its back is darker greenish-blue, its sides are silvery white and its fins are pale grey. During the breeding season, nuptial tubers appear on the backs and sides of males and their fins become orange.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 10 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | Brown Trout

The Brown Trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. According to the location, the adult size varies from 25 cm to 80 cm for 300 to 800 g. It lives for 3 to 6 years. The spawning period starts in October and end in January. The female can lay up to 4000 eggs. The fishing period is open from the second Saturday of March until the third Sunday of September. This fish is not hard to catch but the fishing needs complex skills. Depending on its environment, the brown trout have a very variable color, but the brown trout, as its name shows, is rather brown with scattered black and red spots, depending on the spawners. It has a certain mimicry according to the bottom of its living spaces since the dominant brown will become a green dress if it lives close to the banks where yellow and even sometimes silvery white will mix. It has a "useless" adipose fin between the dorsal fin and the caudal fin. The head is tapered, strong and has a powerful jaw. Its back is a pretty black or night blue.

Fishing period : March to September

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°4 | Dolphinfish or Mahi-mahi

Dorade coryphĂšne, dorado, dolphin, lampuga, rakingo, calitos, ti-rone, maverikos, mahi-mahi... There are so many ways to call the dolphinfish (coryphaena hippurus). This species is well known for its flesh and is found in tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 20 inches

Difficulty :

N°5 | Marlin

Marlin is a fish from a large family called Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. The most popular species include the blue marlin (makaira nigricans), the striped marlin (kajikia audax), the white marlin (kajikia albidus) and the black marlin (istiompax indica).

Fishing period : All the year

Minimum size : 40 inches

Difficulty :

N°6 | Swordfish

Swordfish (xiphias gladius) is a highly migratory pelagic fish considered as one of the fastest sea animals. It tends to be large and its weight often exceeds 100 kg. It can be distinguished thanks to its long bill and its iridescent blue body. Most of sport fishermen feel really proud to catch swordfishes on their lines.

Fishing period : June to October

Minimum size : 47 inches

Difficulty :

N°7 | The Alligator Gar

The Alligator Gar belongs to the Lepisosteidae family. In its adult form, it can measure up to three meters long and weigh up to 140 kilograms. It breeds in spring. It can be fished all year round. Alligator gar are elongated fish with a long, narrow snout. Their scales form a kind of armor, protecting them from other predators, the scales are similar in hardness to our nails, hard as keratin. They are also sharp, never brush a sharp-edged club fish. These fish have the swim bladder modified into a gas bladder, it allows them to breathe at the surface.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Almaco Jack

The Almaco Jack belongs to the Carangidae family. Its adult size varies from 80 cm to 120 cm. They reproduce in spring. It can be fished all year round. It has two dorsal fins, the longer of the two is about twice as long as the longer of the dorsal spines. It has a pale blue-green color, with a lavender glow. The Almaco Jack has a short upper jaw, with a yellowish streak from the jaw to the first dorsal fin, but its color becomes less recognizable as the fish ages. Younger almaco jacks usually have six black bars on the sides. The mouth is protractile and allows it to swallow its entire prey.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°9 | The American Eel

The American Eel belongs to the Anguillidae family. The size of the adult female can reach 1 m in length, while that of the male does not exceed 40 cm. Spawning takes place in mid-winter. Females lay 3 to 22 million eggs. He can live to be 50 years old. It can be fished from April to September. The American eel is a species of fish with a snake-like body all in length with fins that extend over its back, around its tail and along its inner surface. It has thick lips and a slightly longer lower jaw than her upper jaw, which gives her the appearance of having an overbite. The color of young eels varies from yellow-green or brown. Adult eels are grey with white or cream bellies.

Fishing period : April to September

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Apache trout

The Apache trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. The Apache trout is 15 to 61 cm long and weighs 0.2 to 2.7 kg. It rarely exceeds 25 cm but can reach up to 40 cm in its natural headwaters. It breeds from May to June. Fishing for Apache trout is prohibited all year round. Apache trout are yellowish gold in color with a golden belly and have medium sized dark spots, uniformly spaced, which can extend below the lateral line and over the dorsal fins and tail. The top of the head and back are dark olive in color, and it appears to have a black stripe/mask through each of its eyes, thanks to two small black dots on each side of the pupil. There may be a throat mark under the lower jaw, ranging from yellow to gold.

Fishing period :

Minimum size :

Difficulty :

N°11 | The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark belongs to the Carcharhinidae family. The average size of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is 90 to 99 cm. Their maximum size is 120 cm. In captivity it can live up to 4 years. The young are usually born in June. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be fished all year round. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has a long snout and labial furrows that surround its mouth. The triangular teeth with smooth edges are identical on the upper and lower jaws. The livery of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be brown, olive grey or blue grey, turning white on its belly. Adults may have some white spots, and in smaller individuals the edges of the dorsal fins and caudal fin are often black.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°12 | The Atlantic salmon

The Atlantic salmon belongs to the Salmonidae family. Atlantic salmon can measure up to 1.50 m in length and weigh up to 36 kg. The average longevity of Atlantic salmon is estimated at 10 years. It breeds from October to November. The female lays 1500 to 1800 eggs per kg of weight. It can be fished all year round. Atlantic salmon have an elongated and slender body. The anal fin has eight to eleven rays. The caudal is large, concave in adults and forked in young people. The head is small and flattened on top. The mouth is large (split to the posterior edge of the eye) and has strong teeth on the jaws, tongue and palate. The scales are large and visible. The lateral line is straight. Large black dots on a light background form X on the head, back and dorsal fin. The color varies from blue to blue-grey on the back, it is silvery on the sides. It varies during the spawning season, with adults turning bronze to dark brown. They lose their silvery livery when they enter fresh water. Males are marked with red dots on the sides. The young are marked with seven to eleven vertical fingerprints that they will lose when they enter the sea. As spawning approaches, the male's head will change: it will elongate, the lower jaw will develop and bend to form a hook (male "becard").

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

Leap - Fishing techniques Top fishing techniques

Top fishing techniques

N°1 | How to fish for sole at sea?

Fishing for sole is not simple because this is a really coveted flatfish. It is caught for its tender and fragrant flesh. Its maximum size can reach 70 cm with a current size of 25 to 35 cm. The sole lives at a depth of 130 meters in sandy and muddy bottoms. In March, it gets as close to the coast as possible and returns to deeper water in early November. It is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the south of Norway to Senegal, and in almost all of the Mediterranean Sea. The sole doesn't like the cold as much as we do. It breeds between February and April of each year and remains very hungry at night. The sole has a powerful sense of smell that helps it to feed itself. Worms, crustaceans, are part of his weekly diet.

N°2 | The stalking fishing technique

Practised on foot, the stalking fishing is a fishing technique that can be described as mobile. As its name suggests, the principle is to prowl as discreetly as possible along the banks of rivers and streams, using natural baits such as maggot, mud worms, aquatic larvae or others to attract and track fish. Roach, perches, trout are some examples of fish that you can catch using this exciting roaming fishing technique.

N°3 | Spoon fishing for trout

Spoon fishing is a technique widely used to catch trout in lakes and rivers. Indeed, it has many advantages, and it is economical and efficient. In addition, it is ideal for beginner fishermen. Here are the tips for seducing trout with spoon fishing.

N°4 | Jig fishing or Cast fishing for mackerel

Mackerel evolve in schools. The challenge is to find the benches. A seagull bite may eventually help you, but the easiest way is to use a sonar. Mackerel move to a depth that varies with water temperature, weather conditions and water transparency. The sonar unit will therefore help you to identify how deep they are moving. In general, mackerel will be found on the surface in calm weather and when the water is clear enough. On the contrary, when the sea is rough, the latter will tend to descend between two waters, or even into deep waters. Once the bank is spotted, you should approach it as discreetly as possible and let yourself drift in such a way as to pass through it (you will turn off the engine, especially if the fish are on the surface). You will let your submachine gun down and animate it in a jigsaw. This means that you will make more or less wide movements with your rod in order to raise and lower your hooks erratically. If the ban moves a little further away, you can also throw your machine gun and bring it back with a little scion blows. Vary the recovery rates and depth to maximize your chances. If the ban is on the surface (you will spot it thanks to the seagulls who will take advantage of the opportunity), opt for a quick recovery and on the surface. It is also a very fun fishing to do in a kayak.

N°5 | How to choose jig for squid fishing?

You have decided to catch squid and the choice of your jigs will make you nervous? That's normal! There are so many different types, prices, colors, sizes, coatings and weights that there is enough to turn your head! Here are some tips and tricks to help you make your trip a success.

N°6 | Fishing technique of the Pollack

If you don’t know how to fish for Pollack, below are some technique that you can use.

N°1 | How to fish for sole at sea?

Fishing for sole is not simple because this is a really coveted flatfish. It is caught for its tender and fragrant flesh. Its maximum size can reach 70 cm with a current size of 25 to 35 cm. The sole lives at a depth of 130 meters in sandy and muddy bottoms. In March, it gets as close to the coast as possible and returns to deeper water in early November. It is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the south of Norway to Senegal, and in almost all of the Mediterranean Sea. The sole doesn't like the cold as much as we do. It breeds between February and April of each year and remains very hungry at night. The sole has a powerful sense of smell that helps it to feed itself. Worms, crustaceans, are part of his weekly diet.

N°2 | The stalking fishing technique

Practised on foot, the stalking fishing is a fishing technique that can be described as mobile. As its name suggests, the principle is to prowl as discreetly as possible along the banks of rivers and streams, using natural baits such as maggot, mud worms, aquatic larvae or others to attract and track fish. Roach, perches, trout are some examples of fish that you can catch using this exciting roaming fishing technique.

N°3 | Spoon fishing for trout

Spoon fishing is a technique widely used to catch trout in lakes and rivers. Indeed, it has many advantages, and it is economical and efficient. In addition, it is ideal for beginner fishermen. Here are the tips for seducing trout with spoon fishing.

N°4 | Jig fishing or Cast fishing for mackerel

Mackerel evolve in schools. The challenge is to find the benches. A seagull bite may eventually help you, but the easiest way is to use a sonar. Mackerel move to a depth that varies with water temperature, weather conditions and water transparency. The sonar unit will therefore help you to identify how deep they are moving. In general, mackerel will be found on the surface in calm weather and when the water is clear enough. On the contrary, when the sea is rough, the latter will tend to descend between two waters, or even into deep waters. Once the bank is spotted, you should approach it as discreetly as possible and let yourself drift in such a way as to pass through it (you will turn off the engine, especially if the fish are on the surface). You will let your submachine gun down and animate it in a jigsaw. This means that you will make more or less wide movements with your rod in order to raise and lower your hooks erratically. If the ban moves a little further away, you can also throw your machine gun and bring it back with a little scion blows. Vary the recovery rates and depth to maximize your chances. If the ban is on the surface (you will spot it thanks to the seagulls who will take advantage of the opportunity), opt for a quick recovery and on the surface. It is also a very fun fishing to do in a kayak.

N°5 | How to choose jig for squid fishing?

You have decided to catch squid and the choice of your jigs will make you nervous? That's normal! There are so many different types, prices, colors, sizes, coatings and weights that there is enough to turn your head! Here are some tips and tricks to help you make your trip a success.

N°6 | Fishing technique of the Pollack

If you don’t know how to fish for Pollack, below are some technique that you can use.

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