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Fishing in Ballineen

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Join our 181 fishermen in Ballineen in County Cork. The fishing forecast is currently 4.5. The most caught fishes here are the weakfish, the coho salmon, the chinook salmon and the atlantic sharpnose shark. Come try the most famous fishing techniques like the tips on material for mullet fly fishing, fishing for pike with soft lure, fishing squid with jig on board or boat fishing for bass.

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Most caught fish species in Ballineen 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 | Striped bass

Striped bass (morone saxatilis) is a fish of the Moronidae family found along the Atlantic coast of North America.

Fishing period : All the year

Minimum size : 28 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 American Shad

The American Shad belongs to the Clupeidae family. With an average of 38 cm, adult specimens can measure up to 76 cm and weigh between 0.9 and 1.4 kg. It can live up to 13 years old. Egg laying takes place in May, June or July. On average, the female lays 140,000 eggs, but can reach 600,000 eggs. It is fished in the spring. The American shad is characterized by its slender, high and very flattened body. The species has a very forked caudal fin and a low, elongated anal fin. It has no lateral line or adipose fin. Its color is silvery with a blue or blue-green sheen on the back and bright silver flanks. When entering fresh water for reproduction, the pigmentation may become darker, taking on a tan or copper hue, turning red for the head and belly parts. A black spot is visible near the top edge of the lid, sometimes followed by smaller spots. Its lower jaw fits into a notch in its upper jaw. It can also be recognized by its large scales that are easily detached. The ventral surface of the American shad is thin with saw tooth scales. With regard to internal characteristics, it has teeth in the premaxillary and lower jaw, a silver peritoneum and, between 53 and 59 vertebrae.

Fishing period : spring

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°11 | 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°12 | The Arctic Grayling

The Arctic Grayling belongs to the Salmonidae Family. The Arctic shade can reach a length of about 24 cm long and weighs about 3 kg. He can live to be 18 years old. It breeds in the spring and lays thousands of eggs. It can be fished all year round. Coloring may vary depending on the location. The dorsal fin is usually bordered red and dotted with large iridescent red, turquoise, purple or purple spots and marks. Back marks are more evident on the large shadows. The back of the Arctic shadow is generally dark. The sides can be in black, silver, gold, or blue. Gold markings sometimes form a border between the hips and the belly, while pelvic fins can be orange, red or pink. The sides and head can be freckles with black spots. The eye of the iris is often the color of gold.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 15 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 | Striped bass

Striped bass (morone saxatilis) is a fish of the Moronidae family found along the Atlantic coast of North America.

Fishing period : All the year

Minimum size : 28 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 American Shad

The American Shad belongs to the Clupeidae family. With an average of 38 cm, adult specimens can measure up to 76 cm and weigh between 0.9 and 1.4 kg. It can live up to 13 years old. Egg laying takes place in May, June or July. On average, the female lays 140,000 eggs, but can reach 600,000 eggs. It is fished in the spring. The American shad is characterized by its slender, high and very flattened body. The species has a very forked caudal fin and a low, elongated anal fin. It has no lateral line or adipose fin. Its color is silvery with a blue or blue-green sheen on the back and bright silver flanks. When entering fresh water for reproduction, the pigmentation may become darker, taking on a tan or copper hue, turning red for the head and belly parts. A black spot is visible near the top edge of the lid, sometimes followed by smaller spots. Its lower jaw fits into a notch in its upper jaw. It can also be recognized by its large scales that are easily detached. The ventral surface of the American shad is thin with saw tooth scales. With regard to internal characteristics, it has teeth in the premaxillary and lower jaw, a silver peritoneum and, between 53 and 59 vertebrae.

Fishing period : spring

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°11 | 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°12 | The Arctic Grayling

The Arctic Grayling belongs to the Salmonidae Family. The Arctic shade can reach a length of about 24 cm long and weighs about 3 kg. He can live to be 18 years old. It breeds in the spring and lays thousands of eggs. It can be fished all year round. Coloring may vary depending on the location. The dorsal fin is usually bordered red and dotted with large iridescent red, turquoise, purple or purple spots and marks. Back marks are more evident on the large shadows. The back of the Arctic shadow is generally dark. The sides can be in black, silver, gold, or blue. Gold markings sometimes form a border between the hips and the belly, while pelvic fins can be orange, red or pink. The sides and head can be freckles with black spots. The eye of the iris is often the color of gold.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 15 cm

Difficulty :

Ballineen - Fishing techniques Top fishing techniques

Top fishing techniques

N°1 | Tips on material for mullet fly fishing

Here are some articles that can help you choose the right equipment for fly fishing for mullet

N°2 | Fishing for pike with soft lure

Soft lures are both practical and economical for pike fishing. They can be used all year round and are suitable for all types of water. However, to obtain results, it is necessary to know how to adapt the setting and to choose the elements to use. Here are some tips.

N°3 | Fishing squid with jig on board

The jig is a lure with a crown of hooks. Ideal for squid fishing, it can sometimes imitate the shape of fish, sometimes that of shrimp, be phosphorescent or bright, brightly colored or not. It requires little equipment and brings a lot of satisfaction thanks to the generally abundant catches, provided that you do not neglect any parameter in the choice of your posts and animations.

N°4 | Boat Fishing for Bass

Where do you fish bass by boat? The undeniable advantage of boat fishing for sea bass is that it is possible to explore stations that are inaccessible from the shore and to change them quickly. Indeed, to succeed in your trip, it is essential to prospect because, at the rhythm of the tide, some stations are full of bass while others are deserted. Flush rocks, whitewater and tormented areas, gullies, breaks in the bottom relief, wrecks, oyster and shellfish beds, and estuaries are generally suitable areas for sea bass capture. In order to identify strategic points, a trick as old as the world consists simply to fish on hunts! If you see seabirds diving in the distance or if you see small fish caught from a sudden frenzy and jumping to the surface, it is certainly the ideal signal: the bass may be attacking its prey there. But beware, there is no question of entering the hunts (you would risk scaring the bar), stop your boat upstream instead.

N°5 | Plug fishing on the shore for sea bream

This technique, whether practiced from the shore, by boat or kayak, consists of fishing with a fairly simple assembly consisting of a plug, a leaded wire with one or more hooks.

N°6 | Trolling for squid

Increasingly popular and used in the Mediterranean, the slow trolling troll to fish squid is ideal for quickly spotting the behavior of the banks in a defined area. Popular, easy and productive, this technique has the advantage of giving excellent results in winter, both during the day and at night. Indeed, these cephalopods have excellent night vision, so it is generally at night that they leave in large numbers to hunt small fish.

N°1 | Tips on material for mullet fly fishing

Here are some articles that can help you choose the right equipment for fly fishing for mullet

N°2 | Fishing for pike with soft lure

Soft lures are both practical and economical for pike fishing. They can be used all year round and are suitable for all types of water. However, to obtain results, it is necessary to know how to adapt the setting and to choose the elements to use. Here are some tips.

N°3 | Fishing squid with jig on board

The jig is a lure with a crown of hooks. Ideal for squid fishing, it can sometimes imitate the shape of fish, sometimes that of shrimp, be phosphorescent or bright, brightly colored or not. It requires little equipment and brings a lot of satisfaction thanks to the generally abundant catches, provided that you do not neglect any parameter in the choice of your posts and animations.

N°4 | Boat Fishing for Bass

Where do you fish bass by boat? The undeniable advantage of boat fishing for sea bass is that it is possible to explore stations that are inaccessible from the shore and to change them quickly. Indeed, to succeed in your trip, it is essential to prospect because, at the rhythm of the tide, some stations are full of bass while others are deserted. Flush rocks, whitewater and tormented areas, gullies, breaks in the bottom relief, wrecks, oyster and shellfish beds, and estuaries are generally suitable areas for sea bass capture. In order to identify strategic points, a trick as old as the world consists simply to fish on hunts! If you see seabirds diving in the distance or if you see small fish caught from a sudden frenzy and jumping to the surface, it is certainly the ideal signal: the bass may be attacking its prey there. But beware, there is no question of entering the hunts (you would risk scaring the bar), stop your boat upstream instead.

N°5 | Plug fishing on the shore for sea bream

This technique, whether practiced from the shore, by boat or kayak, consists of fishing with a fairly simple assembly consisting of a plug, a leaded wire with one or more hooks.

N°6 | Trolling for squid

Increasingly popular and used in the Mediterranean, the slow trolling troll to fish squid is ideal for quickly spotting the behavior of the banks in a defined area. Popular, easy and productive, this technique has the advantage of giving excellent results in winter, both during the day and at night. Indeed, these cephalopods have excellent night vision, so it is generally at night that they leave in large numbers to hunt small fish.

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