Rooster

Sea angling in Ireland is at its varied best where the rugged coastline of south west Ireland meets the warm plankton-rich waters of the Gulf Stream. Baltimore, Co Cork is a fishing and sea angling centre in the heart of south west Ireland, situated between the other well-known angling venues of Dingle and Kinsale.

Wreck fishing, shark fishing and common skate fishing are three kinds of sea angling that Baltimore is especially noted for, but most of the popular sea angling species of Britain and Ireland are found in these waters. And they are joined by a number of more exotic species which are brought here by the Gulf Stream. Fishing like this is no more than a memory in so many other places once famed for sea angling.

Rooster is a fast modern sea angling boat, purpose-built for fishing these waters and skippered by someone who has been in the job for 30 years. Rooster combines seaworthiness and safety with the speed to get to and from the fishing grounds in the minimum of time.

Fishing

Sea fishing at Baltimore
 Baltimore has some of the most varied sea fishing in Ireland, both in terms of the number of species and the types of fishing available, which include shark, common skate and wreck fishing, as well as excellent general sea fishing.

The Gulf Stream brings sharks and other warm water fish to within a few miles of the coast, where reefs and rock pinnacles alternating with areas of sand or mud provide an ideal habitat for a wide range of species. Scattered throughout are numerous wartime wrecks.

Our species tally stands at well over forty, ranging from familiar angling species like cod, pollack, conger and ling to more unusual ones like blue whiting, greater forkbeard and long-nosed skate. Visitors from warm seas include albacore, stone basse and skipper.

Shark fishing Blues are the most plentiful species of shark and are often encountered within a mile or two of land. Catches of ten or more in a day are quite possible. Fishing is usually on the drift but can be at anchor. In either case, it can be combined successfully with fishing for other species. And as well as blues, there is the chance of a porbeagle or even the rare six-gilled shark. We have caught all three to well over 100 lbs (45 kg). The shark-fishing season normally runs from mid-June to early October, depending on weather.

Wreck fishing yields all the typical wreck species—coalfish, pollack, conger, ling and cod. Other species turn up at times, such as haddock, anglerfish, flatfish, even common skate. We fish wrecks on the drift and at anchor, according to conditions. Baltimore wrecks include the largest in Ireland (the 160,000 ton Kowloon Bridge), as well as dozens of wartime wrecks. The nearest of these is just 2 miles from the harbour. Offshore wrecks have been the scene of some spectacular catches in recent years.

Common skate Baltimore is one of the main centres for common skate fishing in Ireland. Large skate are taken regularly within a short distance of the harbour and specimens of more than 200 lbs (90 kg) are not uncommon. It is quite normal to take several common skate in a session. Our current record for one day's fishing is 17 skate, including eight over 100 lbs (45 kg).