Mull Of Galloway

[DaveyP]

Every June I spend a long weekend fishing the rock marks around the Mull. A few years ago I got my personnel best a conger of 28lb. Last year while fishing for mackeral my spinning rod bent double and nearly got yanked from my hands, when I reeled in my half my feathers were missing, I can only put it down to it being a Tope. My question is has anybody caught Tope from the rock marks around the Mull and what are the best rigs and bait to use.

[danny boy]

only ever had one while fishing for bull huss,I was using a 4 foot long wire trace,I did land it, as it was only about 8lb.I always use macky for bait,small ones with the back bone taken out.

I have fished for them since off the shore but never had no luck,but had some canny bull huss.

This was off luce bay.

[codseeker]

sure gary pye and another angler took some big ones from the shore acouple of season back somewhere in scotland

[Stewart 1971]

They are caught quite regular from the shore in Bracklesham Bay / The Witterings in Sussex during July into early August, I know a couple of lads who've had them up to 40lb off the shore. Wire traces are a must, favoured bait is a live baby Smoothhound (that is what the Tope packs are chasing inshore down there). Off the Mull I'd be tempted to use a wire trace, 8/0 hook and a Mackerel Flapper bait though if you catch a baby smut chuck it back out and see what swins along.

[john/r]

Every June I spend a long weekend fishing the rock marks around the Mull. A few years ago I got my personnel best a conger of 28lb. Last year while fishing for mackeral my spinning rod bent double and nearly got yanked from my hands, when I reeled in my half my feathers were missing, I can only put it down to it being a Tope. My question is has anybody caught Tope from the rock marks around the Mull and what are the best rigs and bait to use.

what i heard best shot for the tope is the opposite side of luce bay whithorn side.launce was the bait i heard they use over there.

[Bushwhacker]

sure gary pye and another angler took some big ones from the shore acouple of season back somewhere in scotland

Gary had his fish from Auchenlarie,you also get Smoothounds there.

[bigroppa]

flounder and dabs are great bait for them.

[super-MAGuire]

i had a large float fished mackerel bait, fishing for pollock took by a tope (i have to assume) from the front of the mull... float skimming horrizontally across the water, 35lb braid just stripping off the reel lol had to just hold the spool, rod slammed off the rock edge snapped the top 2" off the rod with the line.

AMAZING!

[canman]

4 years ago at whitson fishing west tarbet rocks for pollock out the front. Hooked into a pollock, but while reeling in something absolutely huge grabbed it. It slowly swam parallel to the shore, stopped so i waited for a moment, then struck, this time it swam straight to wards me. By now I was shouting to one of my mates to get the camera ready, as there was no way of landing whatever had picked me up. By now my line was directly below me but being deep water, nothing was visible. My mates and their wives were all gathered round to sea what on earth i'd hooked into, so again I put some heavy pressure onto my Kompressor shore rod when this thing decided to slowly move off straight out for about 60yds. It felt like I'd hooked onto a boat. Suddenly, it let go, so i wound in a badly mauled 3lb pollock with deep lacerations on its flanks. We all looked around to see if a seal surfaced anywhere, but never saw one.
My guess would be, it was a porbeagle shark as it was unaware it was hooked and in total control. Talk about exiting, phew.

[korky65]

wye aye, loads of tope at the mull, ive seen a rod fly off a stand straight in couple of year back, so watch ure gear.. cheers lads.