Duration: 5 hours
Tide: LW at 9.30 pm
Weather: Strong southerly breeze, changing to very strong southeasterly later, mostly cloudy, dry.
Bait: Lug, razor, crab
Rigs: 3/0 pennel pulley, 2/0 two hook flappers
Results: 5 bass, 1 flounder
Report: As the weather forcast was for southerly winds to pick up on Sunday evening I decided to restrict my weekend fishing to Sunday evening/Sunday night. On Saturday I did some reconnaissance and checked out a few marks that I had never fished before. Similarly on Sunday afternoon I took a long hike across country to check on some rock marks and found a few places that looked to have potential for pollock and wrasse in the summer. Then on Sunday evening I got to the beach and was set up by 7 pm. There was a good surf, there wasn't any big breakers but lots of closely spaced waves rolling in so I reckoned it looked good for bass. I was going to fish three rods again with the third in close to target flat fish. It was a couple of hours before dusk so I wasn't expecting too much until after dark.
I baited the 3/0 pennel and the two hook flapper with lug and cast the first two rods. While I was setting up the third rod there was a strong knock on the rod with the pennel. I struck and could feel a reasonable fish on the end. It was a 46 cm bass
Unfortunately it was very deeply hooked. It took a bit of time to remove the hook. I put the fish in to a nearby rockpool, it flapped around a bit but was floating on its side. So that was one for dinner.I rebaited and cast out and then returned to setting up the third rod - but I had only started threading the line through the eyes when there was another strong knock, this time on the rod with the two hook flapper - I struck and felt similar size fish on the end - it was another 46 cm bass
I could hardly believe it - two bass within 15 minutes of setting up, on the first cast on each rod
I had intended to fish the third rod with a three hook flapper with small hooks. but decided sod that - the bass were on the feed
- and put on another 2/0 two hook flapper. However, before I got the chance to bait it there was good knock on the first rod with the pennel - another 46 cm bass It quitened down after that - I had two missed bites - struck too early with one and the other managed to shake itself free before I got to the rod. At about 8.45 pm I got another very strong knock on the second rod - this time the fish was putting up a stronger fight than the previous three - and when I hauled the bass through the surf it looked a bit bigger - it was 49 cm
It got quite after that - I got another bass at about 10 pm
- the smallest of the evening at 45 cm - caught on the two hook flapper on the second rod again baited with just lug.A little later I got a 25 cm flounder on the third rod.
The bites stopped - the bass had moved on. I stuck it out for a few more hours, tried different baits, I had a few peeler crabs and tried razor/lug but there were no more bites. The wind was picking up and changed to a more southeastely. The gripper weights were been ripped up and I was starting to snag a lot of weed so I decided it was time to pack up.
I was delighted with that session, 5 bass in the most I have ever got on one session, and interesting that I got 4 of them during daylight. Definitely a beach I will be returning to.
kepp up the good work!!
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