Duration: First session - 2.00 am to 5.30 am; Second session - 4.00 to 7.00 pm
Tide: LW at 4.30 am and 5.00 pm
Weather: First session: nice balmy night with light southeasterly breeze, Second session: dire, strong southwestery, rain
Bait: Lug, razor
Rigs: 2 hook flapper (4/0 hooks), 4/0 pennel pulley
Results: 3 bass, 1 flounder
Report:
Session 1: I decided on an all night session to fish the last of the ebb and over low water into dawn since it looked to be a nice balmy night with a bit of a southeasterly breeze. I got set up at about 2 am. There was a moderate surf so it looked promising. However, on the first cast I was into a ton of weed - that paper thin bright green stuff that just blankets everything
I decided to move futher down the beach hoping it might be clearer. I just brought down one rod, the rod stand and my worm bucket. On the next cast the line suddenly went slack - I grabbed the rod and quicky connected with a lively fish. It was a 41 cm bass but it still put up a spirited fight 
Even when I unhooked him and tried to place him on the ruler for a photo he wouldn't stay still and continuously flapped about splashing wet sand into my face 
When I was releasing him - he managed to leap out of my hand before I had a chance to put him into the water. I hope he survives long enough to reach a good size as he would provide a hell of a fight if he grew to five or six pounds.After that the weed was becoming significantly worse. I was spending far more time cleaning it off the rig than fishing. So I moved back to my original spot hoping that it would clear as the tide dropped (as it did last Wednesday night).
I thought that at 3 am I would be alone on the beach - then I heard a few shouts and the sound of people running. I turned around and switched on my lamp to see four people running towards the beach for a bit of skinny dipping - I must have given them a shock
So just when I was expecting the bass to be passing there were four people splashing around just a short distance up the beach from me
Unfortunately the weed didn't clear - it did get lighter making it more fishable but I still had to retrieve the line at least every ten minutes to clean off the rigs. At about 4.00 am - at low tide I spotted some tugs on the line different to the pull of seaweed clumps. I picked up the rod and struck as soon as I felt a good tug - hooking into a heavier fish this time. It was a 58 cm bass
As the tide began to push forward the weed again became very bad. I packed up at about 5.30 am. But I was happy enough with the session, two bass despite the weed and it was a nice night to be out.
Session 2: I headed eastwards to try a new beach. The wind had picked up considerably and there was a big surf rolling in. There was some weed but it was nothing as bad as the earlier session. As I had never fished this beach before I had no idea of the best time to fish for bass. I got set up at about 4.00 pm and fished the last of the ebb and into the early rising tide. Unfortunately there was a very strong rip which dragged my 5 oz gripper weights to the western end. With the grim weather the beach was fairly deserted, apart from a few strollers and four little girls that came over to see if I had caught any fish - then ran away screaming when they saw my lug worms (shame I didn't have a few 2 ft long rag
). They returned later with a net full of jelly fish and asked if i caught any jelly fish could they have them 
As the tide was beginning to push forward I spotted some sudden jerks on the line - I was unsure if it was just a clump of weed getting caught by the undertow and picked up the rod. I could feel some good tugs so struck. There was a good fish on the end. As I got it close to the shore, close enough to see it splashing in the surf, the weed that had caught along the line got jammed in the tipeye. Fortunately there was still plenty of beach behind me so I walked back and dragged the fish out of the surf - it was a 56 cm bass
I fished on for a bit longer, but it was getting difficult, the weed was getting worse, the rip current getting stonger, the surf getting bigger and the rain becoming heavier. The word must have got out among the surfers and hordes of them were decending on the beach
So I decided to pack up. I packed away the first rod and when I reeled in the second I found a 30 cm flounder on the end I would have thought it too rough for them to be about.I was delighted to get a bass off that beach since it was my first time fishing there. I will have to give it another try soon on a less stormy day.
