Old Bass mark - 6th July 2009 plus a couple from 7th July

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 10.45 pm to 2.00 am

Tide: LW at 12.15 am

Weather: Northwesterly breeze, clear, dry

Bait: Lug

Rigs: 2 hook flapper (size 4/0), 4/0 pennel pulley

Results: 7 bass, 3 dogfish




Report: After having a frustrating weekend of battling with the weed in West Waterford with one 54 cm bass to show for it I decided to try a beach closer to home, one that I hadn't fished for a while, hoping that it would not be too weedy.

I got set up and had both rods cast out by 10.45 pm, one with a two hook flapper the other with a pennel pulley both baited with lug. There was a fairly weak surf so I was not overly optimistic. As the light was beginning to go I had the first bite - it was a 38 cm bass - which put up a surprisingly strong fight for the size of it. That was number 50 for the year. At the beginning of the year my bass target for 2009 was 50 so I was very pleased to have reached it by the first week of July - I guess I may as well try for a 100 now.

Shortly after dark the fishing really got going. After rebaiting/recasting one rod I noticed the line had gone slack on the other. I reeled in the slack and struck when I felt some resistance - hooking a much stronger fish. This was putting up a strong fight and I eventually hauled a 60 cm bass out of the surf

While I was reeling it in I noticed some knocks on the other rod - the fish had crossed the second line and I thought I had just snagged the second line. But after unhooking and photographing the second bass I started to reel in the slack on the second rod and realized there was a fish on the end - it was not putting up so much of a fight and turned out to be a 44 cm bass

I did not have long to wait after rebaiting and recasting the two rods - I spotted a slack line bite on the first rod - I rapidly reeled in the slack and hooked into another bass - a little bigger this time at 48 cm

I quickly rebaited and recast. The bait was not in the water long before there were some gentle tugs on the first rod. I picked up the rod and waited until I felt a stronger bite and struck. I was convinced it was another bass - it was putting up a good fight but turned out to be a dogfish. There were some nights over the winter when I was glad to get a dogfish but not when the bass are on the feed

I quickly got rid of him and recast. Again I was not waiting long before there was a strong downward jerk on the first rod. I struck and could feel a good fighting fish on the end. This time it was indeed a bass - 53 cm

After releasing it I checked my watch - it was a few minutes before midnight - it had been a hectic hour and a quarter since I started fishing - it had seemed much longer.

I was almost about to pack up as the bass are usually gone on this beach by low tide. But decided to give it a little longer and see if I could get to 6 bass as that would surpass my previous best total from a session. Not long after I had another bite but it was a dogfish.

The weed was beginning to get bad at this stage. Several times I thought I had a bite but it turned out to be a clump of kelp Then as I was reeling in what I thought was another big ball of kelp I discovered a third dogfish on the end.

I began to pack up - I dismantled one rod (the second one - I had only one bass on that - all the others and all the dogfish were on the first rod). Then as I was about to reel in the last rod I noticed that the line had gone slack. I thought it might just be a big clump of kelp catching in the line and pulling up the gripper - but as I was reeling in I suddenly felt the pull of a fish - I struck and had another good fighting fish on the end - this time it was a 56 cm bass.

Of course that meant that I couldn't go home just yet without a few more casts

A little later I had another bite - this time it was a 46 cm bass

I stayed for about another 30-40 minutes. I had another slackliner - reeled in and had it on the line for a couple of minutes but it managed to shake itself free. Shortly after that I decided to call it a night. So I was delighted with that session; 7 bass despite relatively weak surf - a new record for me from one session.

[RockHunter]

Some more photos

[red]

good going frank. your on some roll at the moment, long may it last. you might be looking towards 150 by the end of the summer at this rate.
i had the same thing with weed last week, i was pulling in a huge lump of kelp only to find a Bass on the bottom hook. i couldnt even feel it kicking through the weed.

[Pat]

That's some session Frank . A swing to the NW always seems to do the trick .

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

That's some session Frank . A swing to the NW always seems to do the trick .

Yes Pat - you told me that a while back -I remembered it last night when I was deciding on where to go fishing - so fortunately stayed closer to home

i had the same thing with weed last week, i was pulling in a huge lump of kelp only to find a Bass on the bottom hook. i couldnt even feel it kicking through the weed.

The weed was not too bad last night - just got bad around low tide and for a while as the tide was rising.
But on Saturday night it was a killer - at one stage I am sure I had a good bass - I felt several sharp tugs, stuck, but a big clump of weed on the clip joining the trace to the line absorbed all the force of the strike - the fish came off shortly afterwards.

[beachbuddy]

Hi Frank,
if carlsberg did fishing trips that one would be up there.Pure class and great news on the local marks showing fish again,me thinks real possibility of a biggie down this way soon.Well done.
Tight lines

[saltydog]

Congrats Frank on getting the half century up and beating your previous best Bass session great nights work well done

[rory from cork]

Well done on passing the 50 mark...think I recall predicting you would by July 100 should be no problem now. Interesting about the NW wind...its never been any good for me, I suppose it all depends on the mark and the direction its facing

[seanie35]

well done frank, now that youve cleared the seas of west waterford your back home

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

if carlsberg did fishing trips that one would be up there.Pure class and great news on the local marks showing fish again,me thinks real possibility of a biggie down this way soon.Well done.

Thanks Mike - I wasn't expecting a great session given the weak surf and the fact that the last few times I fished that beach (probably early April) it had fished poorly despite a good surf - but there was certainly a good few bass about last night.

Interesting about the NW wind...its never been any good for me, I suppose it all depends on the mark and the direction its facing

I am not sure why the NW wind is good on that particular beach - it doesn't face in that direction so the wind actually flattens out the surf but for some strange reason known only to bass it brings them on the feed

well done frank, now that youve cleared the seas of west waterford your back home

Congrats Frank on getting the half century up and beating your previous best Bass session

Now I have a much harder task in trying to exceed 7 bass in one session

[gfkelly1969]

lovely bass,great session well done

[RockHunter]

I had a few lug left over from Monday so headed back to the same beach for a short session last night. However, when I got there the sea was very calm, practically no surf. But I gave it a bash anyway. Most of the lug I had left were fairly small and scrawny. I baited the second rod with some rancid razor that had been thawed and refrozen about ten times so with the poor quality bait and lack of surf I was not too hopeful of catching anything.

Sure enough the rod tips remained motionless apart from one bite which I missed - it didn't look like a bass bite - more like a dogfish.

I decided on one last cast and put all the remaining lug (about 8 small worms 3-5 inches long) on to provide a good scent trail. About 10 minutes later I had a strong knock - I struck and hooked into a fish. It was not a strong fighter and I reckoned it was probably a dogfish. However, when I hauled it ashore I was surprised to see a 47 cm bass That just shows the importance of using big baits when fishing for bass.

As all the lug were gone I set about packing up. But when I went to reel in the second rod I discovered I had a slack line. I retrieved a lot of slack before connecting with a fish. This was putting up a stronger struggle so I reckoned it must be another bass - sure enough it was - a bigger one at 53 cm

With that successful end to what have been a very quite night I packed up as all the bait was gone - the thought of digging some lug with my bare hands did briefly cross my mind (I seem to remember the Scotsman doing that one time ) but I decided to pass on that.

[immunecfg]

Very Nice indeed, hope the fishing will be like that when im down there in August (I wish )

[twinkle]

wow thats like a dream to us fishing here in dublin last time i saw that many bass was on a fish counter in spain well done
id say you slept well that night

[eyesreilly]

Well done Frank, thats some amount of bass so far this year, i've had 3, but i'm delighted with them .Congrats on the personal bests, always good to have a target to aim for.

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

i've had 3, but i'm delighted with them

One thing I have learnt is to use big baits for bass. last year I would have put just one smallish lug on a hook. This year I try to dig bigger lugs, and put two or three big juicy ones on, or else 5 or 6 smaller ones.

Similarly with the good session I had last week using rag - I had a bunch of long and thick king rag - none under a foot in length and the bass went crazy for them.

[roger de dodger]

[eyesreilly]

Thanks guys,

One thing I have learnt is to use big baits for Bass. last year I would have put just one smallish lug on a hook. This year I try to dig bigger lugs, and put two or three big juicy ones on, or else 5 or 6 smaller ones.

Similarly with the good session I had last week using rag - I had a bunch of long and thick king rag - none under a foot in length and the Bass went crazy for them.

Unfortunately i have to buy them most of the time,,,,, i'd be gone home after half an hour if i put 5 or 6 on the hook

[theshoreking]

Frank,

well done. 50 already - some goin

[tight lines]

well done mate great report and pics