Duration: 12.15 pm - 4.15 pm
Tide: LW at 3.00 pm
Weather: Dreadful
Bait: Lug
Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys
Results: 2 bass, 1 flounder
Report: When I awoke on Saturday morning the sun was shining so I hoped that the weather might not be as bad as forecast. However, by the time I started to pack the car a light drizzle has started. The rain got heavier as we drove towards the beach but I was hoping that it might east off
But at least it would be a good test of my new light weight summer raincoat.Got to the beach where I caught 7 bass in one session last week. There was a nice surf and the beach was deserted
I had the two rods cast out by 12.15 pm but right away I started having problems with weed. But it was fishable - I just needed to recast about every 10 minutes to keep the tackle clear of too much weed. The rain was showing no sign of easing off - it was getting heavier.There was not much happening apart from clumps of kelp getting snagged. Then close to low tide I got a 25 cm flounder. The weed did begin to clear and was more or less gone by low tide.
The wind was picking up and the rain getting even heavier so Melissa headed back to the car and I said I would fish on for about another 45 minutes until 3.45 pm.
With the strengthening wind the rain was becoming horizontal and even heavier - I began questioning my sanity
At 3.25 I reeled in the rods and changed the bait for the last casts. A few minutes later there was a strong pull on one of the rods - although I wasn't convinced it was a fish until I held the rod and felt a sharp tug. i struck and began to retrieve. It was putting up a good struggle so I knew it wasn't a clump of kelp this time. Eventually I pulled a 55 cm bass out of the surf 
As the bass had finally appeared I couldn't pack up right away after enduring a couple of hours of the worst weather I have ever fished in. So I had a few more casts. On the next cast I had another bite. This time it was putting up a much weaker fight and turned out to be a small bass just about 40 cm. Looking at the size of it made me think that the minimum retention size should be at least 45 cm if not 50 cm. I wouldn't dream of keeping a bass that small.
I had one or two more casts after that and then with no let up in the rain and wind decided pack up. My new raincoat performed remarkable well. Unfortunately I still managed to get soaked while I was getting out of my waders back at the car
As I had a bunch of big lugs left over I tried the same beach last night but the weed was dreadful. Sometimes the rod buckled over with the weight of weed within seconds of the tackle hitting the water, although it did lessen a little closer to low tide but there was not a bite despite a nice surf as the bait was draped in weed most of the time.
