Duration: 7.45 pm - 1.00 am
Tide: LW at 10.00 pm
Weather: Cold, clear, SSW wind picking up later
Bait: Lug, razor, crab
Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, 2 hook flapper (1/0 hooks)
Results: Me: 1 bass; Marlinman: 1 bass, 1 flounder
Report: After a very dismal two weeks of fishing with not much to show for it other than a few small coalfish and a turbot I was hoping that the last day of the month might prove to be more successful. We headed to a beach where I had been quite successful this time last year with similar cold, calm conditions and tides so I reckoned that this was the best chance of picking up a bass or two.
The geometry of the beach has changed quite a bit after all the storms. We got set up, I had a big lug bait on the 4/0 pennel pulley on one rod cast out to distance and lug and crab on the two hook flapper on the other rod cast in closer. At first I was using a rolling weight on one and a gripper on the other, but later changed to rolling weights on both as I was casting across a sandbank and wanted the bait to settle on the far side. However, it remained quite for a long time. Mike got a small flounder on lug I think, but I was getting nothing apart from the occasional small nibble.
At about 10 pm I thought I had a knock on one rod and picked it up but then Mike spotted a strong pull on my other rod, the one cast out far. I grabbed it but felt nothing - I started to retrived and thought whatever it was had gone - then suddenly it took off - dragging the line to one side towards the rocks. It was putting a strong bend in the rod as it tried to haul it in. Then diaster - the line snapped
- probably from abrasion against the rocks as it didn't look like the leader knot had come undone. I was kicking myself for not retriving faster initially and giving the fish too much slack so that it could get in amongst the rocks.
It was quite again for a while after that. The tide was beginning to surge forward. I cast one rod in close to the gulley on the landward side of the sandbank as I thought fish would probably be coming in with the tide around the flank of the bank rather than over its crest. Sure enough - not long afterwards there was a strong knock - again I have Mike to thank for spotting it as I was struggling with a snag on the other rod. This time there was no chance of the fish getting out to the rocks - it pulled a slackliner for a few seconds and I thought I had lost it but when I retrieved the slack the fish was still there, and I eventually hauled it on to the sand - a 52 cm bass
The fish had taken the crab on the upper hook of the flapper rig.Next cast I aimed for the same gulley. I had a few nibbles but no more bites.
A bit later Mike got himself a bass - a bit smaller.
We continued for an hour or so but there were no more bites.
So after a very lean two weeks I has delighted to get a bass at last - that went some way to make up for loosing the big one earlier.
Let's hope fishing in December is an improvement.
you can put the last 2 weeks behind you now ,the cod 
.None the less fair play to sticking at it as if it was me id be a bit peeved and would have gone home for a warm cuppa of barry's tea.I'd say the reel is been replenished with new line as we speak,that fish really put the foot on the gas when it sped away to the rocks obviously knew where it was going 
.By the way had a close call heading home the saying bambi on ice means nothing 
thank goodness for having everything bar the kitchen sink in the boot .
