Duration: 10.15 pm - 1.15 am
Tide: HW at 1.35 am
Weather: Moderate Northeasterly wind, cold, dry, clear
Bait: Crab, razor
Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys
Results: 2 bass
Report: There had been a fairly strong northeasterly wind blowing during the afternoon so I reckoned it would have blown up a bit of a surf on any east facing beaches - at least a better surf than we have had over the last few weeks with the northerly winds. I got to the beach and found that the wind had died down but there was still a nice surf rolling in.
As I was setting up the second rod the first was bowing over with the obvious sign that it was accumulating weed. I hauled it back in and found a mass of fine weed on the leader knot and on the rig. I cleaned if off and cast back out again, but before I had a chance to cast out the second rod the same thing happened. I was beginning to think that I was wasting my time fishing there. Eventually I got the second rod set up and cast it out, further this time hoping it would clear the weed. After about 10 minutes the tip was starting to bend over, weed again I thought. But unlike the steady bending when the weed built up on the first rod it was jerking a bit - possibly there was a fish on the end?
I struck and began to retrieve - I could feel the dead weight of a lot of weed, but at the same time a bit of a pull - but I wasn't convinced there was a fish on the end as often a strand of kelp with a rock attached can give the same feel. As I retrieved the leader knot reached the rod tip and I had to walk back up the beach since a big clump of weed had accumulated on the knot (and before anybody suggests it - I was using tapered shock leader!!). Then as I pulled the rig out of the surf I could see a fish flapping about on the beach. It was a 49 cm bass
Not long after as I was moving my gear back up the beach I spotted that one of the rod tips was straight - it had been slightly bent a few minutes earlier. I pick it up and found the line had gone slack - I rapidly reeled in the slack and struck - this time I knew I there was a fish on the end - it pulled strongly for a minute or too before surging in towards the shore again - I regained the slack and connected with the fish again - it was putting up a strong fight and headed to the right, parallel to the beach. I was beginning to haul it in but there was a bit of a gulley just in front with deeper water - that gave the fish another chance to make a break for it but it was well hooked, as I got it in a bit closer I could see it trashing about in the shallows. Again I had to walk back up the beach due to weed on the leader knot and drag the fish out of the water. Eventually I landed it - it was a 70 cm bass - a personal best in terms of length
It was just over 7 lb (I had a plumper 68 cm bass last year that weighed about 7.5 lb).I stayed on for a few more hours, the weed cleared but unfortunately so did the fish. I guess they moved further down the beach. But I was very happy with the result - I hadn't really been that optimistic fishing slack tides in a cold northeasterly wind so two bass including a PB was more than I had hoped for
. did you get onto the company about the hook breaking last week, they should send you some freebies after that 
the line snapped when I was reeling him in, if you catch a Bass with a plug in its mouth its mine 
