Duration: 11 am to 6 pm
Tide: HW at 4.45 pm
Weather: Mostly clear, sunny, warm with moderate ESE wind
Bait: Lures
Rigs:
Results: 3 bass(to 8.5 lbs)
Report: I arrived at a reliable mark just after low tide on a nice sunny morning. A fairly brisk ESE wind was blowing but it had not yet created a big surf and the water was still crystal clear. It was quite a warm day despite the wind direction. I began to work my way along a productive stretch of the shore with shallow reefs alternating a Feed Shallow with various soft plastics. I had been fishing for about 40 minutes and cast almost parallel to the coast across an area of barely submerged boulders and was suddenly hit by a big bass no more than 2 m out from the shore. It was fighting ferociously and stripped a little line. I gradually worked it in but when the fish was close it began to thrash about violently making it very hard to land. Eventually I got it into a very shallow pool and managed to lift it out. It was just over 8.5 lbs, my best ever bass
Unfortunately I forget to bring my ruler so I didn't get a length. The fish was quite slender so was well below average weight for its length. It would not surprise me if it exceeds 10 lbs by September. I got some photos and quickly released it. I do keep a few bass for the table but a fish of that stature has to be put back.
After releasing the bass I put my camera back in its case but failed to close it properly and before I could place it somewhere secure it slipped out and into a rock pool!!!!
The end of another camera. That's about the sixth camera I have ruined in four years. As if that was not bad enough about 10 minutes later as I was crossing a narrow but deep rock pool I lost my footing and fell in ending up with one wader leg full of water!!!! I continued fishing. As the tide pushed in I moved further to the east and fished across a small bay. As the tide rose I had to move back and was fishing across a very shallow area so switched to surface lures. On about the fifth cast my Asturie was grabbed by a bass. It was a small fish, just over 2 lb, but my first on a surface lure this year
Close to high tide I moved to an area has been fishing well in the last hour before high tide. I worked my way around the bay, trying a variety of hard and soft plastic lures. I reached the far side of the bay and switched back to a Feed Shallow. After about 10 casts the lure was hit by decent bass. It was putting up a reasonable fight and I almost had it in when it got sight of me and made one last dash for freedom, stripping some line, before I turned it and coaxed it back it. This was a 3 lb bass
So despite ruining my camera and getting a soaking I went home happy with a new personal best.
shame about the camera
what a monster congrats on the PB and the first fish on a surface lure.Turning into quite the magician when it comes to lure fishing 
