Bass Frenzy - 15th March 2012

Message

#1 Post by **RockHunter** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:47 pm

People: Me

Duration: 7.00 pm - 12.30 am

Tide: HW at 11.15 pm

Weather: Moderate southerly wind, strengthening later, rapidly dropping barometric pressure, overcast, dry

Bait: Crab and Lug

Rigs: 4.0 pennel pulleys

Results: 19 Bass, 6-7 Coalfish

Report: I had not been fishing for three weeks (apart from one fruitless lure session on a very calm sunny Sunday afternoon). I was away on business for one week and over the remainder of the time the conditions were very calm so not ideal for beach fishing, I couldn't be bothered going out and catching nothing more than a few small coalfish, scrawny flounder and dogfish. However, the weather forecast for Thursday looked promising with moderate southwesterly winds. I would be fishing neap tides so it would be the least prospective according to solunar predictions but I reckoned that the rapidly dropping barometric pressure after a prolonged period of high pressure, along with a moderate surf would bring the fish on the feed.

I arrived at the beach and had two rods set up just after 7 pm, one baited with fresh peeler crab and the other baited with lug. There was a nice warm southerly breeze and a moderate surf, so it looked good. However, I got off to a bad start. First cast on the rod with lug I spotted a small knock, struck but nothing was hooked. I waited for the few minutes in case the fish returned before retrieving but then found I was solidly snagged. Eventually I had to break the line. As I was beginning to attach a new shockleader there was a strong tug on the other rod. I grabbed it but after a couple of turns of the reel I found this was also snagged, requiring another break. So with having two shockleaders to replace it was 7.45 pm by the time I got fishing again.

Shortly after that I had a couple of small coalfish on the rod with lug. Then a little later I had a 42 cm bass on crab. It was quite for a while after that, apart from one or two more coalfish. Then the bass onslaught commenced. Over the space of the next hour and a half it was total mayhem - I had another eighteen bass. Most were in the 40-47 cm range, the largest was 51 cm and a few were undersize.

Sometimes the bait was barely in the water before it was snatched by a bass. They typically ran slackliners in towards the shore and I missed several as well. The majority of the bass were taken on crab. I did get maybe a third on the lug as well as a few more coalfish.

Close to high tide the bites began to slacken off. I was also running out of bait. But the time I had the nineteenth bass I had very little left and resorted to using the crab claws and legs hoping to make it to an even twenty. But once the tide began to drop the fish had moved on; the last bite was another small coalfish. Still a total of 19 bass and 6 or 7 coalfish was a good night's fishing!!!

PS. I went to the same mark last night and had 5 bass, again about 7 Coalfish and 1 flounder. Surf was much the same, same quality of bait. The bass bites were spaced at intervals of 30-60 minutes, nothing like the frenzy of the previous session. The main difference was the barometic pressure - steady not rapidly falling - I think that was an important factor in stimulating the bass to feed.

#2 Post by **RockHunter** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:50 pm

A few more photos

#3 Post by **dfella25** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:51 pm

Great fishing Frank!

#4 Post by **tight lines** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:59 pm

RockHunter wrote:. Still a total of 19 Bass and 6 or 7 coalfish was a good night's fishing!!!

a good night fishing more like a super night's fishing if i had half that amount of bass in a year never mind a night i be a very happy camper
super fishing frank well done

Deleted User 3488 · Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:04 pm

Astonishing

#6 Post by **zeke** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:29 pm

superb session frank

im always drooling with ur report

#7 Post by **twinkle** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:37 pm

your reports are always a credit to you. a brilliant nights fishing well done frank

#8 Post by **Drew** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:39 pm

Holy shiz!!

#9 Post by **Stephen8wood** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:03 pm

Bloody hell! What a night. Well done!

#10 Post by **Eoghan** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:04 pm

Savage..!!! Thats some session.

A mate of mine mailed me about thursday, one of those windows thats screams get out.
But I was working and he couldnt make it either.

Glad someone spotted it and got some fish.

#11 Post by **paulmeleady** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:57 pm

good fishing

#12 Post by **fishy1987** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:11 pm

Lost for words

UNBELIEVABLE

#13 Post by **Donnyboy1** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:16 pm

Wow!! savage Frank, I sense a bass guide in the making

#14 Post by **andy k 85** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:55 pm

stuck for words. Session of a lifetime

#15 Post by **paul skelly** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:16 pm

And here's me thinking I'm great getting 19 whiting

A big well done Frank keep them coming

#16 Post by **CIANDOWNEY** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:30 pm

Amazing results, hat off to you , what an angler!

#17 Post by **roger de dodger** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:35 pm

shame the big ones wernt around but at least you got a bit of sport

PaulOC · #18 Post by **PaulOC** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:51 pm

well done, fantastic nights fishing

#19 Post by **RockHunter** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:55 pm

Thanks guys,

Eoghan wrote:A mate of mine mailed me about thursday, one of those windows thats screams get out.
But I was working and he couldnt make it either.
Glad someone spotted it and got some fish.

I was waiting for an end to that prolonged period of high pressure, reckoned that once the barometric pressure started to plunge with the approaching southwesterlies there would be some good fishing - but as it coincided with a neap tide I wasn't expecting such a good session.

Donnyboy1 wrote:ow!! savage Frank, I sense a Bass guide in the making

Thanks Rob, you wouldn't say that if you saw my first two casts - straight into snags!!

andy k 85 wrote:And here's me thinking I'm great getting 19 whiting

If it any consolation I can never catch whiting!!

roger de dodger wrote:shame the big ones wernt around but at least you got a bit of sport

Hopefully the spring tides will bring them in.

#20 Post by **willie bendit** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:07 pm

well done boy!...brilliant

Sea Angling Ireland