Sunny Sunday afternoon bass - 25th March 2012

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 2.45 - 8.50 pm

Tide: HW at 8.00 pm

Weather: Sunny, clear, strong cold southeasterly wind

Bait: Crab and lug

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys

Results: 4 bass, 2 Flounder




Report: As Sunday was a lovely sunny day I headed to the coast for some daytime bass fishing. There was a strong southeasterly wind which had blown up a big surf so I was going to have to stick to bait fishing. I got to the shore just as the tide was beginning to push in. There was a lot of kelp at my perferred mark so I moved about 200 m further down the beach until I was clear of the weed, set up two rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys baited with fresh peeler crab on one and lug on the other as usual.

I had a couple of strong tugs but nothing was hooked, then as the tide began to push in more strongly I had another strong tug on the rod baited with lug, This time the fish was well hooked. From the fight it felt to be a small bass and a minute or two later I eased a 36 cm fish on to the sand.

Shortly afterwards I spotted a small knock on the rod with the crab. The line went slack as I lifted the rod, I reeled in the slack and connected with the fish, again it did not feel to be big. It was another small bass, similar in size at 36 cm.

It looked like a shoal of small bass was moving in. Shortly afterwards I had a strong bite. This felt to be a better fish, but then the line went slack - the fish was gone!! A few minutes later I spotted a large seal in a breaking wave just at the distance I was casting. It is possible that it had snatched the bass off my hook. The seal worked its way up and down a 250 m section of coastline right in front of me for about two hours. It was probably chasing the bass shoal. During that time I did not have another bite.

Eventually the seal moved on. A little later, just as the sun was sinking below the cliffs behind me, I had another bass, this time on lug. This one was bigger, a 46 cm fish.

Following that I had two small flounder close to high tide, the first was about 34 cm, the second barely 25 cm long. Then over high tide as the light was beginning to fade I had a fourth small bass, again on lug. This gave the rod a mighty whack and I initially though it was going to be a good size fish. It did put up a spirited fight but I could feel that it was not big. It was another 36 cm bass.

I fished on for about another hour but there were no more bites, the fish had moved on as the tide began to drop. I was happy enough with the result of 4 bass and 2 flounder for a daytime session with a southeasterly wind but reckon I would have done a lot better if the seal had not been there.

[declan65]

Numbers still going up Frank , nice chatting with you last night, we moved again before we connected with fish, later in the week looking good for lures! Bump into you no doubt on a local beach/rock mark.

[mitch]

Very nice fishing for such bright conditions frank well done

[roger de dodger]

Nice work frank

[AndrewM]

Nice one Frank ! Any chance of few Bass fishing lessons for a novice angler ????

[fishy1987]

Nice fishing frank,could only imagine what might have been if the seal wasn,t around.look forward to more reports
ferg

[tight lines]

great fishing as always frank might have being another frenzy if the seal was not around

[sparkey+1]

Fair play frank a fine return for the daylight hours and many of us would be happy with one bass for a session guess you might be on to a record year.... Keep up the good reports

[Al and Jordan]

more great fishing frank
i love reading your reports man, all your small fish are big fish compared to what we have up here
god, but you have some great fishing down there frank. well jealous

[Bassmania]

Great Report frank. I didn't think the Seal would take the Bass with their fins being so sharp. God knows I've come home like a pin cushion after a good session .............

[Creep]

Sounds like a young pup of a seal (about 4-4.5' long) if so he would have given chase to the bass, like a cat chasing a mouse but without mush success as bass are extremely fast! Seals in general will ambush fish (spends less energy) hides in the kelp and HELLO!
but Frank... thats a hell of session regardless mate after two bass my arms are sore!!
Are you doing any lure fishing for them these days?
Im gunnning for my east coast bass on lure either soft or hard plastic just respooled the bass reel with braid

[Donnyboy1]

Great Report frank. I didn't think the Seal would take the Bass with their fins being so sharp. God knows I've come home like a pin cushion after a good session .............

Seals are very partial to a few bass and so too are otters apparantly!

There are a few spots in east cork beaches which are bass holding area's. The seals can swim from one holding area to the next all along the coast. I think its because pollock will shoal and leggit at any sort of danger but bass are, for the most part, solitary hunters, so while a seal may miss one bass, the next will be oblivious to the danger and can stumble into the seal (who is usually lying in the weed looking up or on the surface looking down).

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

ice chatting with you last night, we moved again before we connected with fish,

Good to have a chat with you too - and thanks for that tip I will definitely have to give that a go.

more great fishing frank
i love reading your reports man, all your small fish are big fish compared to what we have up here
god, but you have some great fishing down there frank. well jealous

Thanks Al, you will have to move down to the south coast

Are you doing any lure fishing for them these days?

I had a go about three weeks ago without a hint of a fish. Since then there have been strong southeasterly winds along the south coast so there has been quite a big surf - more suited for bait fishing. But it has calmed down over the last few days so I will give the lures a shot over the weekend (but I have about a dozen crabs to used up first).

[RockHunter]

Seals are very partial to a few Bass and so too are otters apparantly!

Last year I saw an otter, with what looked to be a smallish bass, climb on to a rock about 50 m out from me and proceed to eat it!

[Creep]

Best one yet I seen was A commrant trying to swallow a flounder, whilst I was trying seriously to fish the carry on that was going on was TOO funny!!, The flat was over 30cm, and this idiot bird kept trying to swallow it, it flicked it, one way then the other.. dropped it in that water (fish was still well alive) came back up with it, tried it again and again, kept dropping the fish, then notice I was in stiches laughing at it dropped the fish and gave me a dirty look as best as I could describe it! flew off, All the while this was going on i missed a bloody good sea trout swim in front of me! Oh well the things ya see out fishin beat any day in work!!