Duration: W Waterford 1530- 1730 E Cork 1830- 2215
Tide: HW - LW
Weather: Bright and breezy
Bait: Lug and crab
Rigs: Usual suspects- Flapper and Pulley
Results: My first bass
and a wee coalie Report:
Had to go to Waterford with work so decided to pack the gear in the hope of getting out for a few hours to catch my first bass. I had mentioned to Seamus if he fancied a trip to the Sunny South East and as usual he was up for the cup.........
I had put out the feelers to see if anyone could giver me some inside info or even if they fancied meeting up with us when we were down. I have to say the response from people was great with a good few sending PM's of possible marks that would fish a dropping tide. Thanks....
Got to the first mark to find the beach flat calm bathed in glorious sunshine, it was a balmy 16 degrees. Now I haven't really fished for bass before but have read enough to know that this was not good. After what seemed like an eternal trek to meet Seamus, carrying far too much gear, I got my rods out fishing a flapper in close and pulley out far. I had the baits soaking for about 20 mins when the flapper rod took a little nod. The bite was that timid that it could have been a crab at the bait so i decided to leave it for a while to see if it developed. Just as I was about to change the pulley rod my flapper rod bounced in the tripod. I struck into the fish and felt some serious resistance with the fish wanting to head back out to sea. I couldnt believe the strength and size of the fish when it was splashing on the top of the water.
After some serious back stepping up the beach a beautiful 8 lb sliver fella came out the water to mass celebration.... Now I have caught some big fish over the years including my biggest shore fish a cod of 7lb this year, but nothing has put up a scrap like that before..... God only knows what it would have been like on a wee spinning rod.....?
Shortly after the bass, the tide had begun to make a hasty retreat making fishing extremely difficult. At one point seamus cast a bait 60-70 yards only for the trace to appear on top of a sand bank 3 mins later. We decided to change our location and headed to an E Cork mark to fish the drop.
On arrival at the second mark the sea was like glass. We fished the drop for a few hours with only a wee blank saving coalie for Seamus then headed back up to Co. Clare.
Who said that this Bass fishing craic was hard work..........
Pictures to follow. Joe
