Duration: 10.20 pm - 2.00 am
Tide: LW at 12.30 am
Weather: Very cold, clear, cold northerly wind
Bait: Black lug, razor
Rigs: 3/0 pennel pulleys
Results: 4 bass
Report: I dug some big juicy black lug in the afternoon at low tide, tough going but it kept me warm. Although I knew it was going to be a very cold night I was determined to get out as I had some stuff on Sunday and wouldn't be able to go fishing. As I was leaving the house there was already a layer of frost on the car windows. But I had plenty of layers of warm clothing.
I decided to try a beach I haven't fished much over the last 6 months but one that would be a bit more sheltered from the northerly winds. I got set up at about 10.20 pm on the falling tide. I used two rods both with 3/0 pennels baited with lug/razor, I used a gripper on one and a 3 oz non-gripper weight on the other. Despite the northerly wind there was a bit of a surf. It wasn't too cold - the wind seemed to die down for a while.
About 20 minutes later I got a strong bite on the rod with the 3 oz weight but it managed to shake itself off the hook about 10 m out
From the fight it had been putting up I presume it could only have been a bass. I checked the hook and found that the bait had slid down around the bend on the hook preventing the fish been properly hooked. A little later I got a knock on the other rod - and another missed bite - I thought it was going to be one of those nights
But shortly afterwards I got another bite on the same rod - I struck this one well and there was no escaping this time. It was a 44 cm bass
Maybe 20 minutes later there was a small twitch on the other rod - I picked it up and waited until I felt a stronger pull - struck and had another fish on the line. This one was a 46 cm bass
About half an hour later I got a third bass - a smaller one at 40 cm.
At about 1.30 am I got another bite, this one was not putting up such a strong fight and turned out to be the smallest bass of the night at 38 cm.
Two of the bass were taken on the rod with the gripper weight, I had more bites on the other rod but only managed to land two of the fish. I was more than happy with the nights fishing - 4 bass - that is the most I have ever caught in one session. I was also delighted to get them off that beach - I had fished it a lot earlier in the year but had more or less given up on it after a string of poor results.
Interesting you were getting more bits on the 3oz presumably more movement attracting the fish, just wondering if circle hooks would've made any difference on the missed bites?
