East Cork lure fishing - 12th September 2010

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 3.00 - 9.00 pm

Tide: HW at 9.00 pm

Weather: Strong SSW breeze, easing off then strenghtening westerly accompanied by rain

Bait: Variety of hard and soft plastic lures

Rigs:

Results: 2 bass




Report: I decided to lure fish an East Cork rock mark from low tide up to high tide. When I got there the wind was stronger than I expected and moderate waves were crashing on to the rocks. The water was also quite coloured. For the first couple of hours I tried a variety of surface lures, but there was not a sign of a fish. I had my lunch about 4.45 pm and was seriously thinking of packing it in, heading home and getting the bait fishing gear. But it was going to take 45 mins to get back to the car plus 30 minute drive home and then I wasn't sure if the nearest beaches would be fishable. Early last week they were totally unfishable due to vast quantities of weed. So in the end I decided to stick it out.

The tide had risen sufficently to allow me to use Xlayers - for the first couple of hours up from low tide I was fishing across a reef and it was only feasible to use surface lures. After about the second or third cast with a Giant Xlayer I had a strong bite about 30 m out and deep, I was bumping the Xlayer along the sea bed. The fish put up a good struggle, staying deep for a while before it breached the surface, and I could see a moderate size bass I eventually brought it into a rocky ledge and stepped down to pick up the fish. As soon as I had a hold of the fish it did some violent convusions, threw the lure and flipped out of my had just as a wave crashed on to the rocks sending foamy surf all over me and and the fish. I thought I lost it, but then as the surf receeded I spotted the fish in a shallow depression in the rocks. I grabbed it but again it slithered out of my hands and on to the rocks just centimeters from a drop off into about 2 m of water. I managed to get a hand on the fish and held it this time just as another wave surged in over rocks. It was a 49 cm bass and quite well fed.

I continued fishing with the Giant Xlayers, dropping them down close to the sea bed. After about 15 minutes I hooked another. This was putting up a stronger fight, and pulled to the right, into a submerged gulley. There was a good chance I would loose this fish if the line was abraded against the rocks on the edge of the gulley. If I had used braid then I reckon the line would have snapped but the 15lb mono held and I was able to get the fish to the surface and waited for a large wave to surf it in over the rocks. It was a 51 cm bass, a little bigger and plumper than the first

I continued fishing but there were no more bites. As the rising tide pushed me back it became more difficult to fish close to the sea bed due to reefs immediately in front of me and I lost about 4 Xlayers. A switched back to surface lures for a while and tried the Xlayers in some other gulleys close by. Normally pollock appear in this area close to dusk but they didn't show up, or if they did the water was too clouded for them to see the lures. But I was very happy with two bass given the conditions.

[Mick001]

Cracking result and report RockHunter.
Well done you deserved the results with the time that you put in as well as the conditions.

Mick

[razor2]

Two fine looking bass there frank Nice fiching

[KERRY1]

Frank strikes again! and the bass just keep coming and coming.....well done again, two more lovely bass you got there, I'm so jealous It's nice to make a change from the bait and go with the lures, it keeps the interest and excitment alive. Great report and pictures as always, nice one Frank

[eyesreilly]

Nice fishing Frank, 45 min walk down the beach,then back again ,the foot must be well and truly healed . 2 nice bass and a great discriptive report, well done

[Trojan]

well done two sweet looking bass there. .

[mitch]

nice going frank those bass are in super condition well done

[declan65]

Two well fed bass there , well done

[cortaz]

nice fish frank, and on xslayers i.ve almost stopped using hardbaits now in favour of plastic, some of jhe cheap stuff is lethal.

[RockHunter]

Thanks guys,

Frank strikes again! and the Bass just keep coming and coming.....well done again, two more lovely Bass you got there, I'm so jealous It's nice to make a change from the bait and go with the lures, it keeps the interest and excitment alive. Great report and pictures as always, nice one Frank

Thanks, least year the conditions were much calmer at this time of the year, I exclusively lure fished from late August to mid-October, but this September is a lot more unsettled so lure fishing is tougher going.

Nice fishing Frank, 45 min walk down the beach,then back again ,the foot must be well and truly healed . 2 nice Bass and a great discriptive report, well done

Thanks Dave, its probably less than 30 minute walk down as its down hill, but I was so inactive over the summer with my foot that it takes me 45 minutes to get back up with a few breather stops - last year I could do it in much less tine without a stop to catch my breath. The foot's much better but still not 100%, I can't leap across the rocks like I used to.

nice going frank those Bass are in super condition well done

Thanks Gerry, hopefully there will be a few nice ones around for you trip down this way later in the month.

nice fish frank, and on xslayers i.ve almost stopped using hardbaits now in favour of plastic, some of jhe cheap stuff is lethal

Thanks Art, the Xlayers are lethal alright - I had a lot of bass on them last year and they still seem to work well when the water is clouded and the hard body lures arn't working.