Duration: 9.30 - Midnight
Tide: HW at 9.50 pm
Weather: Blustery with SSW wind, mild, dry
Bait: Razor and crab
Rigs: 4/0 and 3/0 pennel pulleys
Results: 3 bass
Report: As the wind had picked up in the evening I decided to try a short bait fishing session over high tide on a beach not too far from home. I wasn't sure if it would be fishable due to weed but when I got there the water seemed clear and there was a nice surf blown up by the SSW wind.
I set up one rod, baited with razor on a 4/0 pennel pulley and lobed it into the surf. I was just taking the second rod out of the bag when I spotted knocking on the first and saw the line been dragged to the left. My first thought was that it was just a big clump of weed which pulled up the gripper and was dragging the tackle in the current. I picked up the rod expecting to feel the steady pull of a mass of weed but instead the line had gone slack. I quickly retrieved the slack and struck when I felt some resistance. This was definitely a fish and not weed. As I got it close I could see a silver fish splashing in the surf. It was a 46 cm bass - not bad for 15 seconds into the first cast
I rebaited and cast the first rod out again - then the first of the disasters arose - the leader knot came undone - not sure why as a week ago I had been hauling in huge clumps of kelp with the same reel and the knot had held fine. I quickly set up the second rod and baited up a 3/0 pennel pulley with razor and cast out. Then started to prepared another shock leader. However, I was only beginning to tie the knot when there was a very strong knock on the other rod and the line went slack. I grabbed it and ferociously reeled in the slack until I made contact with the fish - this one felt a much bigger fish. I had it in close then began to feel resistance on the handle of the reel - I loooked down - a mass of line off the other rod which had been drifting in the breeze was wrapped around the handle
I broke the line (cutting my finger in the process ) and tried to unravel some of the line, but in those few seconds when the tension was off the bass managed to throw the hook I got as much of the line off the handle as I could and rebaited and cast out again as quickly as possible and then set about tying the shock leader as quickly as I could so as to get a bait back out there since the bass were on the feed. I had a missed bite while I was working with the knot. Shortly after casting out the second rod I had a moderate knock on the other rod. This time the fight was much weaker and it turned out to be a 39 cm bass.
The bites died down after that hectic time which was probably only about 20 minutes. I had a couple of knocks after that as the tide was beginning to drop but nothing hooked. I changed one rod to crab but that didn't result in any bites. Then about 45 minutes later there was strong double pull on rod with the razor and the line went slack. I retrieved the slack and hooked into a reasonable fighting fish. This was a 50 cm bass
I fished on for a little longer but there was no more interest once the tide began to rapidly ebb.
), well done frank the numbers are taking a boost 
that last one looked like an angry one 
