Bass
Moderator: donal domeney
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jonnyfish
Bass
I know bass cant be fished untill the 15th but i just want to have my tackle box and map ready for then. Taking a snip from Livid's post a bass is a fish i would do anything to catch and is top of my list of 3, along with salmon 2nd and a tope 3rd. Now my question, what is the best way to catch a bass? should i use fresh bait or a lure of some kind. What would anyone recommend? what type of lure or fesh bait. also im located in Dublin so were must i travel too so i can fulfill this dream of mine. some were close by would be good but if i need to travel, im already there...Thanks so much guys....
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Eoghan
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Dude, unless I knew you I wouldnt point you directly to a good bass spot.
I dont mean that in a bad way. You know how it is, cant be too sure these days. My advice to you is set the alarm clock for 4.30 am. I spend most of my time fishing with plugs n spinners from here til mid Oct before moving back to large baits. Look for a spot with plenty of rocks and kelp and you cant go far wrong. Best of luck..!
I dont mean that in a bad way. You know how it is, cant be too sure these days. My advice to you is set the alarm clock for 4.30 am. I spend most of my time fishing with plugs n spinners from here til mid Oct before moving back to large baits. Look for a spot with plenty of rocks and kelp and you cant go far wrong. Best of luck..!
Top 3 lure caught bass 2017 :
10Ib 5 oz
9Ib 2oz
8Ib 11oz
10Ib 5 oz
9Ib 2oz
8Ib 11oz
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kieran
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Bass
jonny
Head south - Wexford and Waterford have lots of bass. Do a search on bass or the counties and you will find lots of information. Best time is dawn and dusk, flooding tide brings in more fish, ebb tide often produces the bigger fish. Caught over sand and mixed and rough ground especially if there is lots of rock and weed cover, gullies and the like harbouring key prey items like crabs, prawns, small fish, sand eels etc. Bigger fish will very happily tackle the local sea trout, mackerel and other species, whole. :shock: Big gape. Hard mouths so you need to use very sharp and strong hooks. Mind the gill covers and spines if you do catch one.
Bass like the rough and tumble of strong surfs and currents so whether it is a lure or a bait, it needs to be able to wander around. The best books on bass fishing are all from south coast UK anglers. I think Mike Ladle has a website that is very good. Someone else will have the link handy...
Most people now practice catch and release, and there are limits to size, no smaller than 40 cms, and if they had any sense a similar upper limit should be introduced similar to what exists for pike (to protect the really big spawning females). Anyone killing a bass over the magical 10 lbs should be shot, IMHO. Anything for the table should be in the 4-7 lb range, and only from areas where there is a sustainable population (see above). Smaller fish find fresh lugworm irresistible, bigger fish like bigger baits. Peeler crab is the best overall bait, especially during the main moults in Spring and Autumn. I think Terry Jackson has a piece in the Angler about freelining peeler crab in the surf for bass shortly, certainly a very effective tactic if they are around. A mackerel head let wander around in the surf in the winter is said to account for the bigger fish.
For myself the best fishing for bass has to be with plugs, stalking fish through the rocks, especially in relatively calm conditions when you can watch the follow and even the final charge. Exhilirating stuff... of course around here it tends to be a pollack or worse a coalfish, but such is life!!
Check out Jim Hendricks site, he is a SWFF bassing specialist.
Hope this helps: I am sure lots of other people will help. Tight lines
Head south - Wexford and Waterford have lots of bass. Do a search on bass or the counties and you will find lots of information. Best time is dawn and dusk, flooding tide brings in more fish, ebb tide often produces the bigger fish. Caught over sand and mixed and rough ground especially if there is lots of rock and weed cover, gullies and the like harbouring key prey items like crabs, prawns, small fish, sand eels etc. Bigger fish will very happily tackle the local sea trout, mackerel and other species, whole. :shock: Big gape. Hard mouths so you need to use very sharp and strong hooks. Mind the gill covers and spines if you do catch one.
Bass like the rough and tumble of strong surfs and currents so whether it is a lure or a bait, it needs to be able to wander around. The best books on bass fishing are all from south coast UK anglers. I think Mike Ladle has a website that is very good. Someone else will have the link handy...
Most people now practice catch and release, and there are limits to size, no smaller than 40 cms, and if they had any sense a similar upper limit should be introduced similar to what exists for pike (to protect the really big spawning females). Anyone killing a bass over the magical 10 lbs should be shot, IMHO. Anything for the table should be in the 4-7 lb range, and only from areas where there is a sustainable population (see above). Smaller fish find fresh lugworm irresistible, bigger fish like bigger baits. Peeler crab is the best overall bait, especially during the main moults in Spring and Autumn. I think Terry Jackson has a piece in the Angler about freelining peeler crab in the surf for bass shortly, certainly a very effective tactic if they are around. A mackerel head let wander around in the surf in the winter is said to account for the bigger fish.
For myself the best fishing for bass has to be with plugs, stalking fish through the rocks, especially in relatively calm conditions when you can watch the follow and even the final charge. Exhilirating stuff... of course around here it tends to be a pollack or worse a coalfish, but such is life!!
Check out Jim Hendricks site, he is a SWFF bassing specialist.
Hope this helps: I am sure lots of other people will help. Tight lines
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liamdenn
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Steve
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There are some spots around Dublin where bass can be found, but you need to put in a lot of effort and time to get them. Estuaries are worth trying with spinners, and rock marks close to beaches. If you look at a map of Dublin you should have a fair idea of the kind of places I am talking about.
Aside from that the closest spots to Dublin are the Wicklow beaches, but try the ones with less angling pressure. For instance Greystones will throw up the odd bass, but it will only be an occasional catch. The beaches further down towards Gorey will produce better catches, particularly in April, and around August/September especially. Best to fish the rising evening tides, and try to pick times where easterly winds are blowing up a good surf on the beaches. Bass love running in surf tables. The same applies to Wexford beaches.
Bait wise, lugworm will take plenty of fish, but mainly smaller school bass. Peeler is also a good bait, but I find the scent gets washed out quickly in a strong surf – however it is by far the best bait from rock marks. My favourite bait in the surf during daylight, and one I use 9 times out of then when bassing, is the humble sandeel. Buy them frozen, keep them in a cool bag, and take them out one at a time to thaw them out. You need to present them properly, but if you ask for Ammo sandeels they show you on the pack as to how you should hook them. I find that sandeel tends to pick out the better fish, especially if you use eels around 6-7 inches long. If I’m fishing at night I’ll use lug or razorfish.
Bassing tends to involve a lot of trial and error. You may need to fish several sessions before you see even a single fish. The key point is to pick the right venue – do a quick search on angling in Wicklow/Wexford on the net, and you’ll see a few maps with lists of beaches – some will mention bass. Try a few of these, but again stick to evening (or very early morning) tides and when surf is running. You don’t need to cast far, in general a 40-50 yard cast is more than sufficient. Bass are NOT hard to catch, however you have to pick times when they are feeding and in the area you are fishing.
I guarantee you’ll be hooked the first time you catch one!
Aside from that the closest spots to Dublin are the Wicklow beaches, but try the ones with less angling pressure. For instance Greystones will throw up the odd bass, but it will only be an occasional catch. The beaches further down towards Gorey will produce better catches, particularly in April, and around August/September especially. Best to fish the rising evening tides, and try to pick times where easterly winds are blowing up a good surf on the beaches. Bass love running in surf tables. The same applies to Wexford beaches.
Bait wise, lugworm will take plenty of fish, but mainly smaller school bass. Peeler is also a good bait, but I find the scent gets washed out quickly in a strong surf – however it is by far the best bait from rock marks. My favourite bait in the surf during daylight, and one I use 9 times out of then when bassing, is the humble sandeel. Buy them frozen, keep them in a cool bag, and take them out one at a time to thaw them out. You need to present them properly, but if you ask for Ammo sandeels they show you on the pack as to how you should hook them. I find that sandeel tends to pick out the better fish, especially if you use eels around 6-7 inches long. If I’m fishing at night I’ll use lug or razorfish.
Bassing tends to involve a lot of trial and error. You may need to fish several sessions before you see even a single fish. The key point is to pick the right venue – do a quick search on angling in Wicklow/Wexford on the net, and you’ll see a few maps with lists of beaches – some will mention bass. Try a few of these, but again stick to evening (or very early morning) tides and when surf is running. You don’t need to cast far, in general a 40-50 yard cast is more than sufficient. Bass are NOT hard to catch, however you have to pick times when they are feeding and in the area you are fishing.
I guarantee you’ll be hooked the first time you catch one!
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jonnyfish
Lads, thanks for your input. Allot of good useful information posted. Ill take it all on board and start uing it. I've done allot of sea fishing when i was younger but never really knew what i was going to catch. A few ragworm and my rod, if i caught anything i was happy. I dont know what it is but i cant seem to get bass out of my head. Ill use this info any try my best. Ill let you's know how i get on, again thanks for your input...