Bass question

Message

#1 Post by **Richie07** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:56 pm

I was fishing a mark around the Dublin area over the weekend and caught a nice Bass around the 3.5lb mark on rag and squid,nice to see him swim back aswell.Anyway,the were loads of them jumping,coming in close and skimming the surface,some really big ones too.I decided to spin(german sprat) and didn't get any results,tried drifting some squid and sandeel but that wasn't working either.Whats the best way to target these fish?,would a surface popper work?,what lures should I use?

Cheers in advance.
Richie.

#2 Post by **Viper** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:00 pm

Try some bread flake with a swimfeeder...

#3 Post by **Richie07** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:06 pm

Viper wrote:Try some bread flake with a swimfeeder...

Really..,have never heard of bass caught with breadflake,have you caught them with that before?

#4 Post by **Viper** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:07 pm

Nope, it was just a roundabout way of suggesting that they may have been mullet.

#5 Post by **Richie07** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:09 pm

Viper wrote:Nope, it was just a roundabout way of suggesting that they may have been mullet.

They weren't Mullet.

#6 Post by **stevecrow74** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:20 pm

unfortunatly i think Viper is right... over the past few years i have found that you will find the odd bass or two swimming with a shoal of mullet... and it is really annoying to see them hopping out in front of you and you cant seem to catch them...

the only thing you can do is as viper said throw bread at them...
now here's the trick to it (i think) if you throw bread in at the mullet that will keep them fed, while you can throw a bait in far any bass that might also be there.. just a thought..

#7 Post by **Richie07** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:53 pm

stevecrow74 wrote:unfortunatly i think Viper is right... over the past few years i have found that you will find the odd bass or two swimming with a shoal of mullet... and it is really annoying to see them hopping out in front of you and you cant seem to catch them...

the only thing you can do is as viper said throw bread at them...
now here's the trick to it (i think) if you throw bread in at the mullet that will keep them fed, while you can throw a bait in far any bass that might also be there.. just a thought..

Fair enough Steve BUT the water was crystal clear out of the surf and I could see they were Bass,I've caught and seen enough Mullet in my years in the Liffey to know that they weren't Mullet :wink:

#8 Post by **Eoghan** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:02 am

Sea trout, never seen a Bass jump except to take a surface plug.

#9 Post by **donal domeney** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:17 pm

I'd suggest you feed the crumbs to the seagulls. They were more than likley bass. Had the same problem on an East Cork beach last Saturday plenty of bass playing in the surf. Used every type of plug and spinner I had with me. Waded out into the water only to see the bass chase in the lures to within a rod lenght of me. I put it down to the water been to clear
or they were just out bollocking around for the fun of it. Did have 4 bass, 1 flounder and 1 turbot but all these were caught a long way out on single clipped down rigs using crab.

Mick the fish · #10 Post by **Mick the fish** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:21 pm

How's the lads?

I've seen this from Bass in my area too. Again, usually when it's flat calm and warm. I too thought they were mullet until I got a closer look. It's incredibly frustrating. I read an article somewhere that suggests when bass are doing this they are playing and aren't really interested in food.

Personally, I wouldn't use a surface popper in these conditions. Ideally I'd use a fly known as a slider (works on and just under the surface) and just twitch it back. Its more subtle action can sometimes tempt a bass. If I was spinning, I'd try a popper but a small one like a chug bug and again just twitch it back.

Just my suggestion!!

Mick

#11 Post by **Eoghan** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:45 pm

I have been fishing for Bass for 20 years and have never seen one jump. Plenty of sea trout alright.

Maybe its a localised thing but I am yet to be convinced.

#12 Post by **MAC** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:42 am

Hi Eoghan,

Never seen a Bass jump myself until a few weeks ago when I was about 200 yards off the shore plugging for them. Seen quite a few head and tail after prey fish. Also see one jump about 2 foot out of the water, straight up, just like a Trout. That was a first for me.

Kev

#13 Post by **Eoghan** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:06 pm

Are you 100% it was a bass..?

#14 Post by **Richie07** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:44 pm

Eoghan wrote:Are you 100% it was a bass..?

I am 100% sure the ones I saw jumping were Bass as one jumped about 10 feet away from me.

#15 Post by **lumpy** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:10 pm

ive seen bass jump out of the water and land on one of the sliders mentioned earlier as if it was tryin to kill it. have seen a bass lunge about 3 feet out of the water trying to get a plug that was being lifted out to be recast and there was three witnesses. have also seen pollock bursting through baitfish and clearing out of the water on a number of occasions, and pollock are a bottom area fish.

#16 Post by **Eoghan** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:45 pm

I have seen em jump to take plugs etc but just jumping like sea trout I have never seen. I'll just have to take your word for it..?