East Coast Bass

[gwalsh]

People:Me, Luke, Sean, Eddie, willie made a guest appearance

Duration:7am-12.30pm

Tide:Rising

Weather:perfect, light south easterly wind, no rain

Bait: Peller crabs, King Rag

Rigs: Pulley Rig

Results:2 Bass (3.75lb & 2lb)

Catch and Release:: one kept for dinner smaller one relaesed

Perfect Bass session on Saturday morning, light onshore breeze stirred things up nicely, as all you east coast anglers know they are few and far between. the crab baits were largely ignored, no bites on them, it was rag al the way.....fished half way up the rising, then the weed got to bad.

[hairyconger]

where abiuts on the east coast mate?

[John D]

You said "all you east coast anglers know they are few and far between".

Did you mean the bass or the perfect bass sessions?

John D.

[hairyconger]

You said "all you east coast anglers know they are few and far between".

Did you mean the bass or the perfect bass sessions?

John D.

probably the perfect bass session :shock:

[corbyeire]

think hes on about the easterly there...

[gwalsh]

sorry didnt make the message very clear, the condtions were perfect, most places i fish on the east coast only really start to fish well after or during some sort of easterly breeze

[kirky78]

Where abouts on the east coast where u fishing?

[gwalsh]

dont really want to give out the mark over the forum, (sorry lads) any one lookin for a mark around dub, send me a pm & ill sort u out

[headshakes]

Just was wondering, if those are the two fish caught how did you release the small one. just wondering.

[gwalsh]

dont really understand the qustion above but sounds like you are implieing something headshakes, i have bein reluctant to post reports on this website in the past because of this type of attitude, us anglers are odd bunch at the best of times so i wont take it personally.

[x]

My guess is one or both was photographed alive and then the smaller one, as mentioned, was released. So long as the one kept was over the legal minimum size, it's no harm to take a feed now and then. Well done on releasing the other.

It might be helpful if anyone catching bass were to take a couple of scale samples and learn to read them. The results could then be posted here as we have a number of folk interested in that sort of stuff.

This document might help on how to collect scales and sex any fish (if you keep it for the pot) :-

http://ukbass.com/downloads/scale_sampl ... samples%22

Indeed, I'd recommend joining this lot. They're happy to take any information on your catches....

http://ukbass.com/aboutbass/joinus.html

I'll see if I can find some information about how to age bass from reading their scales and post it up. Or if anyone can beat me to the punch, knock yourselves out. I have some useful pictorial examples in books, but I'll need to ask the author before reproducing them here.

Again, congratulations on catching two bass, returning one and I hope the other tasted so good that you drooled all down your shirt. :lol: That is what angling is all about.

[headshakes]

Absolutely nothing personel. I just never run my fingers inside of a gill plate and expect the fish to swim away. I know these salt fish are fairly tough, but was just looking at the photo with a couple of fingers in the gill plate, that's all. Well done on the catch and wish you many more. I have no problem of you eating fish, I do it all the time myself. Sorry if I offended you.

[x]

Those gill covers are sharp. I'd have been careful doing it. And I agree that a thumb in the mouth and a (wet) hand under the belly probably represents best practice in handling a bass. We're all here to learn a few new tricks, even me.

(I'll catch a bass one of these days :lol: )

[gwalsh]

ye thats fair enough headshaker, i accept the fish that was returned could have bein handled better. will learn from this and move forward.....thanks for advice sandman much appreciated

[Adam S]

Hi

I dont think a finger inside the gill cover/plate is nescessarily a problem. there are no vital parts on the operculum as such. a misplaced finger inside the gill rakers might be a different story but even damage to one or two of the rakers would not be fatal. i have caught fish with one whole set of gills on one side missing or useless due to damage or disease and they were otherwise healthy.

i have chinned hundreds of pike by slipping a couple of fingers under the gill cover and 100% swam away, one particular fish of 12-14lbs i have caught three times from a canal swim and chinned him each time. he was identifiable by a scar on one side and a dead eye caused by it. each time i caught him he was as heallthy as the last.

perhaps its not the best way to hold a bass, but its not a death sentence either

[headshakes]

I completely agree Adam. I am not to here to rant or preach but just food for thought thats all. When we decide to release a fish we obviously want to return it for another day but I have witnessed some appaling release techniques in many different fisheries. I to have chinned many pike, I tend to use a cradle now but have chinned them in the past, a perfectly acceptable technique provided you know what your doing. Alls I'm saying it be careful with the fish because they are fragile. I personally fish barbless, single hooks anyway. This is probably more for better hook penetration than anything but also for backing out a hook more easily. I also tend to not even lift the fish out of the water, particular to small fish that are going to be released anyway, a quick pop with pliers and there off. Just my two pence the next time you need a handle a 2 lb. fish, that you want to return. :D

[Adam S]

cant argue with any if that

[Steve]

Nice fish lad. And well done for putting one back. Most "anglers" would have bagged them both.

It's a shame we don't get more easterlies blowing, there are some cracking marks just screaming to be fished in a surf in north dublin at the moment.