Fishing

Not a lot of luck so far this year, went Bassing on the North coast yesterday evening, lovely day bit bright and very hot but finally a small swell. Absolutely fookin loads of Bass on the reef, tried every lure in my box to no avail, got followed in by at least a dozen Bass many of them in the 5lb range, saw loads of shoals from 6 to 60 fish all within 10m of the shore, had the tail nipped on eel patterns, plugs didn't get a sniff nor did spinners. I'm wondering if they were feeding on very small Brit?

Frustrating, must be loads of food there if they are ignoring your lures.

Had this one yesterday morning 2 1/2 to 3 pound ish, lost another 3 or 4 yards from landing, felt slightly bigger than the first. That was it in just over 2 hours, the seal was about though which probably doesn't help.
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Nice one Les. I would have been happy with that, is that like a Sprat pattern lure? Talking of seals I fished the foreshore between Kingsands and Picklecombe last week early in the morning had a Bass of about a pound third cast, threw him back and a bg female seal nailed it then followed me about for the next two hours when funnily enough I didn't have another bite. My mate who lives there said he hadn't seen that one before.

seadog wrote:

Frustrating, must be loads of food there if they are ignoring your lures.

Reckon it may have been the size? Wondering about trying the fly rod with small sprat and eel patterns. Would have loved a few live Sandeels they are the business when the Bass are about. I didn't actually see any baitfish at all so all conjecture. Henry Gilbey has a good piece about Bass following but not taking and he mentions matching the hatch which is a fly fishing term, trout will ignore anything but a Mayfly when feeding on them but the other thing he mentioned was competition he said when Bass shoal they will all dive at the bait and it's first come first served, makes sense yet I was followed in by three or four at a time yesterday. In the comments there was a guy that has loads of Bass off a boat and he has a camera underwater and he said you would be amazed at how many Bass refuse a lure at the last minute and usually you wouldn't have a clue they were there.

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Copied link on old iPad so may not work but should find it from that.

It was actually on an old school dexter wedge Ears, I do also use a sprat like metal as well though when I need a bit of distance, both about 40g I think. Done a bit of reading about the bass, a very clever, cautious fish, particularly as they mature, slightest glimpse of your line or anything else they don't like the look of and they'll turn away. One on the left and the other metal I use
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Old school, I tend to just use a mackerel head off the back of the boat!

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65cm, caught last month on a bottom fished macky head. in Southampton water, about 11m of water.

Nice one. Tbf all the big Bass I've ever caught have been on baits but I love lure fishing in amoungst the rocks on light gear.

Same here, my chances for lures are limited.

Cracker seadog.

Swallowed it deep but spat the whole lot out as I measured it. Swam off out of the net like a good un.

Used to use a drop net made from an old bike rim and a pair of tights with a Mackerel head dangling above it to catch shrimp a deadly bait for Bass.

That is a bike wheel, had to put a fine mesh in as conger and Smoothies were slipping through.

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48cm caught in the river, loads of Bass in the river had four the other night this was the best and one that I kept close to 4lbs.

Good looking fish.

Thought it was a lot bigger that way it took off, do love Bass fishing.

Nice

Blue fin tuna smashing mackerel, Jersey


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Oooft!

If anybody saw a madman on the moors near Clearbrook yesterday, casting out looking like he was trying to catch sheep or ponies....that would have been me

First fishing trip in donkeys Saturday night so was seeing if my reels were still actually in working order.

Czarcasm wrote:

If anybody saw a madman on the moors near Clearbrook yesterday, casting out looking like he was trying to catch sheep or ponies....that would have been me

First fishing trip in donkeys Saturday night so was seeing if my reels were still actually in working order.

Shorely you'll be 3 sheets to the wind after the game

Hooked two 10 to 15 lb Conger in the week off the back end, shook the hook. A few dogs, small bass and a couple of Pout.

Sounds like a typical night down the docks with a fisherman's friend!