The Bass Ban

what would be wrong with targeting them on a catch and release basis.

Simple, if I was a bass looking forward to a bit of rumpy pumpy, I think the whole being caught thing would put me somewhat off my stride. I know it isn't a big deal and it happens to every bloke but....

pete your confusing a night out getting your lip pierced and mild aphyxia with 12 pints of cider both have their merrits i,m sure

what would be wrong with targeting them on a catch and release basis.

Simple, if I was a Bass looking forward to a bit of rumpy pumpy, I think the whole being caught thing would put me somewhat off my stride. I know it isn't a big deal and it happens to every bloke but....

thought that "auntie" thing, put you off that sort of craic!!

I would worry less about a few guys fishing for them during the ban and pour more effort into convincing the government not to lift the commercial ban on them.

It can be hard not to catch bass when fishing sometimes. I myself recently had a few in Kerry. Not ideal at all by any means. We did stay away from Bass marks that we knew of and even went out boat fishing.
I am sure there are plenty of people fishing for them and just not admitting it.
I could have said I caught none in Kerry but i'd rather be honest.

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

So do I Martin!!

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

So do I Martin!!

ah, stop it Paula, can't even type anymore

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

So do I Martin!!

ah, stop it Paula, can't even type anymore

I couldn't resist it You started it! He's gonna kill us, you do know that don't you?

hope he's out fishing and the mods delete the post by the time he comes back, hahaha, was laughing so hard I tipped a glass of white wine spritzer over the keyboard, just connected another one, thankfully I have plenty of them in stock

Jd is right regarding the political slant but on the other hand sea angling does politics very badly. Being informed though does help.

The fisheries board total spend in 2009 to include wages was €30million for all regions, which I believe will be cut to to the tune of up to €4million. Correct me if I am wrong, but it will be cut dramatically.

Tourist angling revenue for 2008 was €90million, a three to one return on spend before the socio economic value of clean, healthy, biodiverse, and developed waterways is taken into account.

In short fisheries fights way above its weight in terms of spend.

Because staff numbers in the field are low anyway, three full time staff for the whole of County Wexford, work that one out when it comes to protection, and these people have to cover beaches, estuaries, rivers, and do development work also.

The answer is court appointed waterkeepers to work alongside fisheries staff, after all bass are our resource. I have first hand experience of this practice in Co. Monaghan regarding pike and coarse fishing, and it works. Allied to a far seeing judge convictions for illegal fishing have risen dramatically and the insidence of poaching has been reduced.

As for C and R, well you know my views on that and I believe it is the way forward, allied to a widening of the close season. Responsible anglers will not deliberately target bass during this period anyway. You have to be real here, on most of the beaches that I fish between Greystones, south to Bannow Bay bass are common, so it is very hard not to catch them.

I've not been trying to catch my first bass this year during the ban by dropping the japanese lures for home tied feathers. However, by allowing the trawlers so near to the shoreline is major killer for all inshore species

I´m going to be really controversial here, but maybe the month long ban should be lifted completely. During the ban the serious bass anglers are not out and the illegal lads tend to make hay. If there was no ban at least you´d have anglers out on the hotspots and it´ll make it a lot hard not the netters to go about their business.

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

So do I Martin!!

YOUS TWO ARE DEAD!! CHEEKY F****RS!!!

It can be hard not to catch Bass when fishing sometimes

oh dear, hope Noel isn't reading that

So do I Martin!!

YOUS TWO ARE DEAD!! CHEEKY F****RS!!!

Sorry Noel, but I couldn't resist mate Forgive me! It's that Martin one's fault, he is a bad influenece on me!

whats the big deal here ,leave the bass alone for one bloody month ,my god when the commercial boys get a hold of the ban being lifted you will be playing right into there hands,why can the rod angler fish all year round killing a fish a day,surely if the close season has been stopped bass are at a sustainable level etc etc.

hi everybody,in my opinion the ban would be much better if it were earlier ie.1st april-15 may.but to start tinkering with a widely adhered to law could cause alot of confusion. kevin.

kevin what do you base your conclusion on ?bass spawn according to water temp tides and moon like most marine creatures. this year the first bass i got that was full and ready for action was on may 13 th ?

kevin what do you base your conclusion on ?Bass spawn according to water temp tides and moon like most marine creatures. this year the first Bass i got that was full and ready for action was on may 13 th ?

exactly,and if the ban were as i said you wouldnt have caught a "ready to spawn fish".most years very few of the bass i catch after the ban are full whilst i do have quite a few fish in the weeks leading up to the ban that are full and ready to go,maybe others experiences differ but its just something ive noticed over the years.as i said above though,if its not broke why try fix it

I hate all the C&R stuff that always pops up on the site and the fall out over shore reports that follow, but the law is the law and should be respected. Pity about a stretch of coast in Wexford last night that was littered with rods in close and boxes of lug on show. I really had expected to see long casts with crab here! Myself and others from the site here had fished this spot for bass a good bit before the ban and stopped when the ban started. And yet other people just ignore the law and do what they want. I have to admit I was getting rightly drunk off the further I walked along.

If I was out on the coast on spotted someone working a net to catch Bass, then I'd be on the mobile pdq to the Fishery Board (names and numbers stored on the phone ) To my thinking, anyone delibertly angling for Bass during the closed season is as much a poacher as the guys with the nets.

I've no issues with anyone catching Bass as a by-catch, so long as they're returned. Much the same as catching Sea-Trout out of season - sometimes it happens and all you can do is return them.

If you suspect illegal Bass fishing, regardless of netting or angling, then report it and demand action. Responsible anglers should welcome checks to see if there's dead fish in their bags during the closed season.

What's needed is enforcement of current laws.