Duration: 7.30 pm - 2.00 am
Tide: HW at 1.10 am
Weather: Mild, clear, light southeasterly breeze
Bait: Lug, carb, mussel
Rigs: 4/0 and 3/0 pennel pulley, two hook flapper, single hook flapper
Results: 4 bass, 1 flounder, 1 dogfish, 1 Five Bearded Rockling
Report: There was a fairly weak surf when I arrived so I wasn't too hopeful of catching much especially with the weak tides. But at least the beach was weed free. I set up two rods, one with the 4/0 pennel the other with the two hook flapper (size 2/0) hooks all baited with lug.
After about 40 minutes, while I was baiting a spare rig I looked up and saw a strong knock on the rod with the two hook flapper. I grabbed the rod but the fish was gone
Just as the light was beginning to go I had another knock on the same rod - I was quicker off the mark this time, struck and hooked a fish. It was putting up a reasonable fight so I reckoned it was a bass. Sure enough it turned out to be a 45 cm bass
So I was delighted with that I as I wasn't to optimistic when I arrived. However, as the tide was rising the surf was getting better, although still fairly weak.I had another missed bite about half an hour after that. There was a strong tug on the line but the fish wasn't hooked. Probably about half an hour later there was massive knock on the rod with the two hook flapper. I grabbed it and struck, hooking a big fish. It was putting up a very strong fight. I presumed it was another bass and felt to be the heaviest and strongest I have ever hooked. Eventually I had it in close, I could see its head and see its back twisting in the shallows, it was only about 3 or 4 meters out at this stage - it looked to be a massive bass - honesty no exaggeration to say it was well above the 10 pound mark. Then diaster - the like went slack and it was gone
If it hadn't been dark the air would have turned blue !!!I retireved the line and found a small 19 cm flounder on the lower hook. I then looked at the upper hook - the hook had broken - all that was left was the shank the bend was gone. That made it even worse
If the fish managed to shake itself off the hook then I would blame myself for not striking hard enough to properly set the hook, or if a knot had come undone then I would be at fault for poor knots but to have the hook break was damn annoying - I guess thats what I get for buying cheap hooks in bulk I replaced the rig with a single hook flapper with a stronger 4/0 hook. A little later I noticed the line on the other rod had gone slack - I reeled in a lot of slack line but there was nothing on the end. I must have missed a bite. Probably while I was uttering a string of foul language after loosing the big bass.
Shortly after I had a small knock on the same rod - I struck and could feel a fish on the end but it wasn't putting up much of a fight so I didn't think it was a bass. It turned out to be a dogfish.
About half an hour after that I had another slack line bite on the first rod. There was just a small tap on the rod but then the line went slack. I quickly reeled in the line until I connected with the fish - struck and this was putting up a better fight. It was a 46 cm bass
It was quite deeply hooked. The lower hook of the pennel was hooked into the gut - so this was one for Sunday's dinner.Close to high tide there was another strong knock on the second rod. I struck and could feel a reasonable sized fish on the end (but nothing like the one I lost). It was a 57 cm bass, 4 lb exactly
I was beginning to run low on lugs at this stage, so put a lug/mussel cocktail on one rod and lug/frozen crab on the other. 25-30 minutes later I had a knock on the rod with the lug/mussel bait - a 47 cm bass
A little later when reeling in the same rod I found I had hooked a five bearded rockling.
I packed up at 2.00 am when all the lug was used up. So despite the disappointment of loosing the big bass, with 4 bass I did much better than I expected so I went home reasonably happy. But the job for tonight is to make up some new rigs with strong 4/0 or larger hooks before I have another crack at that beach and getting that bass with the bend of a hook in its mouth
