Best ever bass session - 17th October 2009

[RockHunter]

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 12.15 - 6.00 pm

Tide: HW at 5.30 pm

Weather: Light southeasterly breeze, mostly overcast, mild

Bait: Lures

Rigs: Asturie, Xlayers, Feed Shallow

Results: 12 bass




Report:It looked like Saturday was the last good opportunity for lure fishing for bass before the weather broke and the first of the winter storms sets in. So I wanted to make the most of the day and headed to a reliable East Cork rock mark where I reckoned we had a good chance of a few bass. We got there about 12.15 pm just after low tide. The conditions looked perfect, good water clarity, small waves producing a bit of turbulence but not enough to stir up the sediment and cloud the water and fairly overcast. I started off using an Asturie. I cast it across an area of turbulent water where the rock surface drops off. After about the third cast I hooked a bass but lost him just as I got it to the edge of the rocks. I was trying to get it onto a low ledge but he was was doing some furious head shaking and shook the lure off when only about a foot from the edge

Shortly afterwards there were a couple of splashes behind the lure but the fish were not hooked. But at least I knew there were a few bass there. I kept casting across the area where I saw the last splash and about 15 minutes later I hooked another bass – it was putting up a good fight but this time it stayed on the hook until I landed it. It was a 52 cm bass

A few casts later I had another – this was also putting up a strong struggle and turned out to be a slightly bigger bass at 54 cm Shortly afterwards I had a third bass, a smaller fish at 49 cm I got this one in a submerged gully with deeper water. The fish hit the lure about 30 m out.

Next cast I had a fourth bass of 50 cm out of the same gully Melissa then wanted to have a go – after a few casts she hooked a bass but unfortunately it came off before she could land it. She was so excited that she had a bass that she forgot to play it in. She kept shouting "I have a bass, I have a bass". I told her to keep the rod up, but before she listened to me the fish came off She had a few more casts before passing the rod back to me.

Shortly afterwards I got another 51 cm bass By this time a lot of seaweed, straw and various bits of floating debris had accumulated on the surface directly in front of the area where I was fishing, carried in by the southeasterly wind. As I kept snagging bits of weed I decided to switch to an Xlayer to get below the surface debris. I had a few casts without a bite, then had a miscast that landed close to some barely submerged rocks that I was trying to avoid. I quickly retrieved to prevent getting snagged but suddenly there was a strong pull on the rod. At first I thought I was snagged on the rocks then felt a series of sharp pulls – I had hooked a fish. This one was a 48 cm bass The sixth bass of the session - now my bass total for the year had exceeded my whiting total

After a few more casts with the Xlayer I had another bass. This was putting up a very strong fight, and felt a good size fish. It was a 55 cm bass, the largest of the session A little later I got another bass, 50 cm, again on an Xlayer

At this stage there was a lot of seaweed floating on the surface restricting the area that was fishable. I had a few more casts then hooked the ninth bass, another 50 cm fish. I had now equalled my previous best session

The bites had slowed down but was hopeful of making it to ten. A little later I got it, another 48 cm bass The next cast I had another bass, slightly bigger at 49 cm

The tide has risen considerably at this stage so I moved back up the rocks and cast across a small embayment. Nothing was biting so I switched back to the Asturie. Twenty minutes or so later I hooked another bass – 50 cm – Number 12

I continued fishing until 6.00 pm and tried a variety of other lures but there were no more bites – the bass had moved on.

So that may well be my last lure fishing session of the year, but it was a good one to finish on.
It looks like it will back to bait fishing now for the winter.

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Last edited by RockHunter on Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:43 am, edited 5 times in total.

[RockHunter]

Some more:

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[RockHunter]

Last three:

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great stuff well done

jes' frank your on fire superb fishing mate well done, thats a dream of a session with a great tally of bass, you must be still bussing from that session
great report & pic's

Cracking stuff Frank serious amount of Bass there looks like you made a good call reckon if the wind blows today and tomrrow like they say it'll be very soupy.

Well done on your best session of Bass, at this rate you will have the 200 up in no time.

Fantastic session, well done

Is this the big Asturie (150mm) or the smaller one?

Another mighty session, well done!!!!
I have yet to pop my cherry on the lures and there you are catching 12 in one session, a legend !!!

well done frank some session might have to kidnap you for a guided fishing trip

you are seriously addicted Frank superb session, big well done

Sorry to disagree Frank but I think your last outing was your best yet. You got home from it Brilliant fishing though looks like a lot of ground work is really paying dividends for you. Big congrats on it you fully deserve the rewards.

Crackin session frank iv got to get out for a bass soon you should enter your report to the autumn bass comp

Thanks guys,

Is this the big Asturie (150mm) or the smaller one?

It is the 110 mm - the smaller one

well done frank some session might have to kidnap you for a guided fishing trip

I will have to keep vigilant then and borrow Rockyb's dog

Sorry to disagree Frank but I think your last outing was your best yet. You got home from it Brilliant fishing though looks like a lot of ground work is really paying dividends for you. Big congrats on it you fully deserve the rewards.

Didn't even come close to falling in the water this time. The conditions and tides were just right for that mark, good water clarity and a bit of turbulence but not enough to stir up the sediment, overcast conditions helped too.

One word....epic!! Think im going to have to stay away from your posts there killing me,, well done man

Whats left to say Frank ,,,,,,,bloody marvellous,,and well done to Melissa for hooking one

Unbelievable.Great report. I have been trying to catch just one for the past 2 months.I think I will take up knitting.

Thanks guys,

Unbelievable.Great report. I have been trying to catch just one for the past 2 months.I think I will take up knitting.

Keep at it, find a bassy looking mark and fish it through various stages of the tide - you will eventually be rewarded.

...that may well be my last lure fishing session of the year

You'll have to set yourself the target of catching 100 'lure caught' fish .

You'll have to set yourself the target of catching 100 'lure caught' fish .

For next year I hope you mean?

I checked back on my fishing notebook
Lure caught bass this year = 39
First lure caught bass - 29th August

Details of lures:
20 bass on Asturies
16 bass on Xlayers
1 bass on Hazdong
1 bass on Patchinko
1 bass on jellyworm

So if we get a good summer next year I would hope to do much better. Lure fishing didn't really happen for me until the weather settled down at the end of August.