Clonakilty rock mark - 1st May

People:Me

Duration:5.30pm

Tide:Dropping I think

Weather:Moderate easterly, sunny

Bait:Lures

Rigs:Lures

Results:1 bass (2 3/4lb)

Catch and Release:: Yes



Report:Was bitchin and moanin about having to leave Dingle but quickly forgot about it when I spotted a half dozen shapes hanging in the water. Wasn't sure at first whether they were bass or mullet but when I pulled a lure passed I got a strike on about the fourth cast, and whilst the fish got off i knew then that it was bass I had seen.

Jumped onto another rocky finger which was adjacent to a deep gulley, pulled the rocket over the gully and a small fish rose up and hammered it. Was chuffed, had figured that there would have been something in there so was nice to see my hunch being right. Fished on from this spot and it was then that I noticed four or five much bigger fish, the waves were fairly big and when they started to break it was possible to see fish hanging in the water immediately behind them. The water clarity was excellent and I have to say it was one of the most amazing things I've seen in fishing, they would have been 5lb to 7lb and even with the turmoil seemed to hang there without any effort. Now need less to say I cast and cast like a madman over those fish but not one showed the slightest interest, was odd but an interesting insight into bass behaviour.

Moved a few yards again and got an immediate response from a fish of maybe 3 1/2lb which unfortunately came off at my feet. Wasn't too dissappointed as I had already caught and had seen plenty of others. Good to be back south :lol:

Maybe they were more focused on spawning that feeding..?

I know if I had a plate of food in front of me or the girlfriend which one I would choose..!!! :lol:

I was wondering about that alright Eoghan, the larger fish just weren't interested.

All joking aside I would say thats what it was. Either that or there were Bass and Mullet shoaling together and the larger ones were mullet.

What spinner where you using by the way..?
I had a similar experience where I had a kilty lure and put it in front of a bass numerous times and it didnt move. My brother in law put a popper over it and it was grabbed immediately. Sometimes big bass arent bothered chasing small lures I find.

I tried numerous lures...rocket, j-11, bridun lance, flying C. I did consider mullet but there behaviour just seemed so out of place for mullet, the more I think about it the more spawning seems to be an explanation....then again some of the best pike sport is had when the big females gather up for spawning.