East Cork bass - 15th November 2008

People: Me

Duration: Rock Mark: 3.00 - 4.30 pm; Beach Mark: 5.15 - 8.00 pm

Tide: HW at 6.45 pm

Weather: Mild, light south/southwesterly breeze, dry

Bait: Rag, razor, frozen black lug, mackerel

Rigs: 3/0 pennel pulleys, 2 hook flapper (size 1/0 and 2)

Results: 1 bass




Report: In the afternoon I tried a new rock mark that I had identified from the aerial photos on the OSI website. There was a gap in the rocks which enabled casting out onto clean sandy ground. I fished for about an hour and a half without a bite. At about 4.30 I decided to move back to the closest beach in order to get set up before dusk.

I have only fished that beach about three times in the last 6 months - it can be a real heartbreaker - but I did catch my first ever bass (6.5 lb) there last December so I give it a go every now and then but had yet to get another bass off it. I set up three rods cast out different distances and with a mixture of baits.

There was a moderate surf rolling in so I was cautiously optimistic. But it was very quite with not a hint of a nibble. Close to high tide I was beginning to get disheartened and was thinking that I should have gone to my usual beach. Then just exactly on high tide I saw a sudden sharp quiver on one of the rod tips then it went quite. Thinking that maybe something had a nibble on the bait I picked up the rod and found the the line had gone slack - I started to reel in - there was about 15 m of slack line - I thought the gripper weight had been ripped up and carried in towards the shore - then suddenly I felt a stong pull - there was a fish on the end

It was putting up a good struggle so I reckoned it had to be a bass - then as I hauled it through the surf I could see that distinctive silver colour.
It was 47 cm, approx 2.5 lb, caught on the 3/0 pennel pulley baited with frozen black lug wrapped with razor on the rod cast to moderate distance.

I stayed on for another hour but there were no more bites.

I was delighted to eventually get another bass off that beach - 11 months later

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It was fairly slack around east cork this weekend, you did well to get the bass

ya was down in ballycroeen last night for around a hour 1/2 with out a knock so headed to ballycotton for deeper water and a soul whiting save me from blanking even do the winds were sw there was no breeze there to drive the fish in close nice to get that bass the old razor seems to be working well for you frank.

Well done Rockhunter lovely bass ...... that osi map is very handy indeed have a couple of marks picked out to try so fingers crossed

Thanks guys,

razor seems to be working well for you frank

Yes that seems to be a preferred bait for bass in East Cork at the moment.

that osi map is very handy indeed

It is excellent - I have a bunch of marks picked out that I will have to try over the next few months. Also throws up a few surprises - there is a beach I often fish and I presumed the sand just continued out to sea - but I can see now that there are rocks further out - probably only 100 m out at low tide - just as well my casting distance is not great otherwise I would have been snagged a lot.

Always nice to catch a bass, well done . Fair play to you, youre always checking out new marks, i'll have to get a bit more adventurous like you and get out of my comfort zone . Nice to see that beach paid off for you.

Thanks Dave,
There is always the temptation to stick to the known mark - if I fish my regular beach I know I will have a good chance of picking up a bunch of flounder and there is always the chance of a bass if the conditions are right - but I like to try out some new marks too - sometimes it pays off - other times I wish I had gone to the usual beach