First bass of 2009 - 26th March 2009

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 7.45 pm to 1.00 am

Tide: LW at 11.50 pm

Weather: LIght westerly wind, clear, cool.

Bait: Lug, razor

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, two hook flapper (2/0 hooks), 2/0 pennel with feeder

Results: 2 bass, 3 dogfish




Report: Decided to head eastwards in the Waterford direction to have another crack at getting my first bass of 2009. Got to the beach and set up by 8.00 pm. There was only a fairly weak surf so I wasn't too optimistic. There were three guys from Dublin already there, they had been fishing for a few hours without a bite between the three of them.

The rods were motionless until about 8.45 pm when there was a sharp knock on the rod with the two hook flapper. I grabbed it and struck. There was something reasonable on the end (ie. not a whiting). It was putting up a bit of a fight so I was hoping it was a bass and not a dogfish. Sure enough a few minutes later I hauled my first bass of 2009 out of the surf It was 47 cm and probably about 2.5 lb (I forgot to bring my weighing scales).

After re-baiting and casting out I went to check the second rod - I started to reel in but realized there was a fish on the end. It suddenly started to put up a fight. This time it was a dogfish. Occasionally I have had them do that - get hooked and just sit there hoping that the hook will disappear.

The three guys further up the beach had left at this stage - they said they were driving back to Dublin at 9.00 pm - I dont know if they got anything before they left.

At about 9.30 there was a sudden jerk on the second rod with the 4/0 pennel. I struck and this time it felt like a bigger fish. It was fighting more strongly than the first bass. It was a 50 cm bass, about 3.25 - 3.5 lbs - my second bass of 2009

A few minutes later there was a knock on the first rod but the fish wasn't hooked. It got quite for a while after that - apart from catching two crabs

Then close to low tide I had a bite on the rod with the two hook flapper. It didn't feel like a bass and turned out to be another dogfish.

I then switched the 4/0 pennel pulley for a 2/0 pennel with a feeder filled with recycled chopped up bait plus some broken lugs. Shortly after the tide turned I had a knock on the rod with the feeder rig but I struck too soon and missed it.

I decided to quit at 1.00 am. But before packing up I used up the remainder of the lug - put on big baits consisting of just lug. Nothing was biting so I started to dismantle one rod then there was a sharp knock on the remaining rod with the two hook flapper. The fish was putting up a strong fight and I was convinced it was another bass, especially as the hooks were baited with lug only. But it was another fairly lively dogfish.

But I was delighted with the session - up until now March had been a fairly poor month for me, a few blanks and most of the time only one or two fish to show for several long sessions.

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Last edited by RockHunter on Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Congrats on your first Bass of the year, judging by your reports last year , i'd say you'll have great sport in 2009

nice one Frank.things are looking up

congrats on the bass mate been targetin them for a few months but as far nothing but i can always try lol

Well done on your first Bass of the season I remember when I caught my first bass lol I was still talking about it for a year after my girlfriend at the time even bought me a trophy with a fish on it lol it was cool she seen it in a thrift shop a brass bass on an oak saucer shaped thingy... not many women would buy a guy something for catching his first bass......

Thanks guys,

Congrats on your first Bass of the year, judging by your reports last year , i'd say you'll have great sport in 2009

Hopefully Last year it was a week or so into April before I caught the first one - April should be good

Well done on your first Bass of the season I remember when I caught my first Bass lol I was still talking about it for a year after my girlfriend at the time even bought me a trophy with a fish on it lol it was cool she seen it in a thrift shop a brass Bass on an oak saucer shaped thingy... not many women would buy a guy something for catching his first Bass.

You are right there

Well done Frank, some nice fish there , congrats on your first Bass of 2009. I got mine on 21st Feb in Arklow,,,20cms schoolie ,, at the SAI comp,,,was so busy i forgot to take a pic . Looking forward to a decent size one.

kool frank! , well done.

well done frank bet your chuffed

Good Stuff Mate.

You will be lashing them out of it now !

well done hope its the first of many many bass

Thanks lads,

I got mine on 21st Feb in Arklow,,,20cms schoolie ,, at the SAI comp,,,was so busy i forgot to take a pic . Looking forward to a decent size one.

Best of luck on getting a good sized one - next month should throw up a few.

Well done ! I would be lucky if I got two Bass a year

Well Done Rockhunter on the 2 bass, lovely fish. I am still waiting for that first bar of silver this year... Hopefully soon

Well done on your first Bass of the season I remember when I caught my first Bass lol I was still talking about it for a year after my girlfriend at the time even bought me a trophy with a fish on it lol it was cool she seen it in a thrift shop a brass Bass on an oak saucer shaped thingy... not many women would buy a guy something for catching his first Bass......

very sweet, like this kind of attitude in girls

well done obviously picked up a bit
we never got a bite between the 3 of us
we would have liked to stay later but we had to get back
congrats again

nice one Frank at last you got her (not for the want of trying) I'm sure it was the first and second of many more to come also good to see that our unwanted "friends" don't know where you caught them

Sweeeeet
Now you have an excuse to go out twice as often

Thanks guys,

well done obviously picked up a bit
we never got a bite between the 3 of us
we would have liked to stay later but we had to get back

The previous few times I fished there I found that the last few hours of the ebb the best - if you had stayed on I reckon you would have had a few.

nice one Frank at last you got her (not for the want of trying) I'm sure it was the first and second of many more to come also good to see that our unwanted "friends" don't know where you caught them

Thanks Danny - that made up for a fair few frustrating nights earlier in the month.

excellent report and cracker pics frank, nice fishing man