Co. Waterford bass - 26th April 2009

[RockHunter]

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 4.00 - 8.45 pm and 10.00 pm - 2.15 am

Tide: HW at 7.15 pm

Weather: Overcast, strong southwesterly breeze, a few heavy rain showers later

Bait: Lug

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

Results: Me:- 4 bass, 1 flounder, 2 dogfish; Melissa:- 1 flounder




Report: Beach 1: we arrived at the beach at about 4.00 pm. There were 4 other anglers there but nobody had caught anything so that wasn't looking too promising. I have never had much luck off this beach in daylight but as it was a very overcast dull day and the water was nicely coloured I was hopefully of getting something. I set up two rods both baited with lug. I had thought about doing some spinning close to high tide but the water was far too coloured for that. So I set up the spinning rod with a single hook flapper baited with lug for Melissa to stop her getting bored

However, the rods were remaining motionless and the baits coming back untouched. The other anglers gave up before high tide, but I reckoned that we might have a chance of a bass close to high tide. Then I heard a shout from Melissa, she had a fish - a small flounder - her first fish of the year

About 30 minutes after high tide I spotted a sharp knock on the rod with the two hook flapper, grabbed it quickly and struck. It was putting up a bit of a struggle but it didn't feel very heavy so I reckoned it was probably a small bass. Sure enough it turned out to be a 40 cm bass Saved from a blank and the embarrasment of been beaten by Melissa's flounder.

We stuck it out a bit longer and then moved onto another beach that fishes well on the ebb.

Beach 2: I got set up at about 10 pm. There was a bit of weed strewn along the beach and the first 10-15 m of the water was quite dense with weed. While I was setting up the second rod there was a tug on the first - a big clump of kelp I cleaned off the weed and cast the first rod out again - returned to baiting the rig for the second rod - then spotted a sharp knock on the first rod - struck and felt a definite fish not a ball of weed. It turned out to be another 40 cm bass

I rebaited the first rod and cast out again - then as I was about to attach the rig to the line on the second rod there was another knock on the first rod, then the line went slack. I grabbed it and quickly reeled in the slack until I felt a fish - struck and could feel the pull of a bigger fish. This one was a 47 cm bass So that was a good start, two bass on the first three casts, before I even had a chance to cast the second rod

However, the weed became a serious problem after that. I was continuously reeling in and cleaning off big clumps of kelp. However, I did manage to get a 23 cm flounder and a dogfish.

Eventually I decided to move further up the beach. There was still a lot of weed in the first 15 m of water but it was a lot cleaner further out and I didn't have so much of a problem, although the rigs tended to snag weed when they were retrieved. I had a good knock but missed it. Then I had another good bite, struck this one well. As I was reeling it through the surf all I could see was a clump of kelp - I thought it was only weed after all, but then caught a glimpse of sliver beneath all the kelp - a 46 cm bass

I missed a slack line bite after that. I started to pack up at 2.15 am and when I reeled in one of the rods I found a dogfish on the end along with about 10 lb of kelp.

So despite the weed it was a good night's fishing. But if it had been weed free I am sure it could have been even better.

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Last edited by RockHunter on Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:38 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Some more photos

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Nice going Frank good call on the change of venues and well done to Mellissa on the Flounder and her first fish of the year

good going for the both of you, persisting through the weed and all, you can be sure when it gathers like that other tasty morsels are also gathering in the same area

Hi Frank...well done..great results....i think i was one of the three lads...i knew twas a bad idea leaving but i was starving....we had a long session....your right about fishing during the daylight there...waste of time...anyway well done

nice fishing frank good to hear you both got in on the action. some lovely fish there in the pics

Thanks guys,

well done to Mellissa on the Flounder and her first fish of the year

That was her first attempt at bait fishing this year.

Hi Frank...well done..great results....i think i was one of the three lads...i knew twas a bad idea leaving but i was starving....we had a long session....your right about fishing during the daylight there...waste of time...anyway well done

I have fished that beach several times in daylight mostly with poor results. If there is a resonable surf it fishes much better at dusk and after dark. So I was lucky to get the one small bass off it.

By the way - I didn't notice at the time (as the fish was jumping about so much as I was trying to get a photo of him on the ruler) but on the photo there are two parallel marks across the side of that first bass - healed gill net scars??

Nice fishing wish there was more bass up around here!!