More Waterford bass - 2nd May 2009

People: Me

Duration: 10.00 pm - 1.00 am

Tide: HW at 1.00 am

Weather: Light southwesterly breeze, very heavy shower then clear skies

Bait: Lug

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

Results: 4 bass, 2 flounder




Report: I got to the beach at dusk. There was a reasonable surf so I was hopeful of getting a bass or two. I set up two rods, one with a 4/0 pennel, the other with a two hook flapper with 4/0 hooks, both baited with lug. Not long after setting up there was a small knock on one of the rods, but nothing was hooked. I retrieved the line and found that most of the lug on one of the hooks was gone. Probably small flounder sucking the bait off the hooks. A little later I had another similar bite on the other rod but waited this time until I felt some more steady tugs and then struck, hooking a 23 cm flounder.

About half an hour later I had a much stronger bite on the rod with the two hook flapper, I struck and could feel a good pull on the line, so it had to be a bass. As I was retrieving it surged in towards the beach so I had to reel in rapidly to keep the tension on the line. When I reconnected with the fish it was in the shallows. It was a 42 cm bass One of its gill covers was damaged, part of it was missing, but the wound looked to have healed and it swam off happily when I released it. Probably got caught in a gill net at some stage.

About 10 m later, just as a heavy shower started, I had a very strong knock on the rod with the 4/0 pennel. I struck and hooked a bigger fish. It was putting up a much stronger fight and felt heavier. Then it also tried to slack line me. It put up a fierce fight as I got it in close to the shore and when I eventually hauled it out of the surf I could see that it was a good size bass – 57 cm

Only about 15 minutes later I had another knock on the same rod. It felt like another bass but not as big as the previous one. It was 51 cm

After rebaiting I waded out to cast out again as the rain continued to lash down. But as I was casting I snagged the line from the other rod. As I was trying to free the two lines the line from the other rod was getting tangled around my feet. I got back to the rod stand to find that it had fallen over. I picked up the rod and started to retrieve the slack line, but there was lot of it. Then suddenly I felt a pull on the line as I reeled in the last of the slack – there was a fish on the end I must have got the bite just after I started wading out with the first rod and the fish pulled a slackliner on me, dragging the line to the left so I snagged it when I tried to cast. The fish was very close to the shore by the time I retrieved the last of the slack and it didn’t take long to haul it onto the sand. It was 50 cm bass but it was deeply hooked into the gut. I tried to release it afterwards. It swam a short distance but then floated on its side and was washed back in towards the shore I made another attempt at reviving it but the same thing happened. So that was for Sunday’s dinner.

After that very hectic hour the bass were gone, coinciding with the end of the rain shower. The clouds blew over and the beach was illuminated in the bright moonlight. I fished on for a few more hours but all I got was one more small 21 cm flounder. But I was more than happy with that session.

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some nice fish there frank. them Bass are starting to fear you as much as cortaz

Couple of very nice fish there well done

great fishing again frank well done im off fishing tommorow nite any recommendations as to where to go

Thanks guys,

great fishing again frank well done im off fishing tommorow nite any recommendations as to where to go

Seanie I sent you a pm

Hi Frank,
thats quality fishing once again .Hopefully there will be a few swimming around the next few nights for me .Would love to get a few on dry land,i have'nt been doing too well on the plugging marks i've been fishing recently so its time for a few big 4/0 pennels and lug and hopefully a few silver ones will be around.Well done again
Tight lines

Great fishing there Frank, I wouldnt mind getting tangled like that if there was a Bass on the other end ,,,mine have been just doggie tangles lately

well done frank lovely lookin silver surfers

Nice to see the size 4/0's held for you Frank. Another great session under your belt now. I'd saw your in for a long month now

Fantastic fishing. Well done on some fine bass.

Frank,

well done again. You are the bassking!

sk

well done frank super fishing as usual man. cool pics and supper too,,,, what more could ya ask for?? but what are you gonna do with yourself after the 15th

Thanks guys,

i have'nt been doing too well on the plugging marks i've been fishing recently so its time for a few big 4/0 pennels and lug and hopefully a few silver ones will be around

I got a new spinning rod and reel recently and tried it out Saturday afternoon but not a hint of a fish, although where I was fishing might have been better on a rising tide or at high tide. I would have moved on but managed to snag two plugs on a rock and waited for low tide so that I could wade out and retrieve them. Maybe its still a bit early for plugging?
Best of luck getting a few bass soon.

Nice to see the size 4/0's held for you Frank.

No problem with them - I won't be using those cheap 2/0 hooks again

what are you gonna do with yourself after the 15th

I will be going on holidays for a couple of weeks and the rest of the time I will work on adding to my species list and try a few wrasse marks.

[cortaz]

frank, there won,t be a bass left in waterford wit yas the fish with the bit missing from the gill plate had 1 like that a few months back, nets?

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Last edited by cortaz on Wed May 06, 2009 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

rank, there won,t be a Bass left in waterford wit yas the fish with the bit missing from the gill plate had 1 like that a few months back, nets?

Dont worry I put most of them back
I remember that photo of your bass with the damaged gill plate - presume it must have been nets, I dont know what else would do that.

Excellent fishing and some great photos.

When releasing your bass can you point them northwards