Malahide 09/09/09 - My First ever Bass

People: Just Myself

Duration: 16:45 - 20:00

Tide: falling

Weather: Beautiful sunshine and no wind

Bait: X-layer and Tide Minniw

Rigs:

Results: My first ever Bass (and a foul hooked minnow)




Report:

Looking out the window all day in work at the sunshine thinking: "It's a day for fishing".
Left work (rathcoole) at four p.m. and was undecided where to go. I was thinking anywhere from Brittas Bay to Greenore. But I decided on Malahide because I would be 10 minutes from home when I was finished (even though my last two trips to Malahide blanked).

Got to Malahide and had two chocolate muffins and a can of coke for dinner because I was dying to get casting.

Set up my spinning rod with a Megabass x-layer and got stuck in.
On my fifth or sixth cast - BANG. Fish on, first thought was it was probably a mackerel but after a few seconds I knew it felt different. I started to get excited and nervous as a couple walking by stopped to look. Being a novice I was afraid I was going to lose it and look like a d**e. But it came to the side pretty easily and there was no rocks etc for it to head for.

As it got near I was nearly jumping for joy because I could see the silver and I just knew it was a bass.
I landed it on and it had swallowed the lure well. I had decided weeks ago that I was keeping my first bass and I did just that. It was about 14 " long.

I fished on for 3 hours smiling like a chesire cat.

Between 19:00 and 20:00 the water was as still as a lake and there was plenty of fish activity. I saw two or three big jumps, one where the fish left the water completely.

I wasn't sure but presumed they were sea trout, although the last one I saw looked like a mullet (do they jump?).

I had changed to a tide minnow by that stage, and whatever the jumping fish were, they were not interested in the tide minnow.

I did manage to foul hook a minnow about half the size of the lure

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Well done on your first bass mate first of many

the first bass is like a drug you cant get enough of your going to find your self in work and its a nice day and bang down with a case of bassitis in to the boss telling him needed urgently at home wait and see ha ha ha nice one on the bass mate

Nice fish what part were you fishing there? i must get some xlayers to try soon

whilst i admire your enthusiasm man theres no way you should be keeping undersize bass,apart from anything else its clearly against the law and absolutely shameful imo.

14"?????? ........no wonder it didnt put up much of a scrap........ YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED,and no ignorance is no excuse.

Do yis think if swordsbeginner was aware of the mininum size limit for bass that he would have posted this report and pics. I know this had to be pointed out but there is no need to be so quick to jump down his neck and be so critical.

14"?????? ........no wonder it didnt put up much of a scrap........ YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED,and no ignorance is no excuse.

I should be ashamed ? A Bit over the top. I had no measuring device. 14" was a guess, I didn't measure it at home either. It could well have been longer.

Funnily enough I was wary that if I caught a big fish I should let it go if it was PRIME BREEDING SIZE because someone on here mention that recently.

I apologise to anyone offended.

That fish is well above the minimum size limit so no need to either explain or apologise Swords!
Wedone on the capture and I hope it's the first of many for ya!

Well done - nice fish!

I agree with kstaff the fish looks well over the legal limit... Congrats on your first Bass

Nice fish for your 1st ever bass, but I suppose the moral to the story is.....make sure you have a measure with you if you intend to keep a fish.

Its very difficult from a picture as above to say its over the legal length, we just dont know.

And if your estimate of 14" is accurate, then you have indeed taken an undersize fish.

Best to be on the safe side, get yourself a measuring tape/stick, and then there can be no arguing in future

Well done on your first Bass, which photo is the Bass only joking nice going

Well done for your first Bass man
Just mesure the chopboard the fish looks nearly the same size.

Congrats swords. Nobody mentioned the actual legal limit yet in this thread yet - it is 40cm, though looking at those photos I'd say your fella was above that.

well done mate and i cant believe theres people out there who take the good out of ur first bass catch ,the word shame mentioned twice, get a life lads this fish looks well over the limit and dont take away that mans glory, well done again mate and i hope theres many more where that came from

[mod edit:stevecrow74] be kind to other members!!!

dont let them spoil it for you cos you're first one is a great buzz!! So congrats man, hope he is the first of many and I have no doubt that you have nothing but good intentions. AND I HOPE HE TASTES FINGER LICKING GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mod edit:stevecrow74] be kind to other members!!!

Nice fish for your 1st ever Bass, but I suppose the moral to the story is.....make sure you have a measure with you if you intend to keep a fish.

Its very difficult from a picture as above to say its over the legal length, we just dont know.

And if your estimate of 14" is accurate, then you have indeed taken an undersize fish.

Best to be on the safe side, get yourself a measuring tape/stick, and then there can be no arguing in future

And thats the way to teach someone. CONSTRUCTIVE.

14"?????? ........no wonder it didnt put up much of a scrap........ YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED,and no ignorance is no excuse.

Grow up mate every post i see from you your just giving out to people there's a word for people like you but il just get banned bite your lip in future as he said the bass swallowed the whole lure so it was for the pan id do the same well done again mate nice andTasty