East Cork Bass - 1st October 2009

People: Me

Duration: 6.15 - 8.45 pm

Tide: HW at 4.35 pm

Weather: Overcast, light northerly (?) breeze, calm

Bait: Lures

Rigs: Xlayers, Asturie, Feed Shallow, Pachinko

Results: 2 Bass, 12 pollock




Report: I headed out for a short evening session. Got to the mark at about 6.45 pm and found the sea to be dead calm. I cast out a range of lures but nothing was biting. Then as the sun was beginning to set I could see some activity about 100 m out - and the occasional pollock leaping out of the water. I reckoned it wouldn't be long before they moved in closer. Just as the light was beginning to go a pollock made a lunge at the Asturie only about 15 m out. Next cast I had a couple of splashes behind the lure but no hook ups. I switched to an Xlayer and had a fish within a few seconds, a small pollock about 30 cm. For the next five casts I had 4 pollock and dropped a fifth just as I was landing it.

After that I was getting a pollock on about every second cast but could feel the fish hitting the lure on every cast. However, they were all small, only one was close to 40 cm, the rest were mostly in the 30 -35 cm range. I switched back to the Asturie hoping it might attract a bigger fish but just got a couple more small guys. Then the bites stopped. I had a few more casts but I could feel nothing hitting the lure. I switched back to an Xlayer and made a couple of casts without a bite. I was thinking that it had got too dark - as it was cloudy the moon was covered to it was very dark at this stage.

I decided to have a few "last" casts - then at 8.15 pm I hooked a much stronger fish - this was putting up a very good fight so I was sure it was a good bass. It gave me about the best fight I have had on a lure. I eventually landed it - it was a very chubby 55 cm bass - I was expecting it to be bigger from the fight it put up, a couple of weeks ago I had a 68 cm bass that only put up half the fight of this one.

After that I had to have a few more casts and then hooked another bass - again on the Xlayer - this was also putting up a good fight, although not as strong as the previous fish - it was 56 cm bass although a lot more streamlined - at least a pound lighter even though it was a centimeter longer.

About ten minutes later I had another strong bite but lost it after a few minutes. I got the lead head back but the Xlayer was gone - if the fish swallowed the lure then it will have bad indigestion for a while

I fished on for a bit longer - no more bass bites and then the pollock returned - I had another two small ones before packing up. I reckon that when the bass arrived the pollock scattered and only began to return after the bass had moved on.

So not a bad start to October, 2 nice bass and a dozen pollock

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Great fishing and report. Well done.

The picture of the Bass in the rock pool is class

great start to the month rockhunter! and lovely pics as well!

Your grin must've lit the way home for you after a 2-hour session like that! First-rate pix too - I'd have too much camera-shake in the excitement...

well done frank...looks like you are the ''BASS KING'' down Cork....salute

great fishing frank, looks like you'll be rounding off the year in style

Thanks guys,

some lovely fish there frank i gotta get myself some of these xlayer lures. they really seem to do the buisness

Thanks Alan,
Yes the Xlayers are lethal - if there is a predatory fish in the vicinity they can't resist an Xlayer.
I havn't seen them in any local tackle shops - I get them from Patrick Gallagher - Padge73 on SAI