The bass are back!!! - West Waterford - 25th April 2010

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 2.30-5.30 pm and 11.30 pm-4.20 am

Tide: HW at 3.50 pm and 4.20 am

Weather: Srong SSW breeze, partly cloudy, calm with just light SW breeze later

Bait: Crab

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys

Results: 3 Bass, 3 flounder, 5 codling




Report: With the calm conditions over the last few weeks the fishing has been slow to say the least. Due to the weak surf I had mostly focused on plugging for bass with nothing more than a small foul hooked garfish to show for it. I had a few beach sessions but just had a few small codling (30-38 cm) and coalfish - a waste of good bait So with the return to southwesterlies at the weekend I was hopeful of a few decent fish showing up.

Afternoon session:
I headed to a beach that I have rarely fished but which I hoped would be good on a rising tide in daylight. There were a few other beaches that can produce bass in daylight but I reckoned that all the surfers would be out as they wouldn't have had much action over the last few weeks either. When I arrived there was a very nice surf rolling in - and only two surfers down the far end. The water was nicely coloured so it looked good. However, it was quite for a long time. Then as I was eating a sandwich I spotted a fairly subtle knock on one of the rods. I lept up grabbed it and reeled in - there felt to be a reasonable fish on the end but not a bass - then as I got it in close I could see a good flounder. It was 39 cm and fairly plump

About 20 minutes later I spotted another similar bite - struck and began to retrieve. This time the fish was putting up a little stronger fight - I reckoned it was another flounder - sure enough it was - a 43 cm flounder - my longest of the year, although not the heaviest as it was quite scrawny.

As the tide began to ebb I packed up and saved the bait for a session that night

Night Session:
I planned to fish another beach on the rising tide in darkness. I arrived at dusk, but was disappointed with the surf. The wind had eased off and there was only a weakish surf. Then as I was getting the gear out of the car I discovered I had forgotten to bring the box with my weights As it was still early and just after low tide I had plenty of time so I headed back home to get the weights. As I was driving back out I reconsidered where to fish and reckoned that there should still be a nice surf on the beach where I fished in the afternoon. When I got to the beach there was indeed still a good surf

I set up two rods baited with crab on 4/0 pennel pulleys and lobed them into the surf. Shortly after I had a small knock on one of the rods and reeled in a 35 cm codling. A few minutes later I had another smaller codling. The little feckers where distroying the nice crab baits that took me about 5 minutes to present well on the hooks At that stage I was not too optimistic - it looked like the coding were going to be all over the bait before a bass had a chance to find it.

However, about 20 minutes later, I spotted another subtle knock. I presumed it was another codling, picked up the rod and struck - but then it took off - ran a 20m slacklined before I caught up with it and then put up a fierce struggle - this was the first good fish I had with the Ultima Power Steel line and I could feel every movement of the fish as it dug its tail into the seabed. It made another surge, this time to the left but I kept in contact and then it really began to fight as I got it into the shallow surf. A few minutes later I could see it thrashing about it a few inches of water before a wave surged forward and covered it - allowing the fish to make another run to the left again, but as the surf receded I soon had it out of the water. It was a good bass - 63 cm with a weight of just under 5.5 lb It was in good condition and looked well fed. I was delighted with that - it had been about 4 weeks since my last bass, whereas as last April I was getting 3 or 4 from most sessions.

After that the codling were back with a vengence - I had another three in quick succession and missed a few more. Every time they made sh!t of the bait so I would have to put on a fresh crab. I then decided to cast shorter - I was picking up the codling further out and hoped that bass might be in close. Shortly after making the first cast about 30 m out I spotted subtle knock and picked up the rod - then felt a small tug - another codling I thought as I struck. But the fish was putting up a good struggle - so it was bigger than the little pests that were chewing up my crab. It did a short slack line run but I caught up with it after a few seconds, before eventually hauling it out of the surf. It was a 47 cm bass. Again it was a well conditioned quite plump fish

The bites slowed down after that. I was thinking that the fish had moved on but nevertheless I was going to stick it out to high tide. Then I spotted a sharp strong pull on one of the rods. I grabbed it and struck. I could feel another very strong fish. It was pulling very hard and stripping a little line although the clutch on the reel was quite tight. This fish also surged to the left but I kept in contact with it and managed to turn it back in towards the shore. Again I could feel its tail digging into the sediment as it fought against me. It was putting up a stronger fight than the first bass and putting a severe bend in the rod. Good to feel a decent fish on the line after a winter of tiddlers. It was struggling ferociously in the shallow water but I eventually landed it - another fine bass, slight bigger than the first at 64 cm but stockier with a weight of 6 lb

I fished on - but was running low on crab, just the smaller ones left at this stage. I spotted another small knock - this time it was a flounder, about 35 cm (I lost my ruler - a wave surged in and swept it away after I got the last bass ). As I was photographing the fish there was a strong double tap on the other rod - but by the time I put the camera back in its bag and rested it somewhere secure (bad enough having the ruler washed away ) it was too late. The line was gone slack - I rapidly reeled in the slack but the fish was gone - I presume it must have been another bass. I fished for about another 20 minutes or so to finish off the last of the bait and then packed up.

So I was delighted with that session - the bass are back after a very slow start this year.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Last edited by RockHunter on Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:13 pm, edited 4 times in total.

More photos

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Wow, what can I say apart from - excellent fishing, report and pictures. Well done Frank.

great looking fish well done

excellent fishing, well done. So jealour reading reports like this while im stuck in a computer lab studying haha

super session Frank and probably one of the best reports I've had the pleasure to read here, Mark Twain stuff really

well done rockhunter

excellent report sir and superb session you got there,thanks for sharing.

Wow frank super fishing must get out with you for a cast! well done pat

nice one frank great to see the numbers of good fish increasing

one of the best reports I've had the pleasure to read, well done frank, cracking report and good pic's, keep them coming

well done frank exellent catch ,brilliant report .always good to see things picking up around the country.

Great to see things down there getting back to normal,,ie,,,,,,Frank catching plenty of bass and putting up great reads,,,,,,,,,well done

great report frank some lovely fish there its good to be heading out with a bit of confidence from now on

a big well done great fishing

good stuff.amazing the difference a couple of days of southerly can do.well done

Great session wish i was there

Great report, you are up and running now, great session, well done.

hell of a report rock was like reading a book and again great pictures too .fantastic session the kind i dream about
was thinking of a trip to kerry but now im

Great report Rockhunter,,, they are cracking looking bass, Big well done

Regards

Seamus