West Cork Beach: 8th May

People: mise

Duration: 20.00 - 00.30

Tide: Low at 20.30ish

Weather: Light but cold north-easterly breeze, clear, no surf

Bait: Lures (Toby & Maria Chase) & ragworm

Rigs: 2 hook flapper, pulley

Results: 1 Bass

I decided to have go for a session last night although conditions were far from ideal with an offshore breeze. When I arrived sure enough the sea was flat as a pancake, there was still an hour and a half of light so I decided to try spinning. The water was gin clear and I could see sprat swimming around me as I fished. I also got a bit of a shock at one point when something went flying past me, along the top of the water. It was moving in a snake-like fashion, was about a foot long and was very fast - anyone know what this would have been? My guess was that is was a launce, or a large sandeel.

With this in mind I thought there might be a chance that an odd bass would be feeding near the surface, so I tried fishing Toby lure and Maria Chase for the next hour and a half but didn't have a nibble. The seatrout started doing there acrobatics about 30 minutes after sunset also, trying to drive me nuts I think. Any lures I cast their way were promptly ignored.

I had also brought some ragworm with me and my baitcasting rod, up to last night I had never caught a bass on bait - all bass I caught last year were on lures. I was considering packing it in after the spinning but thought I'd stay on for a bit and give the ragworm a go. Rigged up a 2 hook flapper and cast out around 10pm. I thought I noticed the odd small bit of movement on the rod tip but it was minor. However every time I brought the rigs back the ragworm was either entirely gone, or there was just a wee bit left on the shank of the hook - I don't know if I was missing bites here or if it was crabs?

Just before 11pm on my 3rd cast (after switching to using a rolling lead instead of breakaway lead) I was watching the rod tip a bit more hawkeyed at this stage, I saw 2 or 3 definite sharp tugs, immediately lifted the rod from the stand, waited for a couple of seconds, and then took a chance and just struck. I got lucky and felt the weight of a fish, at that stage I wasn't sure yet what it was, started reeling in and then when I felt the fight I was pretty sure I had a bass. As the fish got closer to me I saw it surface in the gloom and do its headbanging thing. The adrenalin was pumping now and I landed the bass, my first ever bait caught bass, wuhooo!

In my excitement I ran around looking for the camera, and tripped over the tripod leg I took a quick photoshoot and measurement of around 48cm of the beautiful silver fella, he was plump enough for the size, then held him in the water and let him swim off happy out.

At this point I thought there was a good chance of getting one or two more so put on a pulley rig and a particularly juicy rag, and then proceeded to watch the rod tip like a hawk for the next hour and a half but no more bites. Well, maybe there was bites, because more rigs came back with no rag, or just bits of rag.. But there were no more definite big tugs on the rod tip. I had some razor with me also, but it was fairly cold and with tiredness kicking in decided to call it a day. The trip was well worth it and was delighted to have come away with a bait caught bass.

One thing I left with was a lot of questions, will post these later in the Q&A forum.

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fish is in good nick fair play on putting it back

Nice one Ronnach...rag works well in West Cork alright

nice one on your first bait caught bass.

Well done Ronnach

I'll try to learn from you as well

well done nice bass

the thing on the top of the water could have been an eel, a launce or a garfish

nice bass