Bass at last!!! - East Cork - 20th April 2013

[RockHunter]

People: Me

Duration: 7.30 pm - 1.45 am

Tide: LW at 8.10 pm

Weather: Light SSW breeze, clear

Bait: Lug and razor

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulleys, 2 hook flapper (size 2 hooks)

Results: 3 bass, 5 coalfish, 5 flounder, 4 Five bearded rockling




Report: The incessent east/northeast winds have finally come to an end. I was hopeful the southwesterly/southerly winds would bring an improvement in fishing - well it couldn't get much worse. The last time I was fishing in mid-March I blanked despite a nice surf on a regular beach which normally provides excellent fishing in March.

Saturday was a nice sunny day with a SSW breeze so I headed to the same beach, arriving just before low tide in daylight. Over the winter the beach geometry had changed significantly, the beach was steeper and now there was a sizeable sandbank just above the low tide mark.There was a good surf but the water was still very cold, so I was not too optimistic about getting any bass.

I initially set up two rods on the crest of the sandbank with 4/0 pennel pulleys; one baited with lug the other with lug and razor. After a few minutes there were little tugs on the rod with the lug only. I retrieved, the bait was gone. I cast out again, same thing happened. Probably small flounder stealing the bait. So I put on a two hook flapper with size 2 hooks to see what the bait robbers were.

About 15 minutes later just as the tide was starting to push in I had a sharp knock on the rod with the two hook flapper, struck, felt a fish on the end. A few minutes later a hauled a small (46 cm) angry bass out of the surf - the first bass of 2013!!! That was rather later than last year when I had the first on the 4th of January. But better late than never.

About 15 minutes later I had a second bass, this was smaller and scrawny, barely over 40 cm.

Shortly afterwards I had a small coalfish. It was quite for about half an hour before I had a double of another coalfish and a five bearded rockling. The tide then began to push over the the sandbank so I made a retreat, the depression behind me was already knee-deep in water. I was hoping the fish would move into that area with the rising tide. But there then followed a prolonged quite period of about an hour before the fish began to feed again. I had a couple more coalfish and another rockling. The flounder then showed up, they were small and I had four over the next hour, the last and largest was about 27 cm.

After that I was about to pack up, when there was a strong tug on the rod with the two hook flapper and the rod tip bent over - another bass!!! I grabbed the rod and stuck. It was indeed a bass, not big, but still putting up a bit of a fight. It was a 44 cm fish. There was a small five bearded rockling on the other hook.

I stuck it out for about another half an hour in case there was a shoal of bass moving in but there was only one more bite from a 21 cm flounder.

So while the fish were small it was a definite improvement on the last couple of months with a total of 17 fish.

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Last edited by RockHunter on Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

Well done on a cracking mixture of fish.

An absolute brilliant session ,well done:)

Good to see the Bass back on the hunt, cheers for the report Frank.

Well done on a great mix of fish.Iv been inspired again after all the lastest catches so I'm going back out tonight,my 2 week break lasted all of one day

Healthy session that Frank!

Well done Frank,,,and great report Nice to see things picking up again

nice start to the year
hopefully its only a slice of whats to come

Fair play Frank, good mix there

nice session frank...

Thanks guys.

Well done Frank,,,and great report Nice to see things picking up again

Thanks Dave, hopefully the return to northerly winds forcast for the next 7 days doesn't ruin it

Well done frank the droughts over

Crackin session bud, bet you were well happy.

Welldone on a great session,have fond memorys of fishing the beaches of east cork before moving back to galway 7 yrs ago.

John Ainsworth.

quality report and pics frank
good to see you getting into the bass again man

As usual Frank right on the money well done.

Great fish well done