Wicklow Bass...!!!

A bit of a crazy one.
I was fishing a mark in Wicklow for bass on Saturday afternoon.(The mark will remain secret as its one of my special ones)
Sun was shining and the tide was dropping. Really just killing a bit of time.
Anyway, in front of my feet in one of the gullys appeared a "mullet". As ye do I brought my spinner past his nose just to test and nothing. He sat on the sandy bottom in about 2 feet of water for a while and I started to grow suspicious. I called to my brother in law and asked him to drag his popper over him. Northing on the first cast. On the second the "mullet" waited until the popper was just out of the water before launching himself at it. Couldnt believe it..! He managed to catch himself and land himself all in the one go. Never seen anything like it. The poor fish was already damaged as you can see in the photo. We returned it but an afterthough told me maybe the kind thing to do was keep it. Dont think a seal had a go at him, no idea what happend to it.

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fair play on the return either way

Cheers. It didnt look so hot when it swam off. Usually bass are gone in the blink of an eye, this guys just swam off slowly. Thats when I started thinking it would have been better to keep it, more from a putting it out of its mysery aspect than anything else. It was my brother in laws fish and his call. Hopefully it was ok

sometimes fish are in shock or groggy after a belt or whatever coming out of the water - they need time to reorientate themselves - dont know much about the bass myself - its sounds like it all happened rather quickly and you didnt intend to injure it obviously

if it was just surface injury where is was bleeding from id give it a good chance but if the internal organs got some on the ventral side then its a different story

the main point here is you BELIEVE in catch and release and have thought more about the fish than a lot of "fishermen" do

We didnt injure the fish at all. When it grabbed the lure the first thing that struck me was the blood on its side. It hadnt touched the rocks at all at that stage. I dont think it was a seal, it looked like it had maybe been caught out with the receeding tide and had to scramble over barnicles or something like that.

My thoughts are that this injury happend shortly before it was caught and it was sitting in between the gully looking for an easy meal.

As for catch and release, I have kept 5 Bass since I was 11, all of which were kept for humane reasons, eg swallowed hooks etc.
But I have no problem with any other angler keeping a few a year for the table. Had to get that in before I am attacked..!! :lol:

dont get me wrong - dont mind people keeping a fish for the pot as long as its done with consideration

have to confess - I actually eat some fresh bass saturday on the barbie - it was beautiful, ginger, lemon, tomatoe olive oil and a dash of cream - not lucky enough to catch it - 1 of 7 caught in a session others put back

hi eoghan
looks like gillnet marks, were they on the other side?

No, the other side was perfect, not a mark. Apart from that the Bass was in perfect condition. Just think something was up as we didnt spook it at all and it was a mere 4 feet in front of us in shallow clear water.

I actually had a suggestion from Liamdenn that it may have been hit by a Ganet..? Very possible. If it was a seal I would have expected marks on both sides. A Ganet could have inflicted an injury like that on it very easily. Just thought it would have been a bit big for a Ganet to target but I have seen Gulls swallow Pollock that you would think impossible.

I have got to say that some anglers on this and other forums get so heated about people taking the odd fish, even when they are not a popular eating fish to the majority. I don't eat much fish at all I'm in it for the sport. Cod taken in a match will be eaten by family or friends but if pleasure fishing 3lbers will be returned. I don't get the chance to fish many bass marks but I've only taken home three bass in my life. it's not illegal but don't go to hard on those that like an odd fish.

I have got to say that some anglers on this and other forums get so heated about people taking the odd fish, even when they are not a popular eating fish to the majority. I don't eat much fish at all I'm in it for the sport. Cod taken in a match will be eaten by family or friends but if pleasure fishing 3lbers will be returned. I don't get the chance to fish many bass marks but I've only taken home three bass in my life. it's not illegal but don't go to hard on those that like an odd fish.

Whats all that about..? Nobody is having a go at anyone here about keeping fish..?????? There is nothing wrong with keeping a few Bass a yesr for the table, I personally just choose not to.
Perhaps you should read Cortaz's report about ballymcoda 27/07.....
If we were all like that then our Bass stocks would be in a mess.

Sorry Eoghan, just had alook at the post. Had a couple of beers and the post should have been in " Can you eat Tope??" on shore section.

I wasn't meant to have a pop at anyone, just pointing out that sometimes people take the odd fish that the majority wouldn't consider a choice fish and they get slaughtered for it. As I said I don't take many fish to eat but am not having a go at sensible anglers who take a couple reasonably.

Sorry if I caused offence.

No offence at all mate. I was just puzzled thats all. I read over it a few times to make sure I didnt..!! :lol:

You are right though, some people take it a bit too serious and there cant be any harm taking the odd bass here n there and i'd never have a go at anyone for doing that. My own personal choice is to put them back but I would never judge anyone for keeping one.