Duration: 7.45 pm to 1.00 am
Tide: LW at 11.50 pm
Weather: LIght westerly wind, clear, cool.
Bait: Lug, razor
Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, two hook flapper (2/0 hooks), 2/0 pennel with feeder
Results: 2 bass, 3 dogfish
Report: Decided to head eastwards in the Waterford direction to have another crack at getting my first bass of 2009. Got to the beach and set up by 8.00 pm. There was only a fairly weak surf so I wasn't too optimistic. There were three guys from Dublin already there, they had been fishing for a few hours without a bite between the three of them.
The rods were motionless until about 8.45 pm when there was a sharp knock on the rod with the two hook flapper. I grabbed it and struck. There was something reasonable on the end (ie. not a whiting). It was putting up a bit of a fight so I was hoping it was a bass and not a dogfish. Sure enough a few minutes later I hauled my first bass of 2009 out of the surf
It was 47 cm and probably about 2.5 lb (I forgot to bring my weighing scales).After re-baiting and casting out I went to check the second rod - I started to reel in but realized there was a fish on the end. It suddenly started to put up a fight. This time it was a dogfish. Occasionally I have had them do that - get hooked and just sit there hoping that the hook will disappear.
The three guys further up the beach had left at this stage - they said they were driving back to Dublin at 9.00 pm - I dont know if they got anything before they left.
At about 9.30 there was a sudden jerk on the second rod with the 4/0 pennel. I struck and this time it felt like a bigger fish. It was fighting more strongly than the first bass. It was a 50 cm bass, about 3.25 - 3.5 lbs - my second bass of 2009
A few minutes later there was a knock on the first rod but the fish wasn't hooked. It got quite for a while after that - apart from catching two crabs
Then close to low tide I had a bite on the rod with the two hook flapper. It didn't feel like a bass and turned out to be another dogfish.
I then switched the 4/0 pennel pulley for a 2/0 pennel with a feeder filled with recycled chopped up bait plus some broken lugs. Shortly after the tide turned I had a knock on the rod with the feeder rig but I struck too soon and missed it.
I decided to quit at 1.00 am. But before packing up I used up the remainder of the lug - put on big baits consisting of just lug. Nothing was biting so I started to dismantle one rod then there was a sharp knock on the remaining rod with the two hook flapper. The fish was putting up a strong fight and I was convinced it was another bass, especially as the hooks were baited with lug only. But it was another fairly lively dogfish.
But I was delighted with the session - up until now March had been a fairly poor month for me, a few blanks and most of the time only one or two fish to show for several long sessions.
, i'd say you'll have great sport in 2009 
, congrats on your first Bass of 2009. I got mine on 21st Feb in Arklow,,,20cms schoolie ,, at the SAI comp,,,was so busy i forgot to take a pic 
