Again I had the good fortune to be in a position to find myself travelling to Wexford again and spending a few days fishing among the rocks and gullies where those beautifully sleek bars of silver reside.
It had been a few days of bad, windy, wet weather but I was willing to brave the elements in eager to put the tips and advice that Padge had been so kind to impart on me. So I arrived in Wexford on the 23rd with a week to fish as I pleased. Happy Days
I fished a few local marks on Friday and Saturday and Sunday night with some crab and lug as my brother was down too and he was eager to fish for bass having "fluked" a pair on his first time out with me some months ago (I say fluke as I blanked that night!!) Unfortunately we had little return..a few dogs, some hungry pollock and some tiny flounder. He was happy so I was content to stick with it.
Come Monday and my brother had to return to work and Id say that he wasnt out the door 30 secs before I was racing to the rocks with my spinning rod!!
I arrived at my mark but water was so thick with weed so didnt even attempt a cast. I was walking back to the car and something caught the corner of my eye. A Zonk Gataride that I had bought from Padge the week previously but lost in a snag on a different mark some miles away. I was astonished to say the least!!!
I checked to confirm that it was mine...same type braid same type fluro and same type clip swivel....it was defo mine! Surely a sign from the gods of fishing. I grabbed it cleaned it up a bit and straight back into its loving tackle box home and set off for another mark. When I arrived there I was pleased to see very little weed and set about fishing. Gataride on and away. 15 mins later...you guessed it...I was into a very lively bass!!! Fish landed admired and then released. Alas there was no more fish to be had and hunger and wetness were forcing me to retire for the day. I fished the same mark Tuesday and had 3 with the Gataride and 1 on Wednessday. This is some lure Lads all The fish taken on it. It sails through gale force winds with easy and you can feel the action of it working through the water. Then Disaster...on my last my cast on Wednessday I hit a rock and the little bib on the lure shattered rendering the lure useless. I was sick!!
I rang Padge to order some replacements that evening and arranged to meet up with him tohe next day. I met him and he had just received those new Sakura Rookie rods. They look and feel like a gem of a rod...incredibly light and a beautiful finish to them. Im seriously considering investing!!! While in Pdge's Aladin's Cave of tackle I was droolong at the gear that he has in stock. Buckets of it!!! So feeling that it would be rather rude of me to leave with just 2 lures...I decided to part with some more euro much to the dismay of my wallet.
Padge has always insisted that Xlayers were catching but I had never caught on them. He convinced me to try them again so I got more jig heads and a pack off the too.
Weather was terrible Thursday and Friday and didnt get a chanceto fish them but I got out on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours.
I went to a different mark that I hadnt fished before as it was clear of weed and semi sheltered. Gataride on andaway I went. I couldnt believe it....no fish!!! After it had done so well during the week!!! I changed over lures a few times and then I thought Id givethe Xlayers another try....
I can honestly say that I am so happy that I did!!! 5 Bass found them irresitable!! 2 of the fish weighed in at an even 5lb...one was 4 another 3 and the last just touched 11/2.
I was over the moon to say the least a great session.!! And all on the Xlayer that I had been bad mouthing and cursing in Padge's house less that 24 hours ago!!!
I had to return on Sunday but I had another great session over the few days down there. Again Padge's info on how to work the Xlayer may have beenresponible for my success as I had not been working them properly before when I used them.
So thank you yet again Padge!!
I kept one of the fish for a tasty dinner but the others all went back.
Beloware some of the better pics. Beside my size 10 shoe!!!
Thanks for reading.
I just love this lure fishing!!!
