First bass of the year - March 2015

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RockHunter
SAI Megalodon!
Posts: 2014
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: East Cork/West Waterford

First bass of the year - March 2015

#1 Post by RockHunter »

People: Me

Duration: 3 hours

Tide: Rising

Weather: Light northery wind, clear, sunny

Bait: Lug

Rigs: 3 hook flappers, 4/0 pennel pulleys

Results: 2 bass




Report: I was off to a slow start with the bass fishing this year. As I was very busy with work I did no fishing at all apart from a short session in early January. The cold weather was not too enticing either. Having cleared the work backlog I had some free time coinciding with the big tides a few weeks ago so made my way to a beach that usually produces bass at this time of the year close to high tide given the right conditions. I arrived about three hours into the rising tide but found that the northerly wind had totally flattened the surf, there was hardly a ripple on the sea. That, combined with bright sunny day and hardly a cloud in the sky, did not seem too promising for bass fishing. So I started off with small hook (size 2) three hook flappers baited with freshly dug lug to target flounder.

After about half an hour I noticed a large splash out about 50 m. Then a few minues later a fish arched out of the water. Could it be a bass or sea trout I wondered. It was unlikely to be mullet as the water still felt very cold. I changed over to my usual 4/0 pennel pulley rigs and cast one rod out to roughly where I had seen the fish activity and cast the second in the direction of a submerged depression which would be a likely bass foraging spot.

Maybe 20 minutes later there was a sharp knock on the first rod, I grabbed it, struck as a fish burst on to the surface. It put up a good struggle as it thrashed about on the surface before I glided it into the shallows and on to the beach. It was my first bass of the year, not big, about 2.5 lbs, so I was delighted particularly as I had not been too hopeful at the start of the session.

About half an hour later there was a strong tug on the other rod, the one that was targeting the gulley. Again the fish broke the surface as I began to retrieve. This looked a bigger fish and was certainly putting up a stronger fight, pulling strongly to the right as I tried to land it on the beach. It was indeed a bigger bass, a well fed stocky fish just under 5 lbs.

I continued on fishing for another hour and a half but the bass had moved on. I did have one strong tug but the fish wasn't hooked. But after that it got quiet so I packed up just after high tide.
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Last edited by RockHunter on Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cod season Winter 2013/14: 117 cod (best fish: 6.5 lbs)
Cod season Winter 2014/15: 193 cod (best fish: 4.25 lbs)

Bass Totals:
2007: 1
2008: 37
2009: 120
2010: 44
2011: 151
2012: 79
2013: 20
2014: 19
2015: 11
2016: 3

http://rockhunter-southcoastbass.blogspot.com
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John cork
SAI Bait Ball
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Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:27 pm
Favourite Rod: daiwa sea hunter
Favourite Reel: shimano aerlex
Favourite Fish: any
Location: cork

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#2 Post by John cork »

Fair play a good read and a decent catch ;)
Species 2015::: dogfish, whiting, codling..........
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birdseye
SAI Bait Ball
Posts: 127
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:23 pm
Favourite Rod: Penn power stick
Favourite Reel: Penn 4.0
Favourite Fish: Haddock
Location: North West Coast

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#3 Post by birdseye »

Nice start to the season. Well done.
Specimens come and go but the passion is for ever.
beechtrawler
SAI Bait Ball
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 12:38 pm
Location: dublin

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#4 Post by beechtrawler »

good fishing, just goes to show you never know where the bass will turn up.
shortcircuit
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Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:18 pm

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#5 Post by shortcircuit »

Fair play Frank I was out myself in Cork when those big tides were about it was tough conditions like you said-flat calm and sunny.I didn't have any joy so well done on the couple of fish
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tight lines
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Favourite Fish: ray
Location: ringsend,dublin

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#6 Post by tight lines »

great stuff frank hope its a sigh of things to come

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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#7 Post by Deleted User 3488 »

Nice couple of fish Frank, well done.
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RockHunter
SAI Megalodon!
Posts: 2014
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: East Cork/West Waterford

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#8 Post by RockHunter »

Thanks guys,
beechtrawler wrote:good fishing, just goes to show you never know where the bass will turn up.
Too true, I didn't think there was a hope of getting a bass when I saw the conditions.
Cod season Winter 2013/14: 117 cod (best fish: 6.5 lbs)
Cod season Winter 2014/15: 193 cod (best fish: 4.25 lbs)

Bass Totals:
2007: 1
2008: 37
2009: 120
2010: 44
2011: 151
2012: 79
2013: 20
2014: 19
2015: 11
2016: 3

http://rockhunter-southcoastbass.blogspot.com
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SeanA101080
SAI Hammerhead
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:42 pm
Favourite Rod: Teklon Concept
Favourite Reel: Shimano Aernos
Favourite Fish: Bass
Location: East Cork

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#9 Post by SeanA101080 »

Good fishing Frank, well done.
baza1
SAI Lug Worm
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:45 pm
Favourite Rod: Tecklon Concept 802ml
Favourite Reel: Daiwa Theory 3000
Favourite Fish: Bass
Location: Dublin

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#10 Post by baza1 »

Well done,great read and nice fish
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Crevan
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Posts: 261
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:36 pm
Location: Wexford

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#11 Post by Crevan »

Nice pair of bass there Frank. Still to strike into silver yet up here. Hopefully not long more to wait.
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Eoghan
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Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 9:06 am

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#12 Post by Eoghan »

Good man Frank. Ye just never know when a fish will turn up.
Top 3 lure caught bass 2017 :
10Ib 5 oz
9Ib 2oz
8Ib 11oz
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Bassy Tom
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Location: Waterford

Re: First bass of the year - March 2015

#13 Post by Bassy Tom »

nice one Frank!

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