First bass of the year - March 2015
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- SAI Megalodon!
- Posts: 2014
- Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:55 pm
- Location: East Cork/West Waterford
First bass of the year - March 2015
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.
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
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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- SAI Bait Ball
- Posts: 146
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- Favourite Rod: daiwa sea hunter
- Favourite Reel: shimano aerlex
- Favourite Fish: any
- Location: cork
Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
Fair play a good read and a decent catch 

Species 2015::: dogfish, whiting, codling..........
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- SAI Bait Ball
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
Nice start to the season. Well done.
Specimens come and go but the passion is for ever.
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- SAI Bait Ball
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
good fishing, just goes to show you never know where the bass will turn up.
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- SAI Sea Dog!
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
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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- SAI Megalodon!
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- Favourite Fish: ray
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
great stuff frank hope its a sigh of things to come
Sent from my GT-S5363 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my GT-S5363 using Tapatalk 2
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- 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
Thanks guys,
Too true, I didn't think there was a hope of getting a bass when I saw the conditions.beechtrawler wrote:good fishing, just goes to show you never know where the bass will turn up.
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
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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- 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
Good fishing Frank, well done.
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- SAI Lug Worm
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- SAI Hammerhead
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
Nice pair of bass there Frank. Still to strike into silver yet up here. Hopefully not long more to wait.
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- SAI Megalodon!
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
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
10Ib 5 oz
9Ib 2oz
8Ib 11oz
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- SAI Sea Dog!
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Re: First bass of the year - March 2015
nice one Frank!