BASS session Cork 19/20th Aug 2006

[Andy Elliott]

People:Me

Duration:19th and 20th August

Tide:All states

Weather:Fair, overcast with occasional sunny periods, got a bit dark at night

Bait: Surface poppers, sub surface shallow divers, kilty lures , lug and squid

Rigs: 4/0 pulleys

Results: 11 fish 2lb 12oz to 9lb12oz all returned alive






Report: Spent a fantastic long weekend in Cork, My annual pilgrimedge for the elusive Bass, Numbers wernt as good this year but still had a wonderfull time . I think pictures speak louder than words so some eye candy for you all below

Plugging/ Spinning set up Abu Conlon 10' medium action 3 piece
Abu 4600

[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_EXPERI_002.jpg[/img]


Bass Country
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_EXPERI_007.jpg[/img]


First Fish 2lb 12oz
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_EXPERI_010.jpg[/img]

3lb 8oz Bass
Kilty lure
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_EXPERI_017.jpg[/img]

4lb 1oz
Maria Chico Boca Surface Plug
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_yeah_baby_020.jpg[/img]

Dusk my most productive time
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_yeah_baby_012.jpg[/img]

Surface plugging setup ... Berkley Jerk bait rod and Daiwa Viento (superb reel)
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_yeah_baby_022.jpg[/img]

Best Fish of the session
9lb 12oz Bass ... big lug and squid bait@ low water
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_yeah_baby_050.jpg[/img]

Caught this 2 minutes later
5lb 12oz Bass. big lug and squid bait
[img]http://www.net-workz.co.uk/coppermine/albums/uploads/normal_yeah_baby_058.jpg[/img]



Thats my Bass fix for this year, Brilliant few days.Although numbers were down on last year.
All fish were returned alive, so they can spawn and produce more fish for next year. Its My choice and thats what I choose to do . My colleague explains below


Andy Elliott

Join the[url=http://www.sacn-online.org/membership.htm]SACN[/url] make your voice heard !

[x]

....this is why he returns his fish - all of them. Even those over 40cm.

Bass of 40 cm are small immature fish which should not be caught and sold.

Female bass do not spawn until they are 42 cm (weighing about 750 grams) and anglers say the legal landing size should be 45 cm+ (about 950 grams) by when most will have spawned.

Protecting bass of under only 40cm only slightly lessens the danger that, like other species which supported fishing for centuries, bass could disappear through overfishing, poaching and other mortality factors.

A move to a size of 45 cm would have substantially increased the breeding stock essential to sustain the shoals for the long term benefit of all anglers.

With global warming increasing water temperatures there should be more and bigger spawnings. The reverse is happening, possibly an early indication that bass stocks are entering the first stages of collapse.

The bass mls consultation in the UK has created much interest. The result is not as bad as it may first appear. They too have adopted a 40cm MLS. Most of all it should be the biggest wake up call ever to sea anglers here, who really want the prospect of decent fishing in the future. This consultation has shown what can be achieved by a few dedicated individuals. Imagine what could happen for all inshore sea fish targeted by anglers, if we all voted as one, and in significant numbers?

Irish bass landings are dominated by occasional large recruitments. Fish of 1989 and 1990 are still plentiful but the 1995 year class, which is robust among UK fish, is not strongly represented in Irish waters. The stock is seen to be greatly depleted since the 1960s and 1970s. Some enforcement of the conservation regulations is taking place but the illegal fishery for bass continues although it is not possible to quantify it. Certainly anecdotal reports from anglers and indeed in the media recently indicate that bass poaching, both by individuls with lines or net and indeed with fishing vessels employing various types of net, is absolutely rife. There are no statistics on the clandestine trade in this species other than the records of prosecutions and seized illegally-caught bass from which the Marine
Institute and Central Fisheries Board staff occasionally obtain scales and length measurements.

Bass in Irish waters are protected by a number of measures whose effect has been to extinguish the legal commercial fishery for the species. The Bass (Conservation of Stocks) Order, 1990, regulates the activities of Irish fishermen within ICES sub-areas VI and VII: fishing for bass is prohibited,
the taking of bass using nets is prohibited, and Irish fishing boats must not have bass on board or engage in transhipment of bass. This order also sets the legal size of capture of bass at 40 cm.

Two further measures are renewed annually. The Bass (Restrictions on Sale) Order prohibits the sale or offer for sale of bass (other than bass which have been imported into the State) for a 12 month period.
The Bass Fishing Conservation bye-law imposes a bag limit of two bass in any one period of 24 hours and it provides a ban on angling for bass during the spawning season (15 May ? 15June). They are renewed usually on or about 1st July.

These regulations have the effect of confining the exploitation of bass to anglers. Bass is the only marine fish species which is managed in this way in Ireland. These regulations are enforced by the Regional Fisheries boards in association with the Central Fisheries board and prosecutions are
made. Some enforcement is also undertaken by DCMNR?s fisheries officers.

While a laudable effort to try to maintain a species which is rather towards the northern edge of it's geographical range, these measures must now be seen to have failed. Despite the best efforts of legislation, enforcement, support from anglers and whatever benefits may have accrued for bass due to global warming possibly extending the northern limit of their preffered range, bass stocks in Ireland have failed to thrive.

So what measures might be tried next. There have been noises from the commercial fishing sector to reopen the commercial bass fishery - a tactic that is tried every so often. Apart from a half page in a trade journal (of the commercial fishing industry) this year, the last attempt we are aware of comes from the minutes of an Oireachtas debate in 2004 as below.

118. Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
if he plans to reintroduce gill netting for sea bass
in Irish waters; and if so, if he has carried out an
analysis of the effect of such fishing practices on
wild salmon stocks. [31243/04]

Minister of State at the Department of
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
(Mr. Gallagher):

The Bass (Conservation of Stocks) Order, in place since 1990, prohibits the commercial fishing of sea bass by Irish sea fishing
boats. The domestic conservation measures for
sea bass are kept under review on an annual
basis, in light of scientific assessments by the Central
Fisheries Board and the Marine Institute of
the State of sea bass stocks as well as assessments
of the impact of commercial fishing effort on sea
bass stocks by other member states.
This year, following a review of the scientific
assessments relating to sea bass, it was decided
that the Bass (Restriction on Sale) Order should
be renewed for a further year. The effect of this
order is to prohibit the sale or offer for sale of
bass, other than bass which has been imported
into the State, from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005.
The bass fishing conservation by-law which
imposes a bag limit on anglers of two bass in any
one period of 24 hours and provides for a ban on
angling for bass during the spawning season was
also renewed this year.
These domestic conservation measures for sea
bass will continue to be kept under review by the
Department in light of scientific stock assessments.
However, I do not consider that it would
be advisable, taking into account the scientific
advice, to introduce a gill net fishery for this
stock.


We see from this debate, tabled by Trevor Sargent of the ever-vigilant Green party, that it appears to be the government's intention to keep the possibility of a resumption of the commercial bass fishery on the table by forcing the conservation orders to be re-examined annually.

Ireland?s bass are genetically part of a European panmixia. The origin of our broodstock is not established beyond doubt and it is possible that some, at least, are distributed as eggs and larvae to our coastal waters from spawning concentrations of the adults from the south coast of England/north west France.

Once here, bass establish strong affinities with summer feeding areas to which they return in successive years. The distribution of bass has a southern emphasis. However, global warming has encouraged its
northward extension and the removal of top predators like cod has provided a niche into which bass have been able to expand. The capture of bass by fishermen in Northern Ireland is becoming more frequent.

Age composition of bass landings is dominated by occasional strong year classes (Fig 2) The 1989 year class was regarded in the UK as of similar strength to the 1959 one which dominated the catches of the later 1960s and 1970s; while the 1989 and 1990 year classes were well represented in Ireland, they were relatively short lived. A strong 1995 year class in Britain is not much in evidence in Ireland. The 1989 and 1990 year classes continue to exponentially decline in abundance but no single year class to date has proved as strong as either of them.

Strong pre-recruit year classes frequently carry through into the exploited year classes. The only clear signal for good year classes since juvenile surveys were undertaken by the Marine Institute (in association with the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards) between 1996 and 2005 inclusive was 2002 and 2004. Age at full recruitment in bass is approximately 7+.

When they occur strong year classes tend to extend across the species?s geographical range although there have been some differences between Ireland and the UK [a detail which supports the view that bass in Irish waters should be regarded as a separate stock for management purposes]. In 2005, poor densities of bass were recorded from nursery areas in the south east of Ireland. The pre-recruit survey is conducted in the estuarine waters of the Slaney, Blackwater and Barrow catchments.

The southern distribution of bass in Ireland reflects its preference for warmer waters. 0 group bass are sampled in the last week in August; their longer mean lengths in August 2003 resulted from the very warm
conditions of that summer; slower growth was observed in 2004 and the best growth in the series to date was recorded in 2005. Growth success in the first year is believed to increase the strength of the year class recruiting to the fishery.

So, what might we learn from the scientific advice and the experiences of anglers? Well, a simple conclusion is that, despite the best protection our government can afford them, bass in Irish waters have failed to thrive and may possibly be on the decline due to a number of factors. How is it they can have an emerging recreational bass fishery in Norway, but not in the North-West of Ireland. There is after all, strong evidence of an increase in the number of bass in Northern Irelands waters. Could poaching in the Southern half of the country be preventing bass from thriving and spreading right around our coast?

Perhaps it's time to revisit the MLS here (45-55cm?), perhaps review the timing and/or duration of the closed season; perhaps, if there was better enforcement, the legislation being made permanent rather than an annual fear-fest for anglers? Perhaps...what?

Perhaps the anglers would like a word?

[Bass Fisher]

What a brilliant, and educational piece on Bass. well done. written with obvious passion and concern !

[kieran]

Excellent piece indeed.

Can I suggest that you contact David Dinsmore in the Irish Angler Magazine as I am sure that he would be very interested in publishing a piece like this, allied to some nice photos of bass, such as the eye candy you provided... obviously it would get SACN Ireland some nice publicity and help further the cause of bass conservation as a sport fish only.

Pollack is now fetching EUR 4 per kilo in fish markets; once the salmon drift netting is closed off, you can rest assured the nets will be used for something else. Bass is an obvious concern but...

Again, excellent piece, well done.

[kieran]

Excellent piece indeed.

Can I suggest that you contact David Dinsmore in the Irish Angler Magazine as I am sure that he would be very interested in publishing a piece like this, allied to some nice photos of bass, such as the eye candy you provided... obviously it would get SACN Ireland some nice publicity and help further the cause of bass conservation as a sport fish only.

Pollack is now fetching EUR 4 per kilo in fish markets; once the salmon drift netting is closed off, you can rest assured the nets will be used for something else. Bass is an obvious concern but...

Again, excellent piece, well done.

[Eoghan]

Well done on the catch and release. Looks like a cracking spot for surface plugs alright.

[petekd]

Lads, I'm loving the tag team double act you have going, keep it up. I mentioned elsewhere, a constant barrage does get through..... Fair play.