Lure fishing for Bass

A full working week, well I tried, but it just wasn’t going to happen once I saw the forecast for Friday and so it was that I was heading off again to the coast with that slightly guilty feeling, really I should be at work. I have a love / hate relationship with any journey to go fishing, questions running through my head, will I catch, will it be too windy, will the water clarity be OK the anticipation is exciting and it’s hard not to let your right foot push that little harder on the loud pedal which isn’t the best idea especially when your studying clouds and looking at the tops of trees to get a feel for the strength of the wind.

Anyway I arrived at the mark and conditions looked great, the best conditions I’ve found this year, fairly good clarity, a little wind but despite the warm sun it was surprisingly cold. It was just after high tide and the plan as usual was to keep pushing out as far as I could with the dropping tide, accessing more ground with each move and pushing the limit to which I can safely wade without getting a soaking.

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Having had some recent success with the Megabass Zonk 120 Gataride Yoro-Yoro, PM Rainbow Pearl (see here) it’s only natural to repeat the process, I’m loving this lure it casts great and the action is to die for, even on a simple retrieve and as I’m starting to find out it looks great if you work it a little. Anyway I wasn’t that surprised that within no time I had a hit, it’s a great feeling knowing that you’ve got it right, you’ve found some fish, it’s not so great when it chucks the hooks after being on for over a minute and especially when you can see that it’s easily the best fish you’ve seen this year.

I didn’t manage to locate any other fish at this spot so I moved on, time passed and I have to admit a little doubt started to creep into my mind, I tried a few different lures and changed again to the Megabass X-140 SW, a new lure which I’d hoped to keep to myself for a while but as usual Henry had got one already, see his thoughts on his blog here, I’ll put up some thoughts and pics soon, I went for the #04 INAKKO (Baby Mullet) colour and it looks great in the water. Anyway this had the desired effect and I was into another bass, not a massive bass but it went well for it’s size which was due to the fact that I had foul hooked it right in it’s side.

I managed to shoot a few frames as I released this little fellow.

And with another flap, he was gone.

The tide had dropped that little bit more and I could now push right out on a line of boulders which gave me more water to explore, I put the Gataride back on and whacked it out as far as I could, pausing for a while and just gently taking in the loop of line, I started retrieving and after about four turns I got a great hit, fish on, an enjoyable fight resulted in a fat 56cm 4lb 8oz bass landed, my best so far this year.

Leed picture is the same fish.

So feeling good , I started firing out the Gataride, I’d done a few cast and retrieves not really thinking about what I was doing, going through the motion when I looked down to see a absolutely massive bass right behind the lure, a sharp intake of breath, but to my dismay she calmly turned away and with a couple gentle flips of her spade like tail was gone. I’m always a bit dubious about stories of follows, phantom hits, monster fish and the one that got away but all I can say is I’ll be back to investigate this spot again, I’m always hoping the next fish will be a monster and today it nearly was, these big old girls aren’t stupid though.