LRF : Bass.

After my last foray for sea bass turned into more of a wrasse hunt, I needed to get back and see if I could find some bass. My time off coincided with a lovely warm day and a rising tide, so rods and tackle were quickly stowed in the car and off I went! On arrival I went with my go to bass lures, Lunker City Slug-Go and Ribster mounted on a 10g #2/0 football jighead, I chopped and changed between them for a couple of hours but there was no interest. I had been seeing lots of very small sandeels about so I decided to reach for my beloved LRF gear and quickly rigged up a little 5g Maria Mucho Lucir metal jig. I began to cast and jig it back in and on the very first cast I saw two schoolies chasing after it before turning away at my feet! Filled with hope I recast and jigged it back towards me where upon it was seized by a small bass which after a thrash about was quickly landed.

This was a better sized fish than my last bass and went just over 38cm on the lure forum ruler.

Small metal trumps soft plastic.

A couple of pics and back the fish went, leaving me to recast and see if I could tempt any of its bigger shoal mates. The change to a smaller lure had certainly paid off and a further couple of small bass were caught and released before the shoal moved off. Things had been quiet for about an hour when I saw two bass literally right below my feet working along the ledge I was standing on. With no cast required I just dropped the lure down a rod length out and gave a couple of jigs. I watched the jig flutter down and saw a silver flash as a bass grabbed the lure hooking itself in the process! The rod hooped over as the fiesty little bass tried to make a run for it but it was quickly and rather unceremoniously hoisted up to my waiting hands. It was again a small bass only about 35cm but fun none the less on the light gear! With the fish quickly released I carried on casting the jig about but the only action I received was foul hooking a load of sandeels! There must have been a big thick shoal about 30m out and when ever the lure came into that area it came back with a sandeel attached!

After an hour or so of no bass I decided to rig up a dropshot rig to see if the corkwing wrasse were about. A #8 hook, 8lb leader and a 5g weight were all that was required and I eagerly cast out and began to hop and shake it back towards me. After a couple of casts I started getting little nibbles, I paused and allowed the lure to drop down gently and when the fish pulled the rod tip over I struck. The fish turned out to be a rather angry little blenny who gave me a couple of nips after it was unhooked! I carried on for another half an hour winkling out a couple more blennys but seeing as there were no wrasse about I decided to call it a day and head back.

Blennies, you got to love them or Hutch won't be happy!

Although it was fun to catch some bass and some cheeky blennies, I was a bit disappointed there were not any wrasse about as believe it or not I prefer the fight of a wrasse to a bass! Still it's early in the season so I can only hope for more wrasse to arrive soon.

Tight lines, Schogsky.