Welsh Bass Fishing - A Look Back at 2011

Just one example of a fine 2011 season Bass from Wales

Mat Rickard of BassFishingWales.com looks back at his 2011 season fishing the Welsh coast and wonders what 2012 will bring?

2011, well what can I say, it was one of those years. The weather played a massive problem amongst us charter skippers, constant winds meant bookings were cancelled or lost, things were looking very drab indeed. But when the weather turned for the better, the fishing was electrifying.

With the hard freeze that gripped the whole country last year, I thought the bass were going to be late to arrive. How wrong was I. With a gap in the weather, we went for the first trip of the season (if only I had taken my fly rod) in mid-April. It was evident that there was signs of fish, birds were above keeping a watchful eye on the water. Within an hour we had boated and released 30 bass up to 7lbs, we couldn't believe it, we were over the moon!

Every trip, when we could get out was mega, the bass were around all season in big numbers, smashing the whitebait and sandeels to pieces. There's nothing better than seeing the best part of a thousand bass feeding on the surface. The best day we had whilst bass fishing was 78 bass between 2 of us all on surface lures and soft plastics.

We had some fantastic tope and bream fishing on light gear, best tope was 55lb and bream 3.5lb.

But 2011 did not pass by without its problems (aside from the weather.) The engine was playing up, then the gear box went bang (luckily not at sea), some nutter drove his boat into mine whilst it was on the mooring damaging my mooring buoy, then to top it all off someone stole my battery off my boat.

2012 couldn't have come sooner! There are so many new things to try out this year, its going to be exciting, so watch this space. Its going to be a fun-filled and fish-packed new year.

I would just like to say a big Happy New Year and a fantastic new fishing season to you all - I hope to see you in Wales soon!

Mathew Rickard

My name is Mathew Rickard, I've been fishing from the tender age of 5. I first started on small stillwaters with my father fishing for rainbow trout on the fly. Then as I progressed and got better I got into saltwater fishing, whether it was with the fly or spinning rod, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to go myself. It was about 5 years back now when I thought I want to do this as my job. I started guiding from the shore for 4 seasons with great success both fly fishing and spinning, but I knew this was not what I wanted. I had to get a boat, the fishing being much better as I could then target tope, bream and bass. In February 2011 I got my boat, went for my skippers qualification and started a small charter boat service from the Welsh port of Aberdovey. This is what I do from April through to October and I hope you will join me! Please take a look at my website - www.bassfishingwales.com I'm pleased to say that I'm sponsored by www.worldseafishing.com