I was hoping to get on the water early, but over hospitality the night before meant it was 06.00 before I got on the water.


I used the tackle tray in the fish/rod box of the Dorado to keep everything tidy and up front.


It was far too calm for my liking. I did find a wave breaking on a reef, but I have no idea where it was coming from as there was little or no swell.


I positioned the kayak right on the edge of the building wave so I could cast into the face of the wave and fish both the wave and the foamy, swirly backwash around the reef. On the third cast I was hit hard. The fish threatened to pull the kayak into the wave, so I had to get the paddle out and back paddle to keep me in clear water to play the fish.


After a few runs this came alongside.


I thumbed it to land it


Measured, weighed and a few scales taken for the B.A.S.S. scale reading project


And away it went, 61cms and 5lb 12oz, not a bad start!


I paddled back and repositioned the kayak to do the same drift again, with exactly the same result.


Slightly further out this time, but a bigger fish. This one was 63cms and 6lbs on the nose.




I finished the morning with 6 bass, from 4lb 8oz - 6lb 0oz and a brace of pollack of 4lbs and about 2lbs. A lovely morning to be afloat and a good start tomy couple of days!

Looks, great. Thanks for sharing.

__________________
Eddie
"We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation."
Voltaire

Lovely fish

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I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't.

Very tempting indeed. If only the sea close to where I live was clearer for fly fishing.....

Andy

Bloody brilliant!!!
Would love a go for bass on the fly.

__________________
It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

Fantastic! sounds like a great morning, nice one

superb result! cracking looking fish!

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Tomo

www.unchartedwatersthefilm.com or email jatstanic@aol.com for your copy

nice session @tailing_loop!

approximately what part of the UK are you in here?

It actually doesn't matter. There are bass all around the coast, you just need to read the water - I was actually in Southern Ireland, where because of the bass restritions they have brilliant bass fishing. If people over here continue to kill the bass they catch, then the fishing will become even more difficult and the fish will become smaller, simply because they will not have the chance to grow to an appreciable size before someone bangs them on the head.

If you want to catch good fish, REGULARLY, you have to have a larger population of bigger fish. That can only be achieved by letting them grow. I know several really good bass marks that have been wiped out by anglers "just taking one for the pot". The trouble is, these marks were visited regularly by sufficient anglers to wipe the shoalout - and they haven't come back because we have had two very severe winters on the trot (which has wiped out the spawning and fry). That means we are going to have two years in succession with virtually no recruitment - no replacements coming through.....keep on eating bass and there will be a big hole in the stocks very quickly.

Look after the bass (like the salmon boys have looked after their salmon) and you will see a significant improvement in the fish stocks. You will be happy because you will catch more, bigger bass. It isn't rocket science.