General
Game
Coarse
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Coverstory
Tackle
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‘The account has been opened, optimism has been renewed and the season has begun.’
very bass angler knows how special it is catching your first fish of the season. Usually by this stage the bass would be in full flow, but given the long, harsh, cold spells everything has been slow to get started. A few failed trips have begun to grate on my mind and the anticipation of the first bars of silver is starting to become uncontrollable. All the frustration and worries suddenly vanish though when you are standing on the rocks waiting for the sun to rise and the tide to start pushing into the gullies in front of you. At first you’re simply going through the motions, casting, working the lure, casting out again. Then suddenly you feel the heavy thumping head shakes before the reel starts to sing. Fish on! Without a second thought, the reactions kick in and you are back into familiar territory. If you’re lucky it isn’t long before you safely land the fish, get a trophy photo and slip it back into the water to fight another day. The adrenalin rush fades, calmness returns – did it really happen? Yes! The account has been opened, optimism has been renewed and the season has begun.
Picking up where I left off By the end of last season I had started to gain confidence in the use of soft plastics – be it bounced down an estuary, jigged off the rocks or fished weed-less and weightless up gullies. This season I was determined to keep up the momentum. Once you’ve cracked them and understood the various methods of fishing these lures then the rest all boils down to confidence. I think for me the major appeal of soft plastics is the versatility and relative inexpensiveness compared to modern hard lures. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy fishing with shallow running plugs and top water lures, but exploring the world of soft plastics is keeping my cogs grinding away, forever exploring and experimenting. The biggest eye opener was the use of weed-less weightless lures, perhaps one of the trickiest techniques to get your head around, but it certainly allows you to fish a lot of areas where hard lures simply aren’t suitable. This simple set up consists of a weed-less wide gape hook and a soft plastic lure, usually five to seven inches long. These lures come in a variety of profiles and colours. The most common colours I use are white, pearl, black (night time) and sandeel patterns. The lures are often in the ‘senko’ style, by which I mean a stick bait which is often one constant diameter with a slow taper at the tail. Other lures may have a sharper taper or some may have a paddle tail which wiggles and vibrates in the water, adding movement that appeals to the sensory system of the big mouthed predator. Companies such as Illex, Lunker City, Megabass, Wave Fishing and Xorus offer a diverse range of tried and tested soft plastic lures and are all good places to start. How to fish weightless The key to this style is letting the current do the work. You have to feel comfortable almost doing nothing – sounds strange but bear with me. Once you’re rigged up and you have chosen your mark – rocky, weedy gullies, boulder fields and generally shallow, snaggy ground are all perfect for this technique – cast the lure out, close the bail arm, tighten the line and then let the lure sink a little in the water. With no weight the sink rate will naturally be slower than that with a lead, so be patient. Now start to slowly retrieve the lure, adding occasionally twitches and pauses. Make the most of whatever current is present on your mark. Let it carry the lure into the likely ambush points where the bass will be lying in wait. Be sure to invest the time in this technique – some people will grasp it quicker than others but if you persevere it will pay dividends and open up opportunities which you would otherwise have been denied by fishing with hard plugs. Bumping plastics in the surf If we take a look back at the origins of bass fishing we instantly think of surf beaches, onshore winds and tumbling waves. A lot of lure anglers seem to avoid the beaches, however, and head for the rocks, leaving the beaches to the bait anglers. There are several ways you can approach lure fishing off a beach – long casting jigs, purpose built surf plugs and so on, but one of the most enjoyable is bumping shads and paddle tails along the bottom. This technique is all about getting into the surf, keeping in contact with the lure and waiting for the rod to slam over. Granted, not every surf beach is suitable for this style of fishing. I’ve found beaches with
66 Irish Angler July 2013
Late starters
first bass of the season Tough weather, cold water temperatures and biting east winds have been holding Steven Neely back from his usual bass exploits. Now with change in the air, he starts the season with a few bars of silver. Sponsored by
July 2013 Irish Angler 67
General
Game
Coarse
Sea
Coverstory
Tackle retrieve with the twitch or jigging action will mimic small prey darting for cover. If you experience a strong sideways current or backwash then allow the lure to be carried by the current. The paddle shaped tail will constantly be working so long as there is sufficient water speed, even if you are not retrieving the lure. Remember to avoid slack line and always keep in touch. The second method is to wade out, turn around and fish parallel with the shore. This will only be achievable if the waves are not too powerful so that you can maintain a secure footing on the bottom. This time you will be trying to cast in between the waves rolling onto the shore trying to intercept a cruising fish. Repeating the same technique as above will work but also try a slow steady straight retrieve. If you can, explore your beaches at low tide and look out for any defining features which may attract prey and predators. Drop-offs, holes, gullies, gutters and rocky patches will all be worth exploring when the tide floods. Quite often the best time to fish beach marks is at night. There are two primary reasons for this. Firstly, with a lot of activity on the beach during the day such as kids, dogs or surfers the fish will be wary and reluctant to come into shallow water to hunt. Night time is quieter with little disturbance. Secondly, bass like other predators during darkness, gain confidence and will feed in incredibly shallow water. This makes life a lot easier requiring much shorter casts. Don’t get me wrong, daytime will still produce fish, especially if you are fortunate enough to have remote and isolated marks. Kerry is the prime example where you can spend days wandering the coast without meeting another person. Be aware of the increased dangers of fishing at night. Know your mark, the topography, tides, currents, weather forecast and where possible, wear the appropriate gear and preferably don’t fish alone. If in doubt fish from the shore rather than in the surf and remember the fish will generally be closer at night. You don’t need your lure to hit the horizon!
THE RIG
Simply tie on your hook to the fluorocarbon leader using a Rapala knot. This is a form of loop knot which will allow the lure to move more freely in the current and helps to maximise the action.
Hook: Weed-less, wide gape ranging from 3/0 to 6/0 depending on lure size. Lure: 5-7 inch soft plastic senko, slug or paddle tail style.
Another fine bass takes a paddle tail bumped in the surf.
confidence levels are slowly rising, the anticipation of new marks, techniques and renewing old acquaintances make me wonder what adventures lie ahead. Will we see the season stretching later into the autumn to make up for the cold, slow start? Will my old haunts still produce the goods, and will there be a double? Keep an eye on the long range forecast, work out the best sets of tides and grab every chance you get. Make the most of the opportunities that present themselves and remember, for success at this stage of the season, “The glass is always half-full”!
What lies ahead? Now that the season has eventually kicked off, optimism abounds,
a steep drop-off or parallel gutters produce the best results. The reason I use lures with a paddle tail is to maximise the fish’s chance of detecting the lure in the turbulent waves due to the vibrations omitted by the tail. Lure size can vary from four to six inch. Anything greater in size starts to become quite heavy and therefore the gear needs to be stepped up a level. My standard plugging gear consists of a rod no longer than 8ft 6in and a maximum casting weight of 30g. If the bottom is sandy and clean I will use exposed point jig heads ranging from 7-14g. If presented with a broken bottom I will use a weed-less jig head in the same weight range but allowing me to bury the hook point to prevent snags. Round, profiled jig heads such as ‘ball’ or ‘football’ will bounce along the bottom and create puffs of sand mimicking a sandeel or distressed bait fish. The colour of lure is really personal choice. I find two-toned patterns, for example, black back and silver belly or dark green over silver to be the most effective. If the waves start to churn the water too much and it becomes murky or coloured I will switch to white coloured lures which in my opinion
68 Irish Angler July 2013
are more visible. The Illex Ammonite Shad in the Pearl Silver colour is my first preference for these kinds of conditions – the ribbed body and aggressive paddle tail helps the fish locate the lure in the fizz. Positioning yourself in the surf It is not crucial to wade into the waves, a lot of success can be achieved standing on the sand, but at times it pays off to get the waders on and go for an explore in the water. I must stress that if you do decide to go in the water you must approach with caution. Undercurrents, backwash and undertows can very quickly turn a relaxing day’s fishing into a dangerous scenario, so be careful and, if in doubt, don’t risk it! When conditions suit you can start to cast as far as possible perpendicular to the shore. Leaving the lure to sink to the bottom, tighten up the slack line and start to retrieve. Holding the rod at a 45degree angle will allow you to twitch the tip upwards, lifting the lure off the bottom and letting it sink back down again. Pick up the slack and repeat the process. Interspersing the
Do not be fooled, big bass can lie right under your feet, so be prepared for close quarter battles.
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‘The key to this style is letting the current do the work.’
July 2013 Irish Angler 69