Upon returning from Ireland, there was just enough time to wash my fishing clothes, answer a few emails, and then it was time to head for Guernsey, to fish the G.B.A.S.S. festival. Ireland was a manic week, non stop on the road, so Guernsey I had actually planned as a more laid back holiday, mulleting and lure fishing for Bass, again with lure guru Danny Parkins, but also with another good angling buddy of mine, Andy Hart. Of course we planned to enter the Bass Festival, but only just for fun’s sake!

Leaving the West Country at 4am, we were onboard the Weymouth to Guernsey, Condor high-speed car ferry by 7am and across the Channel by 9:30am. Our base for this week would be the Vaugrat campsite, situated on the west side of this small island, right near to some of the many bass marks we would be fishing. You may ask why I chose to camp – firstly I thought it would be fun; secondly, travelling by ferry along with camping, makes this the ideal low-cost fishing holiday. Guernsey is usually a few degrees warmer than the UK, and suffers less rainfall, so it’s climate suits camping very well.

Jimbo, Danny and Andy at base camp!

With the tent set up by 11am, it was time to hit Mick’s fishing supplies and stock up on lures. By 1pm, after a quick pint in the Ship & Crown, we had ground-baited up a couple of dozen mullet in the harbour, for an afternoons sport – which ended with Andy catching his first ever mullet and setting himself a PB that would be hard to beat at the same time – a clonker which we estimated at about 4lb 8-10oz. After throwing a few softbaits from the breakwater, and bagging a bunch of wrasse and small pollack, it was time to head back to the tent and prep some tackle ready for the next day.

The following morning we grabbed an early start. I had a trip booked with Richard Seager aboard his St Peterport charter boat “Out the Blue” while Danny & Andy had planned to go on a pre-competition reccy around the circumference of this 25 square mile island. After a hard day tope, conger, huss and bream fishing, by the time I was back ashore, a trap had been set. The boys had found several potentially good bass marks and caught a handful of schoolies, so it was time to head to the Marina for the official registration of the G.B.A.S.S. festival and pay our registration fees. Confidence between us was high, and even if we didn’t manage to win any of the main prizes, there was always the visitor’s prize, so between the three of us, that one should be simple, wouldn’t it?!! Our guide for the week was my good friend Tom Brock – a Guernsey local, born and bread, who knows the island and it’s fishing like the back of his hand.

Andy Hart with his first ever mullet of 4lb 8oz plus

The first night, straight after the registration we headed over to the west coast of the Island to join Tom on a rock mark. Over a few hours, between us we caught a few schoolies and Tom lost a bigger fish. We then headed to a gulley, which Tom rated as a great place for a big fish, shortly after our arrival, Danny hooked a decent bass, which after a thrash and a few head shakes on the surface, let go, and that was the end of night one! On day two of the festival, we travelled the length of the west coast, hopping rock marks by day and managed a handful of schoolies and a few follows, but nothing in size. That evening we chose to fish St Peterport harbour, where I dropped two decent fish, back to back. On day three of the festival we again went rock hopping, fishing soft plastics by day, but blanked. That evening we met up with Tom again, on a secret low water rock mark, where we again caught a few schoolies and Tom hooked the mother of all bass, which after a run around and two slack liners, smashed him up good and proper. Our guess was by the way this bass fought (braid singing through the guides more like a bonefish!) that if he’d landed it, it would have probably taken first place!

By this time our relaxed lads holiday and turned into somewhat of a quest, a challenge to catch a bass in size (20 inches) and take the visitors winnings, at least! We were grabbing 3-4hrs sleep a night, a fry up in the morning and then fishing 18-20 hours a day, non stop – as far from the fun, chilled holiday I planned, as could be!

Jim O'Donnell gets in on the action searching for a bass!

Day four of the festival was much the same – a few hours sleep, breakie, then hit the road, although instead of rock hopping the west coast, we decided to try the north. Early on things were looking quite promising – all of us had had follows and takes, and both Danny and me had lost one fish a piece, but then it all went quiet for the afternoon. That evening we headed back out to the rock mark where Tom had hooked and lost his monster the night before, but we failed to raise a take. Day five of the festival was much the same. After a few hours sleep, we were back at it. We worked along the west coast, across the north coast and we ended up fishing the piers and breakwaters around St Peterport, with only a few lure caught garfish, mackerel and scad to our names. By 3pm, after clocking up over 80hrs fishing in 4 days, with 5hrs of the festival still to go, we decided to call it a day and hit the pub!

A total of 60 bass were weighed in over the course of the event. Best shore caught bass eventually went to Glen Cortez with a fish of 7lb 3oz. Best boat caught, and biggest bass of the festival, went to junior, Joe Collenette, with a monster of 10lb 3oz. Although the fishing was quite tough for this year’s G.B.A.S.S. festival, there was something sadistically enjoyable about fishing all day, every day, with very little sleep, in such a beautiful location that is renowned for it’s exceptional bass fishing. I’m already planning to fish the G.B.A.S.S. festival (known locally as the G.B.A.S.S Endurance Challenge!) again next year.

Joe Collenette with his winning bass of 10lb 3oz

A big thanks to my buddy Tom Brock for being our Island guide for the week, and a big, big thanks to Brian Montgomery and the guys from G.B.A.S.S. for their amazing hospitality.

If you are looking for the ultimate, cheap, short break, family/lads fishing holiday, amongst some of the most stunning beaches and landscape in the whole of the UK, visiting Guernsey for it’s bass festival, over the second bank holiday weekend in August, has to be it. When you divide a family of four (or three to four lads) sharing a car on the ferry, campsite fees, food costs (to cook at camp or eating out is roughly 1/3 cheaper than the UK) plus the competition registration, which is only £10; the whole trip works out peanuts per person. Guernsey has some of the best angling this side of the globe and the beauty of this Island really has to be seen to be believed. Even the wife will love it!!!

For more information on the festival please visit the Guernsey Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society web site.