[woolworths combo]

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

very informative

 

[Paul Warrington]

I will award marks out of ten for how well the estuary attack works.

Nah, great read guys.

 

[supafly1982]

What lures would you recommend if its shallow and has plants of bubble weed randomly placed around?
I know it holds bass as there's wee gully's and I've had them on bait, I just want to walk along working my way back and forth wading a little once I've covered the start.
Do I use a floating plug, subsurface or weedless plastic type set up?

Hopefully someone has good advice or has links I can read and study.

Many thanks
Scott

 

[mark333]

What lures would you recommend if its shallow and has plants of bubble weed randomly placed around?
I know it holds bass as there's wee gully's and I've had them on bait, I just want to walk along working my way back and forth wading a little once I've covered the start.
Do I use a floating plug, subsurface or weedless plastic type set up?

Hopefully someone has good advice or has links I can read and study.

Many thanks
Scott

Hi mate,,,, surface lures,, should be OK,, start small,,

Small patchinco,, small gunfish,,,,,

Weed less soft, can also be skinned,, just Bury the hook in the soft material,, a tiny bit......

The light head black fish minnow, would be great, and you can skin the hook...

Done well on it, in kaki, colour...

So many soft s out there, but the dolive in sandeel colour, is a big go to........

Just add a hook,, enough weight in the lure, for what your doing....

Good luck, keep us posted...

Cheers,
Mark

 

[JonD]

Great post. From my days chassing fish in the UK , virtually every spot I ever fished from the shore I dived first ( snorkelled or speared ) . It's a great way to learne so much about species and habitats. What was also good was being able to pick areas between rough ground where I could fish later from the shore having lined up certain features on the cliffs.

This side of the pond I've found spearing and scuba diving inshore marks has helped so much in understanding where fish hold.

As for the west coast campers!!!...back in the day when I enjoyed surfing I was always amazed by the amount of bass between the first and second waves from the shore. Literally bass were often cruising in numbers less than knee deep, yet most anglers were trying to plant their rigson the distant horizon!!!!

Even my own target species around the IOW were often just thirty to forty metres from the shore line and I had been casting more than double that distance past them.

Even though I'm not fishing today I still checked out some of the deep gutters from the cliff tops, seeing which held schools of salmon to build up a daily record of their movements.

 

[supafly1982]

Hi mate,,,, surface lures,, should be OK,, start small,,

Small patchinco,, small gunfish,,,,,

Weed less soft, can also be skinned,, just Bury the hook in the soft material,, a tiny bit......

The light head black fish minnow, would be great, and you can skin the hook...

Done well on it, in kaki, colour...

So many soft s out there, but the dolive in sandeel colour, is a big go to........

Just add a hook,, enough weight in the lure, for what your doing....

Good luck, keep us posted...

Cheers,
Mark

Thank you very much, I need all the advice I can get lol.
I've been doing my homework, where to tackle etc.
One mark the one I mentioned is definitely one where you can wade to cross sandy bottom and climb up onto rocks that have rough ground just a small cast 20 yards would cover the rough stuff but when having to wade, what waist, chest or back pack would you recommend?

Cheers guys, I'm getting excited just at the thought of going lure fishing and getting the bass.
I've done a lot of fly fishing growing up and the contact and playing a fish, there's nothing else like it

 

[supafly1982]

Also can anyone recommend good single hooks for replacing the trebles, something with a wider gape I'm led to believe works better

 

[jungley]

when having to wade, what waist, chest or back pack would you recommend?

Hi mate, a lot of guys recommend the Overboard backpacks, I have one myself. If you're familiar with canoe bags or Bergen liners then they are the same basic idea, roll top down and clip together, material is 100% waterproof and the rolled down opening can take a dunking, the bag will also float when air is trapped. I have the Classic 30 Ltr, I find it comfortably big enough but apparently they come with a bag organiser which I may look into as I do have to rummage for keys, etc.

 

[JonD]

Also can anyone recommend good single hooks for replacing the trebles, something with a wider gape I'm led to believe works better

Decoy, owner and bkk are what I use, depending on target species.

 

[supafly1982]

Hi mate, a lot of guys recommend the Overboard backpacks, I have one myself. If you're familiar with canoe bags or Bergen liners then they are the same basic idea, roll top down and clip together, material is 100% waterproof and the rolled down opening can take a dunking, the bag will also float when air is trapped. I have the Classic 30 Ltr, I find it comfortably big enough but apparently they come with a bag organiser which I may look into as I do have to rummage for keys, etc.

Decoy, owner and bkk are what I use, depending on target species.

Thanks guys, will look into them

 

[Nigel Smith]

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

Great post
Really informative
I'm new to Bass fishing and still trying to catch my

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

I'm new to Bass fishing and still waiting to catch my first Bass
I'll take onboard your advice and hopefully my luck will change

 

[Nigel Smith]

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

Great post
Really informative
I'm new to Bass fishing and still trying to catch my

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

I'm new to Bass fishing and still waiting to catch my first Bass
I'll take onboard your advice and hopefully my luck will change

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

I'm new to Bass fishing and still waiting to catch my first Bass
I'll take onboard your advice and hopefully my luck will change

 

[mark333]

Great post
Really informative
I'm new to Bass fishing and still trying to catch my

I'm new to Bass fishing and still waiting to catch my first Bass
I'll take onboard your advice and hopefully my luck will change

I'm new to Bass fishing and still waiting to catch my first Bass
I'll take onboard your advice and hopefully my luck will change

Your be fine mate,,

Plenty of great info on wsf....

No right or wrong ways,, it's fishing after all...

Some ways work better for others,,

I can only try to show, or help, with what works for me...

Good luck with it all Nigel..

 

[Nigel Smith]

Thanks
All I can do is keep on trying and pick a few brains

 

[darrylg90]

Thank you very much, I need all the advice I can get lol.
I've been doing my homework, where to tackle etc.
One mark the one I mentioned is definitely one where you can wade to cross sandy bottom and climb up onto rocks that have rough ground just a small cast 20 yards would cover the rough stuff but when having to wade, what waist, chest or back pack would you recommend?

Cheers guys, I'm getting excited just at the thought of going lure fishing and getting the bass.
I've done a lot of fly fishing growing up and the contact and playing a fish, there's nothing else like it

I use the Shimano lure case , stores 12 lures in separate hard plastic sheaths to stop the hooks catching the material , perfect for the job . Also has a small zip pocket on the front for bits and bobs

 

[Jonathan Jones]

Fascinating approach to a new mark. I'm also a new bass addict and this info is priceless.
The method is not as obvious as you think and this post explains it nicely. The selection of lure is critical and the retrieve style is as critical in the correct areas. Gotta say this is the best info I've had so far.. Nice one!

 

[MrE]

read this a while ago. just revisited it for another read and try to really understand it instead of just speed reading. Some great advice.

Bearing in mind this was originally posted in 2012. eight years is a fair time considering equipment and environmental changes so MARK333 would you approach to fish the bay and estuary any different or have any additional info to how you would approach it.

 

[mark333]

read this a while ago. just revisited it for another read and try to really understand it instead of just speed reading. Some great advice.

Bearing in mind this was originally posted in 2012. eight years is a fair time considering equipment and environmental changes so MARK333 would you approach to fish the bay and estuary any different or have any additional info to how you would approach it.

I expect lots has changed mate,, I use softs a bit more,,
I still use same hard lures, and orders, the same,,

But for sure, softs would be used,, prob more in the estuaries to be honest.......

Surface still my favourite method,,, I just find it REALLY. Hard to come off the top....

Even when people around me are catching on other methods,,

I like the challenge of surface work,, when conditions are not spot on for it...

 

[Gregsie]

Now lets just say the mark is a biggish bay , gently sloping away , a bit of sandy patches here and there .

Lot of rocks and weed , with both sides of the bay , flanked by rocks , that you cant quite get out to , on the point ....

How /where do YOU , start ,

Well it should be a little darkish or light just turning on when you get there , maybe an hr before high , i would like to be there , and fish it down ,

(to me most rock marks fish best on the drop , and over low , )
start of the flood can be good to

Warning ,,,,, dont just charge straight in , and start throwing lures ,

Just stay back for 5 to ten mins , let you eyes get accustomed to the dark , look for bait rings close in , or even bass in VERY close in , noising about the shore line ..

I like to pick a very light plug , (not to much splash , )
and plug the fringes , a light topper like a sammy , just tickled about can do wonders , a nice shallow runner , like a kommomo 11 would be next on , the orange red if it was still dark , sand eel one if not .

Then maybe a feed shallow after , i like to start small and none splashy or noisey to start ,

If nothing in close , i would try and work out direction of flow , as it passes the bay at the front ,

I would feel that if it was running right to left on the flood , then the lazy bass would enter the bay from the right and i would head there .
I would again run some toppers and shallow runners , as close to that side as possible .
I love the zonk , so if its over high and the bay gets deeper i would be brave and count it down , maybe 5 secs to start , then longer , remembering to lift the rod and get it up in the water as it get near , as the bay gently slopes away ,
Hot shad as its dark , then pearl rainbow , then mullet , coloures and in order i would use them ,

Then i would plug from there , every inch of the bay , across to the left , then plug up tight to the left side of the bay , hoping that any bait , that came in with the flow was pinned on that side and bass were near by ..

Still no joy ,
Well next part for me, would be a tide minnow or similar ,(something slim that casts well ) blasted out into the front of the bay , where the water passes across the front
(sometimes bass just stay in the flow and bypass little bays )
I found this to be the case on my last trip to ireland , people playing down the fringes , when the bass were out in the flow 60/80 yards out

They soon copied after our 8th fish ,

By now the tide may be dropping away ,

(ideally you would have checked this bay out on a huge spring low tide )
but we dont live in an ideal world , and maybe you have just gone on holiday , and no nothing about the area ,
(i know i always have to fish like this , camper vanning , around devon and cornwall , every other weekend :cc_surren)

May be time to break out a few soft plastics , x slayers , sluggos , touched about here and there as the gullies are starting to appear

Im topping mad , and would not be able to help myself but try a few the more shallow it got , rock hoping back and back with the tide ,
exciting as you find fish sitting where you thought they would be ,
and believe me , they will be in those same gullies , behind the same rocks , sat in the same areas of weed , again and again ,

Sandborer sasuke , kommo 11 , feed shallows , would be getting a good airing by now , the sea should be a bit rougher , with a bit of white water and fizz , as the rocks act as breakers over low ,

Looking at the ground , and the deeper gullies as you follow it out , really, maybe to work them back an hr on the flood , or maybe 2 hrs or more , if your catching :wiggle:

This is how i would attack a new mark shaped a bit like this ,

HOW WOULD YOU :g::thumbs::victory:

This would not be my approach. I would arrive at low on a small, medium and spring tide, fish the tide up and down each month for 3 years to suss it, I’d be catching double figure bass and pollock most sessions once sussed.....that’s just the way would do it.

 

[mark333]

This would not be my approach. I would arrive at low on a small, medium and spring tide, fish the tide up and down each month for 3 years to suss it, I’d be catching double figure bass and pollock most sessions once sussed.....that’s just the way would do it.

LOL,,, all Tides, all, winds, all sizes,,.... Take you more than 3 years,,

Double fig bass lol... Most sessions,,??????.

Tis funny,, watching your bass world, developing year on year,,,....

Been what now,,,???,,,, 6, years. Maybe 7,,,, how's those doubles coming on, as

You have had twice as long as you needed. ???