[andy1965]

After our almost total lack of success in pursuit of Rays this year, me and Steve headed off to Newborough in search of Bass. We got there a couple of hours into the flood with about an hour of daylight left, armed with fresh rag, black lug, peeler, razorfish and a monstrous big clam thing, though we were both a bit nervous about trying to open the thing in case it attacked us! We set up to the side of a fishy looking gulley that we could cast into when the tide flooded. I wasn’t particularly confident as there was very little surf and I blanked the only other time I fished Newborough but Steve reckoned the bass would still be there.

We didn’t even have a touch for the first hour or so but around dusk we’d been forced back behind the gulley by the tide, it seemed a bit shallow in the gulley just yet so I cast to the outside of the sandbank beyond it, I reasoned that the fish would be waiting there for enough depth of water to move into the gulley and what little surf there was would disturb any food on the sandbank, sounded good to me anyway! After about ten minutes I had a good bite but missed it so I picked up my rod and waited to see if it had another go, almost immediately my rod tip was pulled over and I lifted into a fish, it wasn’t big but it was great to see the first Bass of the night :clap2: .

Next cast the same thing happened again and this time I was ready for him, Bass number 2.

Next it was Steve’s turn, another Bass. They weren’t big by any means, the biggest was probably no more than a pound but it was great to catch our target species for a change. The next bite looked a bit different and sure enough Steve reeled in a large Doggie (I suppose if you’re going to catch them they might as well be decent ones).

Next fish for me was my first Doggie then Steve had his second, we were just starting to think the dogs were in for the night to ruin our fishing when I had another Bass, happy days again.

The fishing wasn’t hectic but we caught a steady stream of schoolies and I managed to get a small Coaly and what we think was a shore Rockling.

Things went a bit quiet over high tide but I did manage one more Bass about an hour into the ebb before we called it a day about 12:45.

Final scores were 6 Bass, 1 Doggie, 1 Coaly & 1 Rockling to me and 4 Bass & 2 Doggies to Steve. All the fish apart from the last one, which took peeler, were caught on rag, we didn’t have so much as a nibble on razor or lug and in the end we didn’t attempt to use the clam so we released him to live another day.

 

[shaggy]

After our almost total lack of success in pursuit of Rays this year, me and Steve headed off to Newborough in search of Bass. We got there a couple of hours into the flood with about an hour of daylight left, armed with fresh rag, black lug, peeler, razorfish and a monstrous big clam thing, though we were both a bit nervous about trying to open the thing in case it attacked us! We set up to the side of a fishy looking gulley that we could cast into when the tide flooded. I wasn’t particularly confident as there was very little surf and I blanked the only other time I fished Newborough but Steve reckoned the bass would still be there.

We didn’t even have a touch for the first hour or so but around dusk we’d been forced back behind the gulley by the tide, it seemed a bit shallow in the gulley just yet so I cast to the outside of the sandbank beyond it, I reasoned that the fish would be waiting there for enough depth of water to move into the gulley and what little surf there was would disturb any food on the sandbank, sounded good to me anyway! After about ten minutes I had a good bite but missed it so I picked up my rod and waited to see if it had another go, almost immediately my rod tip was pulled over and I lifted into a fish, it wasn’t big but it was great to see the first Bass of the night :clap2: .

Next cast the same thing happened again and this time I was ready for him, Bass number 2.

Next it was Steve’s turn, another Bass. They weren’t big by any means, the biggest was probably no more than a pound but it was great to catch our target species for a change. The next bite looked a bit different and sure enough Steve reeled in a large Doggie (I suppose if you’re going to catch them they might as well be decent ones).

Next fish for me was my first Doggie then Steve had his second, we were just starting to think the dogs were in for the night to ruin our fishing when I had another Bass, happy days again.

The fishing wasn’t hectic but we caught a steady stream of schoolies and I managed to get a small Coaly and what we think was a shore Rockling.

Things went a bit quiet over high tide but I did manage one more Bass about an hour into the ebb before we called it a day about 12:45.

Final scores were 6 Bass, 1 Doggie, 1 Coaly & 1 Rockling to me and 4 Bass & 2 Doggies to Steve. All the fish apart from the last one, which took peeler, were caught on rag, we didn’t have so much as a nibble on razor or lug and in the end we didn’t attempt to use the clam so we released him to live another day.

well done u too nice pics and story been dieing to get there to give it go .shaggy :clap3:

 

[swelleyman]

A great haul or did you catch and release? Glad you contacted them and not the gill netter who targets that beach. I think I know which 'fishy gully' you visited and did you use peelers? Becoming a favourite of mine! Well done!

 

[andy1965]

All the fish were undersize and released, I probably only keep a couple a year because the Mrs is a bit partial to a bit of Bass. We tried peeler but apart from the last Bass we didn't get a touch on it all night, we tried razorfish as well but no joy, all the other fish took rag but we'd run out. Think we'll take a few more next time.