[HookLineSinker]

Hi all. I'm headed down to Weymouth tomorrow for a few days fishing and golf (Not at the same time!) I am planning to use a drop net to pick up some shrimps and/or prawns and use them as live bait for Bass. Can anyone tell me if they have used this tactic, and if they've been successful. I'm going to go from the stone wall (Weymouth harbour) where i'll probably try float fishing them. I'm also gonna go off the rocks near portland bill where I'll be ledgering. I've got a battery aerator and a bucket at the ready to keep the little bliters alive in the car journey. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Anthony

 

[Codfather2]

hi, i live in weymouth and fish stone pier regularly for mackerel, garfish and pollack, one or two bass have been caught from there in recent years but but they are very rare so i don't really think its worth the bother. if you do fish it, go to the end of the pier and float fish mackerel strips or sandeel about 10-15ft deep. as for catching prawns, i'm not sure how you will get on as it is not relly a recognised bait for the area but it must be worth a go i spose.
hope this helps
john

 

[dicky]

try the charter boats before they go out in the morning and see if you can buy a few live sandeels.theres normally a boat thats going bassing and good chance they will have a few spare.

 

[HookLineSinker]

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated. Actually John (Codfather2), the stone pier was where I caught my first Bass 9 years ago, and I've been hooked (Pun intended) on them ever since. That was on the harbour side on the stone wall, using a cocktail of squid strips and lug, nice fish too, weighed in just under the 3 1/2lb mark. On my last trip last year (Only just got my driving license back, and have given up drinking and driving, you spill it!) I had a look at the stomach contents of a Bass I'd caught spinning off Portland Bill, and it was full to bursting with shrimps, greedy bugger. So I just thought that it may be worth a shot, although knowing those crafty creatures they've probably changed their menu this year! In my opinion greenbones (Garfish) are on a par with Pout as far as 'most annoying fish' is concerned, although if I'm having a bad day I'll stick the waggler and a mackerel strip on, just to get some sport. Live Sandeels is an option I've considered Dicky, but I would have thought they'd be better over the shambles rather than from the pier or Portland Bill, I've never seen a Sandeel shoal that close to the shore, although I'd be happy if I'm wrong. Are they taking Bass off the chesil yet? I seem to remember last year it was only schoolies up until beginning of July? Any more tips or pointers are more than welcome.
Anthony

 

[dicky]

nearly all piers and harbours are havens for sandeels and in the evenings mackys and bass come in close after them.

 

[Codfather2]

good to hear you had a bass off the pier,there are a few showing off chesil, i lost a nice one of about 4-5lb last week when i fished mackie head and guts about 20 yrds out. how can you hate catching gars? they may not put up a scrap like a mackerel does on light gear put if you give them the chance they will give you some sport. after all, a fish is a fish.

 

[Portland Bass Hunter]

Hi Anthony,

Prawns are a very good local bait and can be fished either on float gear or on light paternosters. Its worth using Flourocarbon snoods as the marks that produce well to prawns are very shallow and very clear.

I was out on saturday morning at a local beach mark and caught one bass of about 2lb in 12 inches of water!!! I was actualy wading in about 2-3ft of water and casting back to the shore.

If you are going to collect your prawns locally then the best bet is a push net in the shallows, or as you say a drop net off the pier should also do the trick.

The stone pier can be a very good bass mark when the conditions are right, and at the moment they are, i.e. spring tides and an easterly wind. The best way to get Bass from the pier is to fish the middle section and float fish tight to the side, no more than about 1m off the wall itself, any further out and your will mostly get mackies and gars.

Good luck

Steve

 

[ChezzieM]

the sea wall near weymouth beach at first light, with live sandeels, are producing bass to 7lb on a regular basis......i can't believe im sharing my secret to any one...... i don,t mind really happy huntin matt

 

[Codfather2]

do you mean the lodmore part of the beach?

 

[ChezzieM]

no john, nr the pavilion. all along the wall to the pleasure pier

 

[Portland Bass Hunter]

Hi Matt, someone else knows about my little secret aswell then, i've been fishing that mark for a while now with good results. There are also hundreds of mullet there this year, I saw one last week about 8lb!!!!!!

Steve

 

[ChezzieM]

its a good spot to fish, but the grockles and the chicken chuckers are starting to spook everything.....including myself... don't think they know how to cast properly and use heavy duty beachies and 6 oz leads. they don't realise that all the need is a lite rod and tackle..lol. i do agree, their are some big fish in the shallows..happy huntin

 

[Codfather2]

sorry guys, but im abit lost. i know where you mean but is it on the harbour side or the bay side ofthe wall?
cheers john

 

[ChezzieM]

its on the bay side, near to the beach. all the way up to the pleasure pier. like i said yesterday, lots of grockles gettin in on the act, ( with not a lot of success). see yesterdays comment!!!!!!!! the fish are only in a couple of feet of water