South Coast anglers on the bass
A lure presented on a long flowing trace accounted for this fine 9lb bass, taken from a south coast mark last week by Dave Lam.
The 32-year-old, from Weymouth in Dorset, was fishing aboard Flamer IV out of Weymouth, skippered by Colin Penny, when he made his memorable catch.
Inshore marks producing bass
Ray Crowe, a 45-year-old plasterer from High Wycombe in Bucks, fished aboard Dick Peckham’s Poole, Dorset-based Strongbow with a mackerel livebait to take this 7lb-plus bass.
“We had a great day’s inshore bassing,” says Ray, “and I really enjoyed playing this fish out to the side of the boat.”
Cod and bass provide hectic mid-Channel sport
Dover angler Paul Collingwood enjoyed a brilliant mixed bag while fishing aboard his own boat over the Texaco Caribbean shipwreck on the Varne Bank in the middle of the English Channel.
As well as taking a number of bass to a best of 9lb, he also boated this cod weighing 8lb. A red Sidewinder shad proved the winning lure for Paul.
Huge squid bait lures double-figure bass
Double squid mounted Pennell style and fished downtide lured this superb 12lb 3oz bass for Herne Bay, Kent small-boat angler Barry Seabrook.
He was fishing from his own boat, Jessica Blake, off the coast of his hometown, and said: “I beat it on 12lb class gear, which gave it a chance to scrap really hard.
"I took it ashore to get weighed at the Herne Bay AA headquarters, where it caused quite a stir.”
Huge cod, followed by a big bass!
Here’s concrete proof that the big cod have returned to the south coast of Ireland.
Arnaud Briere, a visitor from The Liberty Peche Club in France, is holding aloft a 24lb 6oz beauty caught on a soft lure while fishing from one of the Bellavista, self-drive boats at Cobh, County Cork.
Just to top things off, Arnaud later added a stunning double-figure bass weighing 10lb 8oz bass on the same trip!
For all the latest saltwater tips and tactics, get the new Sea Angler magazine - on sale now!
Huge 16lb 8oz bass landed from harbour!
Ireland’s biggest bass in 10 years has been landed.
Polish visitor Krzysztof Knopp took the 16lb 8oz specimen from Courtmacsherry on a live joey.
The Irish Specimen Fish Committee has confirmed that it is the biggest bass caught since the record of 17lb 13oz was taken off the coast of County Clare in 2000.
More details in tomorrow's Angling Times.
Supermarket bait tempts massive bass
Mackerel fillets bought from a local Morrison’s supermarket lured this magnificent 11lb 2oz bass for 11-year-old Cameron Atkinson.
He was competing in a local Appledore Shipbuilders AC annual bass competition held on Westward Ho! beach, North Devon.
Needless to say he won the event by a mile, as it’s the best bass ever caught in the event.
A proud dad, Andrew says: “It was only his second night bass session. The fish struck at around 11pm, ten minutes before high water, then gave him the runaround for five minutes before we could land it. “
'Yak' session leads to big bass on a lure
Sam Fuller caught this 10lb 1oz bass on an evening kayaking session off Lyme Regis, Dorset.
The fish latched on to his Rapala Husky jerk lure while trolling over a reef.
He says: “I had to let the fish pull me round because my second lure managed to rap itself round the line. In the end I grabbed the line and brought the fish in close enough to land it by hand.”
The bass is a personal best for the 46-year-old Honiton, Devon teacher, his previous best being a 6-pounder.
Double figure fish is landmark catch for bass angler
“I’ve been on the trail of a double-figure bass for two years,” said South Brent, Devon plasterer, Dave Gornall, “and I’ve finally hit the jackpot with this 10lb 6oz fish!”
Dave caught the specimen from a Dorset shore mark on mackerel head and guts.
“I was only using a 1oz-3oz estuary rod and it screamed off,” he added.
“I’m still buzzing from the experience. It took me five minutes to revive the fish and I got a great kick watching it swim away.”
Huge bass taken on mackerel livebait
This superb 12lb 12oz bass was the highlight of a trip out of Portsmouth for Paul Thompson...and what a fish!
The Hampshire angler was fishing aboard the charter boat Buccaneer, skippered by Mick Gill, when the new personal best took a live mackerel hookbait.
“We were fishing to the south of the Isle of Wight and released the fish so there’s a chance someone can catch it perhaps when its even bigger,” said a delighted Paul.
Tearaway bass strikes at dusk!
A camping and fishing trip to Swanage in Dorset turned up trumps for Headington, Oxford-based angler Nacim Bouraba when this tearaway 8lb 8oz bass snatched the lure he was retrieving.
A delighted Nacim told Sea Angler magazine: “I was fishing a Studland mark into the dark when the fish attacked.
"It came out of the blue and crashed about all over the place trying to get free of the hook!”
For all the latest saltwater catches, reviews and news
Two personal bests in one trip for Chris
Chris Knotley from Norfolk is a regular aboard the Brightlingsea, Essex charter boat Sophie Lea, skippered by Lee Bolingbroke, but has only ever really enjoyed moderate success.
But that all changed on his latest trip when he bagged a stunning 11lb bass and a huge 32lb tope on fresh mackerel baits!
It proved to be a double celebration for Chris as they were both new personal bests!
For more info about trips on the Sophie Lea, log on to:
www.charterboats-uk.co.uk/sophielea
First bass after 50-year wait
This cracking 5lb bass is the first example of the species that Nils Roring has caught for 50 years, so you can imagine his delight at boating the fine specimen during a guided trip off the coast of Cork.
Nils made the historic catch just a few minutes into a session with Richie Ryan, from Eire Bass, aboard their craft Sea Hawk. The trip was booked as a surprise by Nils’ son Robin, who said:
“Fifty years is a long time to wait for a bass but we won’t be waiting as long again because we’ve decided to book Richie again soon!”
To enquire about bass fishing trips in the Cork area, log on to www.corkbass.com or call +00 353 (0)86 1940744.
Kayak anglers get amongst the cod
A cracking cod weighing 8lb 7oz was the pick of a host of impressive fish caught last weekend at an increasingly-popular kayak fishing competition off the Yorkshire coast.
Mathew Garbutt, from Skelton, walked away with the top prize of £300 for winning the 'heaviest fish' competition in the Yorkshire Open kayak fishing competition, which was attended by a record 51 competitors from as far afield as the south coast of England.
The event, which is now in its third year, was organised by the Scarborough Angling Festival and took place in Runswick Bay.
A raft of other cod were caught during the contest, as well as decent ling, pollock an flatfish.
Big bass all the rage for shore anglers
Shore bass anglers have been getting among the fish on Ireland’s East coast, especially around the Louth/Meath coastline.
One of the very best was taken by Sam Rennicks from Navan, who had a stunning 11lb 10oz specimen bass from Mornington beach one morning early last week.
A rapture-pro shallow diving lure was used to tempt the fish, which was released back to fight another day after a quick photograph.
A raft of decent other fish have been taken on ragworm hookbaits.
Double figure bass joy for 'Mick'
Macushla Mahoney, known to all her friends as 'Mick', certainly showed the men how to do it during a recent trip out of Rustington, Littlehampton, in West Sussex, where she caught a fabulous 10lb 7oz bass.
She was fishing aboard the local boat Spirit of Arun, skippered by Neil French, and used a black leadhead lure to tempt her prize.
Read all the latest saltwater catch reports, and all the best tactics, only in Sea Angler magazine. Out now!
Double figure bass makes for perfect holiday
Some anglers spend a lifetime trying to catch their first double-figure bass, but not Steve Chapman from Farleton, Lancashire, who caught this superb 10lb 2oz specimen while on holiday in Ireland.
Steve has vowed to return to the Bella Vista hotel in Cobh, near Cork, after catching the impressive fish from one of the hotel’s self-drive boats!
He used a soft lure to tempt the 76cm-long long specimen.
For more information on bass fishing, hire boats and self-catering hotels go to www.bellavistahotel.ie
Fly fishing for sea species - the next big thing?
More fly anglers than ever before are enjoying saltwater fly fishing, and it’s easy to see why with backdrops like this on offer.
With travel rods easily stowed in cars, holidaying anglers are choosing to enjoy free fly fishing along popular coastlines and, although pollock, bass and mackerel provide the bulk of the sport, just about every species will take a fly.
More information, tips and tactics on this rapidly growing arm of the sport is available in the next issue of Trout Fisherman magazine, on sale July 27.
Childhood dream achieved - not that you'd know it!
A mackerel head cast only 20 yards into 2ft of water resulted in Bromley, Kent angler Derek Power catching this 10lb 8oz bass.
The 39-year-old doesn’t look that happy in the picture, but his wife told us he was thrilled after achieving a childhood dream to catch a fish this big.
It came from Llantwit Major beach, Vale of Glamorgan, and was taken on a Penn Powerstix Pro Bass rod and Mitchell Avonrunner reel loaded with 15lb mono.
He later added another bass of 6lb 8oz. Two reasons to smile, then?
*More great saltwater catches in the new Sea Angler magazine - on sale now!
