snatcher
16-07-08, 10:03 PM
Well this was my first serious attempt at popping for bass in Luce Bay this year. It has been a real bad year weather-wise for fishing with no decent settled periods.
Last night seen the Bay looking mirror like with just the tiniest ruffles on the surface,was this to be the night??? I had had a few earlier attempts at the the bass using spinner/popper but had blanked! being honest with myself though it had been a bit too early in the season for raising the bass up to the top as the water was still cold.
Well Corrie had just came onto the box in our caravan so this was my sign for a "sharp exit" LOL,jumped into the car and drove north from Drummore to my preordained fishing mark. I arrived there with not a soul in site. I set up my greys 10' 18-60g spinning rod and a fixed spool loaded with 15lb mono.The popper I tied on was my favourite Yozuri Aile Magnet which had done quite well in the past. Elected to plum for wellies and not chesties as it was a fair trudge along the beach to my fishing mark.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass1.jpg
Trudging along a shingle beach is really quite aerobic - who needs to go to a gym to get fit,just go yomping around the MOG!!! Arrived at my spot and cast out the popper as far as I could. It did not go far as a knot went flying through the rings.This happened again a few more times in the next few minutes so I decided to totally respool the reel with new line. It was the sensible option.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass2.jpg
What a difference it made,nice smooth casting with signs of knots or kinks - luxury! There was also no sign of any fish either apart from a shoal of mullet sipping away at the surface just a few yards away. I had been wondering how long "Sammy the Seal" would take to arrive,90 minutes to be precise.Took a couple of shots of him with the camera and then tried to bounce the popper off the top of his head. He soon got the message and vamoosed.It was at this point I forgot I had wellies on and not chesties,oh well its only water!
The light was starting to go now and I could see a large shoal up sandeels being herded into the shore by I presumed either bass or mackerel. I cast amongst the commotion a couple of times and not a touch. Damm it can be so frustrating at times.The sandeels made a return a few minutes later and I could see the predators showing shemselves occasionally and they did look like bass. Bang at last,I was praying it did not come off and it didn't. There it was,my first bass of the season on a popper.It was only a small schoolie but I did feel a bit chuffed. After a couple of photos for the record book I quickly slipped off the single hook point in her lip and away she swam to rejoin her mates and recount her nightmare tale to them!!!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass3.jpg
Well I had broken my "duck" and decided to call it a night as I was feeling tired and was due to go toping with Tom "Toonfireman" the next day.
Snatcher
Editors note !!!! as usual. l am typing this report up on my laptop in the caravan and will post it up from Drummore Information Centre when I get the chance. I had trouble sleeping so started typing up this report at about 04.30 Tue 15 July this morning.
Mind you getting up early does have its benefits. Check out this Luce Bay sunrise as taken just now through the caravan window.I could think of worse places to be.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass4.jpg
This is your roving Mull of Galloway reporter signing off
Last night seen the Bay looking mirror like with just the tiniest ruffles on the surface,was this to be the night??? I had had a few earlier attempts at the the bass using spinner/popper but had blanked! being honest with myself though it had been a bit too early in the season for raising the bass up to the top as the water was still cold.
Well Corrie had just came onto the box in our caravan so this was my sign for a "sharp exit" LOL,jumped into the car and drove north from Drummore to my preordained fishing mark. I arrived there with not a soul in site. I set up my greys 10' 18-60g spinning rod and a fixed spool loaded with 15lb mono.The popper I tied on was my favourite Yozuri Aile Magnet which had done quite well in the past. Elected to plum for wellies and not chesties as it was a fair trudge along the beach to my fishing mark.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass1.jpg
Trudging along a shingle beach is really quite aerobic - who needs to go to a gym to get fit,just go yomping around the MOG!!! Arrived at my spot and cast out the popper as far as I could. It did not go far as a knot went flying through the rings.This happened again a few more times in the next few minutes so I decided to totally respool the reel with new line. It was the sensible option.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass2.jpg
What a difference it made,nice smooth casting with signs of knots or kinks - luxury! There was also no sign of any fish either apart from a shoal of mullet sipping away at the surface just a few yards away. I had been wondering how long "Sammy the Seal" would take to arrive,90 minutes to be precise.Took a couple of shots of him with the camera and then tried to bounce the popper off the top of his head. He soon got the message and vamoosed.It was at this point I forgot I had wellies on and not chesties,oh well its only water!
The light was starting to go now and I could see a large shoal up sandeels being herded into the shore by I presumed either bass or mackerel. I cast amongst the commotion a couple of times and not a touch. Damm it can be so frustrating at times.The sandeels made a return a few minutes later and I could see the predators showing shemselves occasionally and they did look like bass. Bang at last,I was praying it did not come off and it didn't. There it was,my first bass of the season on a popper.It was only a small schoolie but I did feel a bit chuffed. After a couple of photos for the record book I quickly slipped off the single hook point in her lip and away she swam to rejoin her mates and recount her nightmare tale to them!!!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass3.jpg
Well I had broken my "duck" and decided to call it a night as I was feeling tired and was due to go toping with Tom "Toonfireman" the next day.
Snatcher
Editors note !!!! as usual. l am typing this report up on my laptop in the caravan and will post it up from Drummore Information Centre when I get the chance. I had trouble sleeping so started typing up this report at about 04.30 Tue 15 July this morning.
Mind you getting up early does have its benefits. Check out this Luce Bay sunrise as taken just now through the caravan window.I could think of worse places to be.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Bass4.jpg
This is your roving Mull of Galloway reporter signing off