Plaicehunter

A small window of opportunity appeared today between dog-walking and dinner, so at 4.10pm I found myself at a favourite mark with two hours to catch a bass on a lure.
I decided to split the time between two marks a couple of hundred yards apart.
First cast a fish bumped the Hound Glide on lift-off, second cast a schoolie was hooked at long range and landed.
After an hour I'd had five: two on the Glide, two on a Zonk and one on a Red Gill Rascal 135mm behind a sinking bombarda (bombarda shop.com).
I moved to the second mark but didn't have a sniff, so returned to the first mark for the last 10 minutes and winkled out three more to the Zonk in short order.
These are pretty modest schoolies, but you can only catch what's in front of you, and with a strong cold wind and water temperature only 9.3C I was pleased to catch at all.
Tomorrow it's back to 'dirty bait' (crab and ragworm,) in the hope of an early gilt. PH

A small window of opportunity appeared today between dog-walking and dinner, so at 4.10pm I found myself at a favourite mark with two hours to catch a bass on a lure.
I decided to split the time between two marks a couple of hundred yards apart.
First cast a fish bumped the Hound Glide on lift-off, second cast a schoolie was hooked at long range and landed.
After an hour I'd had five: two on the Glide, two on a Zonk and one on a Red Gill Rascal 135mm behind a sinking bombarda (bombarda shop.com).
I moved to the second mark but didn't have a sniff, so returned to the first mark for the last 10 minutes and winkled out three more to the Zonk in short order.
These are pretty modest schoolies, but you can only catch what's in front of you, and with a strong cold wind and water temperature only 9.3C I was pleased to catch at all.
Tomorrow it's back to 'dirty bait' (crab and ragworm,) in the hope of an early gilt. PH

A small window of opportunity appeared today between dog-walking and dinner, so at 4.10pm I found myself at a favourite mark with two hours to catch a bass on a lure.
I decided to split the time between two marks a couple of hundred yards apart.
First cast a fish bumped the Hound Glide on lift-off, second cast a schoolie was hooked at long range and landed.
After an hour I'd had five: two on the Glide, two on a Zonk and one on a Red Gill Rascal 135mm behind a sinking bombarda (bombarda shop.com).
I moved to the second mark but didn't have a sniff, so returned to the first mark for the last 10 minutes and winkled out three more to the Zonk in short order.
These are pretty modest schoolies, but you can only catch what's in front of you, and with a strong cold wind and water temperature only 9.3C I was pleased to catch at all.
Tomorrow it's back to 'dirty bait' (crab and ragworm,) in the hope of an early gilt. PH

My pal AW has a boat at Salcombe and is thinking about a plaice trip, probably on Tuesday. I may get out luring solo on Sunday, though the water temperature here in Plymouth has dropped again, from 10.1C a little while ago to 9.7 a couple of days ago to 9.2C today. Not surprising with low air temperatures and cold rough winds. I reckon 10C is about the minimum for successful bass luring, but I may give it a go anyway as I start getting twitchy after a few days of no fishing! PH

My pal AW has a boat at Salcombe and is thinking about a plaice trip, probably on Tuesday. I may get out luring solo on Sunday, though the water temperature here in Plymouth has dropped again, from 10.1C a little while ago to 9.7 a couple of days ago to 9.2C today. Not surprising with low air temperatures and cold rough winds. I reckon 10C is about the minimum for successful bass luring, but I may give it a go anyway as I start getting twitchy after a few days of no fishing! PH

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Well that's what it felt like this afternoon - cold, overcast with a bitter NW wind and the sea temperature back down to 9.7C.
Still, getting out in the boat for three hours on a rising tide seemed like a good idea, so padded out in layers of thermals I motored gently upstream to a favourite mark.
I was fishing over shallow ground but I knew the bass wouldn't come to the surface or even to a shallow diver. Until the tide flooded further, deeper divers would just be dredging up weed. So as the afternoon was dark and stormy I picked out a lurid Hound Glide which hopefully would dive to just the right depth.
A strong following wind flattered my casting, and the Glide is a distance lure, so I was getting a long way, fishing across the tide.
It wasn't long before the lure was hit a good 50 yards out with a real wallop.
Like all my bass so far this year, this was a modest schoolie but still a satisfying catch.
A lot of hard work produced two more to the same lure, then I lost one which hit me close in and thrashed on the surface, throwing the barbless treble.
I tried numerous lures with no response until I moved a couple of hundred yards and lost one on the Megabass Flatbacker.
Then the tide turned and I went back to the original mark and picked up one more schoolie on the Glide.
Soon the water will be warm, baitfish will appear and four schoolies in three hours will be a  flop.
Today it felt like a result! PH
 

Despite cold water and biting easterly wind I ventured out with the lure rod yesterday.
I wasn't very optimistic, but was encouraged when my Megabass Flatbacker was hit third cast.
The bass didn't stick, but the next two takes did, on a Hound Glide.
I then experimented with a new vibration bait, a Bassday ORC 70mm, and nailed another schoolie with a gentle sink-and-draw action.
After trying numerous sub-surface lures I had managed to add only a juvenile herring gull to the score. After a lot of 'kite flying' I got it to the side of the boat and unhooked it with long-nosed pliers. Fortunately  it was hooked in the tip of the beak on one prong of the Maruto barbless treble, so it was easy to release unharmed.
Finally I reverted to the Flatbacker, which yielded one missed take, one dropped fish and three more schoolies landed.
Not bad for the beginning of April! 
 

Despite cold water and biting easterly wind I ventured out with the lure rod yesterday.
I wasn't very optimistic, but was encouraged when my Megabass Flatbacker was hit third cast.
The bass didn't stick, but the next two takes did, on a Hound Glide.
I then experimented with a new vibration bait, a Bassday ORC 70mm, and nailed another schoolie with a gentle sink-and-draw action.
After trying numerous sub-surface lures I had managed to add only a juvenile herring gull to the score. After a lot of 'kite flying' I got it to the side of the boat and unhooked it with long-nosed pliers. Fortunately  it was hooked in the tip of the beak on one prong of the Maruto barbless treble, so it was easy to release unharmed.
Finally I reverted to the Flatbacker, which yielded one missed take, one dropped fish and three more schoolies landed.
Not bad for the beginning of April! 
 

The plan today was to catch lots of bass on lures, then switch to bait for my first gilt of the year.
It didn't quite work out like that...
The water was a balmy 9.9C, and with sunshine and a small tide I was feeling confident.
But two hours of persistent plugging with a variety of sub-surface lures yielded just three takes, two of which resulted in a schoolie in the boat.
Ironically, all three came to a Zonk SW 120 Cruising Blue, which didn't work two days ago, while the lures that did then didn't today.
Abandoning the lure rod, I fished the tide down from five different marks.
There was no sign of a gilt, but I added eight more schoolies to the score: five on home-dug king rag and three on crab.
The best fish of the day, a bass of around 2lb, came adrift at the net.
I keep telling myself it's still early April and the best is yet to come.
Though there was no real bird activity, I saw several terns, which is an encouraging sign. PH

The plan today was to catch lots of bass on lures, then switch to bait for my first gilt of the year.
It didn't quite work out like that...
The water was a balmy 9.9C, and with sunshine and a small tide I was feeling confident.
But two hours of persistent plugging with a variety of sub-surface lures yielded just three takes, two of which resulted in a schoolie in the boat.
Ironically, all three came to a Zonk SW 120 Cruising Blue, which didn't work two days ago, while the lures that did then didn't today.
Abandoning the lure rod, I fished the tide down from five different marks.
There was no sign of a gilt, but I added eight more schoolies to the score: five on home-dug king rag and three on crab.
The best fish of the day, a bass of around 2lb, came adrift at the net.
I keep telling myself it's still early April and the best is yet to come.
Though there was no real bird activity, I saw several terns, which is an encouraging sign. PH

The plan today was to catch lots of bass on lures, then switch to bait for my first gilt of the year.
It didn't quite work out like that...
The water was a balmy 9.9C, and with sunshine and a small tide I was feeling confident.
But two hours of persistent plugging with a variety of sub-surface lures yielded just three takes, two of which resulted in a schoolie in the boat.
Ironically, all three came to a Zonk SW 120 Cruising Blue, which didn't work two days ago, while the lures that did then didn't today.
Abandoning the lure rod, I fished the tide down from five different marks.
There was no sign of a gilt, but I added eight more schoolies to the score: five on home-dug king rag and three on crab.
The best fish of the day, a bass of around 2lb, came adrift at the net.
I keep telling myself it's still early April and the best is yet to come.
Though there was no real bird activity, I saw several terns, which is an encouraging sign. PH

Despite cold water and biting easterly wind I ventured out with the lure rod yesterday.
I wasn't very optimistic, but was encouraged when my Megabass Flatbacker was hit third cast.
The bass didn't stick, but the next two takes did, on a Hound Glide.
I then experimented with a new vibration bait, a Bassday ORC 70mm, and nailed another schoolie with a gentle sink-and-draw action.
After trying numerous sub-surface lures I had managed to add only a juvenile herring gull to the score. After a lot of 'kite flying' I got it to the side of the boat and unhooked it with long-nosed pliers. Fortunately  it was hooked in the tip of the beak on one prong of the Maruto barbless treble, so it was easy to release unharmed.
Finally I reverted to the Flatbacker, which yielded one missed take, one dropped fish and three more schoolies landed.
Not bad for the beginning of April! 
 

Despite cold water and biting easterly wind I ventured out with the lure rod yesterday.
I wasn't very optimistic, but was encouraged when my Megabass Flatbacker was hit third cast.
The bass didn't stick, but the next two takes did, on a Hound Glide.
I then experimented with a new vibration bait, a Bassday ORC 70mm, and nailed another schoolie with a gentle sink-and-draw action.
After trying numerous sub-surface lures I had managed to add only a juvenile herring gull to the score. After a lot of 'kite flying' I got it to the side of the boat and unhooked it with long-nosed pliers. Fortunately  it was hooked in the tip of the beak on one prong of the Maruto barbless treble, so it was easy to release unharmed.
Finally I reverted to the Flatbacker, which yielded one missed take, one dropped fish and three more schoolies landed.
Not bad for the beginning of April! 
 

Postscript: I blanked today, but only because the decent bass I hooked fell off before I could net it. I didn't see the fish as it stayed deep, but it felt heavy. It took a Maria Slice vibration bait and was my only take of a four-hour session. I accept some losses due to fishing barbless, but this one hurt! PH

I was fishing the estuary over shallow mud flats which are dry on a big tide and have the odd rock and patch of weed. There is a channel leading to a big shallow bay which gets very warm in summer, as the dark mud absorbs the sun's heat. I anchor on the edge of the channel but most of my bass come casting onto the shallows themselves. Fish often take as the lure swings onto the edge of the channel; I don't catch many right in the channel, though I did get one of 7-10 one day while waiting for the flood tide. In summer you can see bass and mullet coming up on the surface with the tide to feed in the bay, and quite often bass drive baitfish up there and there is carnage in the shallow water. Very exciting! 

I was fishing the estuary over shallow mud flats which are dry on a big tide and have the odd rock and patch of weed. There is a channel leading to a big shallow bay which gets very warm in summer, as the dark mud absorbs the sun's heat. I anchor on the edge of the channel but most of my bass come casting onto the shallows themselves. Fish often take as the lure swings onto the edge of the channel; I don't catch many right in the channel, though I did get one of 7-10 one day while waiting for the flood tide. In summer you can see bass and mullet coming up on the surface with the tide to feed in the bay, and quite often bass drive baitfish up there and there is carnage in the shallow water. Very exciting! 

The water temperature here in Plymouth is still only 8.8C, but it was such a lovely day that I headed out in 'Piranha' yesterday to try out some new braid and new lures.
The braid, Sunline Siglon Advance, was most impressive: silky smooth, silent through the rings and cast miles.
I also gave a swim to various new sub-surface lures. Topwaters are my favourite, but with water this cold I couldn't expect a bass to take on the surface. My new Zonk 120 looked good in the water, a little copy of the Ruf Bay cast a long way and I liked the action of the X-Rap. But it was the reliable Megabass Flatbacker which did the business. First a garfish hit it, self-releasing near the boat, then I had a more determined take and a little bass. I've never taken a landing net to a half-pound schoolie before, but this was the first lure-caught bass of 2021 and I didn't want to lose it.
Hopefully the water will warm up soon and there will be many more and much bigger bass to follow! PH

I was fishing the estuary over shallow mud flats which are dry on a big tide and have the odd rock and patch of weed. There is a channel leading to a big shallow bay which gets very warm in summer, as the dark mud absorbs the sun's heat. I anchor on the edge of the channel but most of my bass come casting onto the shallows themselves. Fish often take as the lure swings onto the edge of the channel; I don't catch many right in the channel, though I did get one of 7-10 one day while waiting for the flood tide. In summer you can see bass and mullet coming up on the surface with the tide to feed in the bay, and quite often bass drive baitfish up there and there is carnage in the shallow water. Very exciting! 

The water temperature here in Plymouth is still only 8.8C, but it was such a lovely day that I headed out in 'Piranha' yesterday to try out some new braid and new lures.
The braid, Sunline Siglon Advance, was most impressive: silky smooth, silent through the rings and cast miles.
I also gave a swim to various new sub-surface lures. Topwaters are my favourite, but with water this cold I couldn't expect a bass to take on the surface. My new Zonk 120 looked good in the water, a little copy of the Ruf Bay cast a long way and I liked the action of the X-Rap. But it was the reliable Megabass Flatbacker which did the business. First a garfish hit it, self-releasing near the boat, then I had a more determined take and a little bass. I've never taken a landing net to a half-pound schoolie before, but this was the first lure-caught bass of 2021 and I didn't want to lose it.
Hopefully the water will warm up soon and there will be many more and much bigger bass to follow! PH