To Catch A Big Bass

[fishfingers]

Now, I know this may not be new to some of the seasoned anglers out there, but it seems that a lot of people in the forum are asking how to catch a big bass…… a worthy mission in life!

 

Put simply if you want to catch a big fish,use a big bait,…………and make sure its still thrashing around like crazy if your after a bass!

(i.e. don’t **** about with worm baits, crab, etc. for big bass, there are too many nuisance fish about.)

 

I shall now explain how I do it.

( Can’t claim any credit for this one as it was shown to me by a South African guy who had just boated a 20lb Cob off Cape Town. )

 

Take one large, but light, hook (4/0 Aberdeen) and make sure its razor sharp. Tie it to foot length bite trace of TYGER (apparently you use more if there are sharks about. I had the distinct impression he was yanking my chain.). Tyger, for those who don’t yet use the stuff, is a wire trace line made up of very many, very fine, stainless steel wires with the result of being totally bite proof, as flexible and thin as nylon ( this being the most important feature here) and can be tied with standard knots,……..Obviously its not cheap.

 

Big bass have very sharp teeth, but their main problem are their razor sharp gill plates, hence the bite trace. ( As an aside, watch your fingers novices ) I have watched anglers in Spain shore fishing at long ranges with 8lb line and 16 foot rods. These same guys complain about rocks cutting there lines when they hook a decent fish. I suspect the Bass are doing the line cutting?

 

Tie this small trace to your standard down tide flying collar set-up.

 

Now, here is the clever bit. Take some six pound clear mono and a small hook, tie the nylon to the big hooks bend and with a three inch length tie on the small hook. Now bait the small hook with something you know a bait fish will like. I have had good results in UK waters with my home-made size 10 white feathers, this also means you can set out for a quick session with no bait at all.

 

Paddle to the top of a sandbank ( The kayak man will probably have a distinct advantage over us boat types in shallow estuary mouths, even small motor boats have a habit of getting grounded here as tides ebb, and the extra stealth is sure to be beneficial. ………I really am going to have to get a kayak!) , ‘feather’ the rig until you feel a bait fish is on. This will almost certainly be a sandeel in the UK. Bye the way, don’t bother with any hooked mackerel, with this method they invariably come off the small hook if you try to fish with then.

 

Now hold on tight and bounce the little fella down the side of the sand bank………bendo!

 

You really need to try this, it works a treat. I landed my personal best Turbot doing this and Bass 5lb plus are very common !

 

The reason why this is so effective is twofold:

 

Firstly, if you can’t catch sandeel in your chosen fishing spot then chances are there aren’t any Bass there either. You won’t waste time fishing a ‘fishless’ mark. Contra to what some anglers would have you believe, the big bass don’t lie some 10 miles offshore from were you caught the bait. Nine out of ten times the bigger bass are on the edge of the bait fish areas waiting for a straggler to get careless.

 

Secondly, because you didn’t wrench the poor thing up from the depths tearing his face and squishing his swim bladder, knakering him out on the way up, grasping him with your dry sausage fingers, keeping him for hours in a blood stained tank with his dying mates, inserting a hook back in him and squishing his guts again as he takes an express elevator ride back down to a depth he has never been before, he is still a ‘Live’ livebait.

 

This method will ensure the fit little trooper will now wiggle like crazy for hours, meaning your bait will be in the water were the fish are longer, and his thrashing around will attract something in the deep water channels………I guarantee it.

 

Please note that if the livebait is a sandeel don’t static fish the bottom, he’s so fresh he’ll just bury himself and you wont catch a thing. Now if I can only devise a way of keeping a joey on the small hook…hummm?

 

Try it and let me know how your kayaks perform, I have a hunch you will be able to reach the spots where us boat boys can’t …………You know it, dam the expense, the new OK Elite 4.5 has my name all over it.

[Zzippy]

Now, I know this may not be new to some of the seasoned anglers out there, but it seems that a lot of people in the forum are asking how to catch a big bass…… a worthy mission in life!

 

Put simply if you want to catch a big fish,use a big bait,…………and make sure its still thrashing around like crazy if your after a bass!

(i.e. don’t **** about with worm baits, crab, etc. for big bass, there are too many nuisance fish about.)

 

I shall now explain how I do it.

( Can’t claim any credit for this one as it was shown to me by a South African guy who had just boated a 20lb Cob off Cape Town. )

 

Take one large, but light, hook (4/0 Aberdeen) and make sure its razor sharp. Tie it to foot length bite trace of TYGER (apparently you use more if there are sharks about. I had the distinct impression he was yanking my chain.). Tyger, for those who don’t yet use the stuff, is a wire trace line made up of very many, very fine, stainless steel wires with the result of being totally bite proof, as flexible and thin as nylon ( this being the most important feature here) and can be tied with standard knots,……..Obviously its not cheap.

 

Big bass have very sharp teeth, but their main problem are their razor sharp gill plates, hence the bite trace. ( As an aside, watch your fingers novices ) I have watched anglers in Spain shore fishing at long ranges with 8lb line and 16 foot rods. These same guys complain about rocks cutting there lines when they hook a decent fish. I suspect the Bass are doing the line cutting?

 

Tie this small trace to your standard down tide flying collar set-up.

 

Now, here is the clever bit. Take some six pound clear mono and a small hook, tie the nylon to the big hooks bend and with a three inch length tie on the small hook. Now bait the small hook with something you know a bait fish will like. I have had good results in UK waters with my home-made size 10 white feathers, this also means you can set out for a quick session with no bait at all.

 

Paddle to the top of a sandbank ( The kayak man will probably have a distinct advantage over us boat types in shallow estuary mouths, even small motor boats have a habit of getting grounded here as tides ebb, and the extra stealth is sure to be beneficial. ………I really am going to have to get a kayak!) , ‘feather’ the rig until you feel a bait fish is on. This will almost certainly be a sandeel in the UK. Bye the way, don’t bother with any hooked mackerel, with this method they invariably come off the small hook if you try to fish with then.

 

Now hold on tight and bounce the little fella down the side of the sand bank………bendo!

 

You really need to try this, it works a treat. I landed my personal best Turbot doing this and Bass 5lb plus are very common !

 

The reason why this is so effective is twofold:

 

Firstly, if you can’t catch sandeel in your chosen fishing spot then chances are there aren’t any Bass there either. You won’t waste time fishing a ‘fishless’ mark. Contra to what some anglers would have you believe, the big bass don’t lie some 10 miles offshore from were you caught the bait. Nine out of ten times the bigger bass are on the edge of the bait fish areas waiting for a straggler to get careless.

 

Secondly, because you didn’t wrench the poor thing up from the depths tearing his face and squishing his swim bladder, knakering him out on the way up, grasping him with your dry sausage fingers, keeping him for hours in a blood stained tank with his dying mates, inserting a hook back in him and squishing his guts again as he takes an express elevator ride back down to a depth he has never been before, he is still a ‘Live’ livebait.

 

This method will ensure the fit little trooper will now wiggle like crazy for hours, meaning your bait will be in the water were the fish are longer, and his thrashing around will attract something in the deep water channels………I guarantee it.

 

Please note that if the livebait is a sandeel don’t static fish the bottom, he’s so fresh he’ll just bury himself and you wont catch a thing. Now if I can only devise a way of keeping a joey on the small hook…hummm?

 

Try it and let me know how your kayaks perform, I have a hunch you will be able to reach the spots where us boat boys can’t …………You know it, dam the expense, the new OK Elite 4.5 has my name all over it.

 

Thanks for the info Fishfingers.I think that will come in handy just outside Poole Harbour.There is a sandbar called Hook sands.I will give it a go there next time I am out

[fishfingers]

Just an afterthought, if conditions and location are right, you will catch a lot of fish live baiting.

 

This is good, but only take fish you really want and need. I can forgive novices in a fit of excitement, but there is no place in fishing for greed or **** contests.

 

These larger bass are the real breading stock. If you’re going to take fish, take the ones that are just over the size limit. They make a reasonable family meal without waste, and the large one left in the water will produce another hundred 'limit' fish in 4 years time.

 

Most fish caught live baiting like this will be lip hooked, and need never leave the water. Enjoy catching your fish, and enjoy the thought of them still swimming around out there.

 

For the future, fishfingers

[Zzippy]

Just an afterthought, if conditions and location are right, you will catch a lot of fish live baiting.

 

This is good, but only take fish you really want and need. I can forgive novices in a fit of excitement, but there is no place in fishing for greed or **** contests.

 

These larger bass are the real breading stock. If you’re going to take fish, take the ones that are just over the size limit. They make a reasonable family meal without waste, and the large one left in the water will produce another hundred 'limit' fish in 4 years time.

 

Most fish caught live baiting like this will be lip hooked, and need never leave the water. Enjoy catching your fish, and enjoy the thought of them still swimming around out there.

 

For the future, fishfingers

 

But the fish just over the size limit have not yet spawned.You would be better off taking the odd one for the table that has allready had chance to spawn.

But you will also find that 99% of the people on this site do catch and release anyway.

But if you were really that worried about so called "novices" taking all they catch,why post it in the first place

Edited July 26, 2006 by Zzippy

[fishfingers]

Zippy, it takes bass a long time to reach spawning age. The size limit is there to ensure that even with commercial fishing taking a big chunk, enough of these ‘just size’ fish continue to live long enough to grow big and spawn.

(A head start if you like!).

 

Every large fish you leave in the water, statically speaking, greatly increases the overall number of spawning adults, as they spawn this year and every year for a long time. That’s why with stocks just recovering, its not clever to take the big fish if you can help it.

 

Obviously if the fish is seriously wounded, say damaged gills (its life, it happens), their would be no point in throwing it back to die later. You just have to live with the guilt and get out the BBQ.

 

I hope I haven’t offended anyone with the catch and release stuff, obviously the vast majority of anglers love the fish they catch and respect them accordingly. The thought was meant only as a reminder to those who would abuse information and we should all continue to state this over and over until we reach 100% awareness of catch and release.

 

Sermon over, sorry to be a bore, Fishfingers

[SpeciMan]

A just sizeable bass has not had chance to breed. Hence the Bass Management Plan and the proposal to increase the MLS.

 

 

I'm sure no one here is against Catch and Release but correct information must be given.

[Hungry Fisherman]

well its good that ppl post idea's like this thanks fishfingers my skill at catching bass will asure theres plenty left in the sea lol

everynow and then i will keep one as you say just over legal limit wil suffice for me spawn or not its over the limit there fore its legal

 

in my mind if a 100 make it to over limit size i reckon only 50 of em will reach spawnning [this aint acurate its just painting a picture] id rather keep 1 of a 100 than one out of 50

tbh though id rather keep mackerel

you get lots they are very healthy for you i think bass is overrated as an eating fish they make for a mutch better sport fish than a trophy at home anyday

this website has tought me a lot of things about catch and release etc

do plaice have a size limit as well they are lovely on a dish

Edited July 26, 2006 by Hungry Fisherman

[fishfingers]

I was under the impression males matured at between 32cm to 35cm (Typically 4 years old in uk waters) . Below the 36cm limit. The female however only mature around 42cm (typically 5 years old) unfortunatly above the limit as currently stated.

 

I will however bet that there are a lot more 5 year old fish in the water than 10 year old fish, these are just natural fish population distributions. As each of the fish has, with commercail fishing pressure, about the same chance of making it to next year, I would much rather take the small fish over the large fish.

 

Of course I never actuallyintential go to take bass for the table, just like I don't eat north sea cod, patagonian tooth fish or pandas for that matter.

 

Fishfingers

[yakerbass]

Put simply if you want to catch a big fish,use a big bait,…………and make sure its still thrashing around like crazy if your after a bass!

(i.e. don’t **** about with worm baits, crab, etc. for big bass, there are too many nuisance fish about.)

 

 

Take one large, but light, hook (4/0 Aberdeen) and make sure its razor sharp.

 

HI Fishfingers Really good post you have got me thinking about my local sand banks i have a plan

 

But i would not rule out dead baits, some really big bass have been taken from shore with mack heads and whole squid just a little cast into a gentle surf at night !

 

Have Aberdeen hooks got better over the past 5 years ? i have had two bend outs with these hooks ! so switched to Kamassan.

 

please let me know what ones you use i will have a look

 

Regards YB

Edited July 27, 2006 by yakerbass

[MJB]

So how do you sex your barely legal fish?