If there is actually a “bass season” these days, it always feels so good to catch that first open coast bass of the new season

Nothing much about the world feels particularly normal at the moment, but when it comes to a lot of the bass fishing I naturally do around where I live, “normally” I would hope to see my first open coast bass of the new season sometime in early April if I can get the right conditions. There might well be no such thing as a bass season anymore these days with what more and more anglers are proving can happen during the traditionally dead months, but in my mind and with where I live, April sits in my head as the (potential) start of the new season……………

It’s all about the conditions is it not, and especially when it comes to our open coast bass fishing. I went out a few days ago on a bit of a whim and a prayer after those strong onshore winds we had for a couple of days, but the coast was filthy and I turned around and headed for a (blank) estuary session! A couple of days ago though and things were looking way more promising, but I didn’t quite realise how stunning the conditions were until I got out on the coast to then make a decision on where to fish. I do like smaller tides for certain specific marks so I decided to head for a small section of coastline that has often chucked up my first bass of the new season. Or whatever we want to call this time of year.

Where I started fishing was a bit deeper than where I was going to end up, so I started fishing with a 15cm Slender Scoop Shad rigged on a 4/0 Decoy Violence weedless jig head to get me down a bit. I got smacked hard by a fish which didn’t connect not long into the session, but as is often the case on this particular mark, things can then go quiet until the water strips out a bit more.

Give me bright sunshine, green water and plenty of bounce over shallow, broken ground and almost without thinking I am going to turn to the white Savage Gear Gravity Stick Paddletail rigged on the 6/0 weedless corkscrew hook with the 3g belly-weight. I would guess that you all have your favourite lures for specific conditions, and for the bouncy sea and bright light I found on the open coast a couple of days ago, this is what I chose. Perhaps most importantly it means that I am fishing with the utmost confidence.

When I did hook up I know I yelped, but I was on my own and I didn’t see another soul the whole time I was out. Absolutely glorious. I connected with the bass in exactly the specific area where I would hope to, and when a chunky April bass around the 5lb mark hit the shore I was beaming from ear to ear. There are no photos of this fish because I was alone and there was nowhere safe/kind to leave the fish and go for my camera gear which was a fair distance away from me. Slip the barbless hook out and away charges my first open coast bass of the new season. Result!

I obviously carried on fishing as the conditions started to build a bit more and really get everything fizzing up around more rocks which were starting to poke their heads out. I made one cast and my white Gravity Stick got literally wrenched around the back of an exposed rock by the swirling sea, and as is bloody typical I got whacked by a bass. Rod tip slams over, I set the hook, and a second or so later everything goes horribly slack. I don’t think that bass are a dirty fish as such, but my Berkley X9 braid (seriously loving this stuff, check this blog post here) was laid right over the top of a sharp rock when the fish hit so of course it was going to snap.

Gutted but also elated to catch a rather lovely open coast bass in such stunning conditions. I was also fishing with what I think might well be THE best £100 lure rod I have ever come across. I knew absolutely nothing about this rod until I saw it and had a waggle at The Big One Show a while back. I am so glad I picked it up and then got hold of one for a bit of a play. I will tell you all about this rod in due course, but for the time being - wow. You all have a good weekend and may some “new season” bass be smashing whatever lures you are fishing with…………..

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