Stunning open coast conditions, some decent light, can’t not get out there for a go - but it is March……….

I suspect that if you went back through this blog you would find a few similar posts to this one. That first real hint of spring warmth, the coastline finally behaves after a good while and finally throws up some stunning water conditions, the light actually looks inspiring for a change - it’s been a long and crap winter! - and any angler who loves to fish for bass with lures is going to struggle not to get out there for a go if they can………………

Which is exactly what I did a couple of days ago on some very small tides. Because I wasn’t quite sure what sort of sea to expect I didn’t have a specific location in mind. I went to have a look at a general area to then make my mind up if the conditions looked favourable, taking into account that I prefer some spots on smaller tides and so on. I know it’s not even the middle of March and if “tradition” is anything at all to go by these days then I know it’s going to be tough. That hint of warmth and a bit of early spring sunshine always seduces me though, and if nothing else I can start to put a few different bits and pieces through their paces.

So we didn’t set the bass fishing world alight a couple of days ago, but I can’t recall seeing better conditions out on the open coast for a good while. I was hoping that the strong SW winds which had started to build the previous afternoon would result in bouncy but green water as it went back to NW, and it did. I don’t tend to like straight NW winds a huge amount, but they do tend to produce really good light for photography with the mix of sunshine and showers this wind direction brings in. Which we got. I also like how the smaller tides hold the water around all the features for longer on an ebb tide. As I kept saying to myself, if that had been September I’d have been literally wetting myself at how good everything looked.

I did get bumped by a bass which didn’t connect on what is so often my go-to for ground like this, the Savage Gear Gravity Stick Paddletail on the 6/0 3g belly-weight weedless hook. I love the estuary based bass fishing, but I also need the open coast stuff and how different it feels to help keep the fires burning for these amazing fish. It’s such a different feel to fish with a paddletail on the open coast in bouncy conditions when you are casting and retrieving, but also very deliberately allowing all that sea movement to wash your lure around. I haven’t fished with the Penn Authority 2500 spinning reel for a while, and it’s a bloody machine. Sure you need to underfill it a bit and it’s heavier than an equivalent size Shimano spinning reel, but once I’m out fishing and not thinking about stuff which doesn’t make any difference when I am actually fishing anyway? It just doesn’t matter. Use what you like and what you can afford and whatever does the job for you. Surely it’s as simple as that?

Dave got slammed really hard by a bass when we made it around a specific corner with the slowly receding waters, but again the sodding fish didn’t connect and I could literally see steam coming out of his ears when I caught up to him! He was fishing with one his own Labrax Mafia Morsetto paddletails in the pink colour which he really likes on the open coast especially. We didn’t exactly cover ourselves in glory, but we did get out and we found some signs of life.

I also got to wear a pair of the new Westin W8 breathable chest waders for the first time. I obviously need a lot more time with them, but my initial impressions are that they are noticeably easy to move around in - very well cut or shaped or whatever you would call it - and the material feels pretty tough and as breathable as a pair of BCWs are going to be. The gravel guards don’t do much good but I have a pair of standalone neoprene gravel guards here at home which I can use with these Westin W8 BCWs when I am out fishing and the waves are swirling sand and gravel around. Initial impressions - a very comfortable and easy to wear pair of BCWs which I hope will last a decent amount of time. Westin are doing a lot of really good gear, big respect to them. Roll on Saturday and an epic final day of what has been an incredible 2026 Six Nations, even if my hoped for Grand Slam decider tomorrow evening isn’t happening!

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