The Bass are back....

The bass are back in the Harbour at last. On the last day before the season closed the Treasurer tried his hand at a bit of lure fishing in the Harbour and struck gold; three fine fish over a short session.

Here's a report back directly from the man himself; "I find normally that just before the bass ban kicks in I just try and squeeze in as many sessions as possible...and so it was the case again this year. On Wednesday and Thursday morning a 3am start saw me down at a favoured mark by 4am. Both were bait sessions, though, and in the two short two hour sessions I managed one fish of 65cm. I was determined to fit in a few lure sessions. Mind you lure sessions haven't been fruitful so far; I have only one fish to show for over two dozen outings.

So, another early morning on the 14th of May saw me once again at my favourite shore mark. In the pre-dawn light I was fishing upto high tide and this state of tide on this mark normally dictates that plugs are the weapon of choice. Two hours of flogging the sea to a foam over a 1/4 mile stretch of shoreline with a variety of baby feed shallows, maria chases, thundersticks and, eventually, out of desparation, a toby, saw once again a nil return. Back again I returned at low water; this time armed with a battery of soft plastics. Again, another blank. Mind you I did see fish. I had been fishing a rocky ledge, a considerable distance back from the edge. As the tide flooded over it a fish passed right in front of me only 10ft away, as casual as you like; the bugger! The water at this stage was only above my ankles.

Two hours into the flood I headed off and opted instead to try a boat outing. For the afternoon I ventured out into Cork Harbour in my boat. Again I headed to a favoured mark, and again I armed myself with a few SP's. First drift, and as my plastic sank to the bottom it was snaffled. I'd forgotten what it was like to fight a feisty bass on light gear and, oh it was a joy. A nice sized bass was soon netted and onboard for a few obligatory pics.

This was a great start but as is always the case with great starts, it was a false dawn. I persisted for another hour but that was it. Was it a solitary first fish into the harbour? A move was in order and so as the tide slowed I covered new ground. I was rewarded; shortly after I landed a better fish of 61cms.

Now the auld confidence was up; could I squeeze a third one out in what little was left of the tide? I did!!! Within a few minutes of returning the previous fish I was into another. This bugger was really feisty and he was the smaller of the three!

Now, completely on a high, I ignored my usual wisdom and carried on. Experience has taught me that on these marks slack water doesn't fish. What the hell, I was fired up, and so I carried on for another, fruitless, hour. What harm; I can retire the rods for the month now less anxious. Roll on the 16th!!!'