tips on catching bass

[alopezg1]

I suppose I am beginner, I certainly feel like one. I started spearfishing last year . I had a couple of months before it got to cold and I went off travelling . I started again this year in early May. Last year I managed to catch 4 or 5 Pollock . I also shot a couple of Wrasse without realizing that I wasn't supposed to , I feel bad about that and think I could have researched a bit before I started. This year, so far , I have caught 3 good sized flounder . I have seen plenty of Pollock but I seem to keep missing the buggers. What I really want to set my sights on now, are some Bass. I was just wondering , there is a lot of information out there but is there in your opinion , a best time and place to catch the Bass? I am under the impression that the best time is low tide coming in , about an hour or two before high tide and an hour at slack tide. Also , as far as place goes, I have been scouting kelp forest and stringweed forests. I live in Falmouth, Cornwall , so I have easy access to beaches . There are some sandy beaches which leadon to rocky reefs and kelp forests . I would have thought these would be good places . I realized I was going to far out , and have since come back in to about 2 metres . Am I doing this right? Also I think I saw a bass the other day but I am not entirely sure , whatever it was it was certainly very large and was not a Pollock or a wrasse. Any help or advice would be most appreciated . Thanks
Alex

 

[Mr. X]

There are all kinds of theories on this stuff. Dr. Mike Ladle's books & website are probably as good as any resource for learning something of the behaviour of bass. Although, with spearfishing, you don't have to tempt the bass to feed. As the sea warms up (e.g. now until November), I expect your chances will improve. I would think Falmouth and the surrounding area are good locations. The Lizard, nearby, certainly offers decent fishing, including bass, sometimes.

 

[foxfish]

In all my years of spearfishing I have always found low tide, out of any tide, in the shallows, on calm days, in the weed to be the most productive method of spearing bass.
Stealth is another key factor & really can not be emphasised enough!!
It can take years of searching to find good areas, they might be in the lea of an offshore reef or in a sheltered lagoon close to shore or one mile out!
I have taken dozens of newbies out over the years & on virtually every occasion they don't see fish but I still catch or at least see bass.
Stealth is the key in the shallows, correct lead weigh in the right place is important & recognising hot patches when you can really slow down & 'expect' without sending out bad vibes to the fish.
It takes time but as with most things practice is a sure way to success ....

 

[alopezg1]

OK, thanks guys

It seems there is no privileged time and place for the bass then? Foxfish you say Lowtide in the shallows , but I have heard others say high tide , or low tide coming in . I'll just keep trying , I may head out tonight as it as just about low tide down here and I have previously been avoiding low tide as I heard it is a bad time . I'll let you know how I get on. Also, when you mention being stealthy, what exactly does this entail? do you mean , being under water as much as possible, not flapping around , smooth and slow movements when on the surface and quiet breathing? I also don't have a camo wetsuit , I suppose this can't help . And one more thing , when you say shallows what depth are we talking ? I think I have been going anywhere from 1.5- 4 metres . I have been going deeper but that was with the intention of catching Pollock . One more question! Are smaller fish a good sign? that is to say I often stop where I notice a warm patch of water and dive down ; there is more often than not a school of small fishes , is this a good sign? I presume this is the type of prey the Bass feeds on. Thanks Again for you help

Alex

 

[foxfish]

Bass rest on the slack water or find slack water to rest.
When they are resting it is quite possible to stealth within a range that allows a absolute sure kill, or in other words you shoot them through the gill plate when your spear tip is almost touching the fish!
You will find resting bass deep in the weed where they feel safe, any form of fast, jerky or unnatural movement will see them swim off.
Bass can be caught in very shallow water, I prefer to see the weed just touching the surface, if the weed is lying flat on the surface then it is extremely difficult to swim through.
So my preferred depth is based on the height of the weed, the type of weed & the specific venue.
In certain areas of Jap weed, this might mean diving to mid water .. say 5' under the surface in 10' of water or hunting from the surface over bladder vraic in only 3' of water.
I also hunt in the lea of fast water or when the tide is flowing, you might find a nice reef surrounded by kelp, very often bass can be seen waiting in the lea for bait fish but they will be more alert & you might need to shoot from a longer range.

 

[alopezg1]

Thanks guys for the advice. I caught my first bass three days ago! i am trying to figure out how to upload the photos! i was a bit dissapointed as when i got it home and measured it it was 38 cm , which seemed pretty good size to me , certainly a good meal , but apparently about 3cm under the regulated size . I thought it would be a little pointless putting him back by then , so i ate him anyway, and he was delicious! I caught him at high tide , it hink the highest the tide gets on a little beach called Swanpool. There is a rock reef that leads on to the sandy shore and some some kelp , i caught him there . I want to try going at low tide and searching through the weeds as suggested. The only weeds that I have locally though are stringweed and kelp , i presume that bass must like these weeds. Also i have been back to the same spot several times this week and seen bass ever time , i even got caught in a large shoal of them really big ones at the front and little ones at the back , unfortunatley i was loading my gun as this happened .

 

[alopezg1]

also i think i have been spearfishing to much i feel really unwell today , all my bones ache and my head feels blocked up. The last time i was in every time i dived down i would get a sharp pain in the centre of my forehead . Also i only have a thin surf suit and by the end of the fish i am really very cold . I think i need to get a proper wetsuit and stop going every night after work!

 

[alopezg1]

it's addictive though!

 

[alopezg1]

hmm just checked another chat and apparently my bass was within the regulated size. Thats alright then!