Sea bass fishing - time of day most important factor?

[Lunix79]

Hi all,

I have been fishing for sea bass a lot recently around the marks near my house here in the southwest, mostly off rocky marks but sometimes have a go in estuaries and beaches when I am with the children. Long story short, apart from the one mark which seems to be consistent every day at certain tide times, irrespective of conditions it seems (though I don't go there when it gets too rough as it would be too dangerous - though from previous experience, that normally means that the bigger fish move in as opposed to there being no bass ), patterns are still hard to decipher after a second summer studying each of the marks.

Recently though, I have been getting up at dawn and I have to say, there definitely seems to be a pattern there! there always seem to be bass about! Mostly schoolies, but I fish very light (3-15g) so it has been great fun!

To emphasise the time of day theory, I decided to go to a mark I have hammered but not caught a single bass yet. Just been out this morning at sunrise at a local estuary, got there slightly late at 5 and was not feeling too hopeful as apart from a few wrasse I have never done well from the spot but today that changed, 3 bass, biggest to 1.16kg which unfortunately took the lure through the gills and had to be killed. All in all, just over an hour of top surface fishing, great fun. Next time I will arrive a little earlier, definitely something to be said about time of day! First time I fish that spot at dawn

[Mike J]

Flooding tide and the 1/2 hour before sun up, magical!
All my surface fishing is done at dawn or an hour each side of sunset. Wherever you are the big September springs being the best of the year and those in May running a close second.
Bent Min or Patch for calm, LC Point or CD 14 for waves.

.

[stubbojo]

Flooding tide and the 1/2 hour before sun up, magical!
All my surface fishing is done at dawn or an hour each side of sunset. Wherever you are the big September springs being the best of the year and those in May running a close second.
Bent Min or Patch for calm, LC Point or CD 14 for waves.

.

for me mike September better month for the bigger fish and definitely earlier the better first light , but i mostly fish from the boat getting into those unfishable spots from land
i like a big mackerel type lure think its a dexter in the heavier size ......sorts out the bigger fish me thinks ....
thinking back caught some very nice bass at any time of the day ,but probably tide related flooding seems to be best , but also had them on the ebb and slacks , when boat fishing there could only be a small window of opportunity due to weather or wind ....so really forced to go out when not favourable bass conditions ie tide ,wind, drifts , bait finding plays a big part like most predator fishing .....some days when out bass fishing you know its right but only when all the factors come together....if you get my drift...

[Bob Watson]

Bass! Bass! Bass!

You're not in a restaurant

[Mike J]

Bass! Bass! Bass!

You're not in a restaurant

Agreed, I also dislike the adoption of TV chef jagonism.




.

[Lunix79]

Yesterday was one of those days - 12 bass landed in under 2 hours!
nothing huge, all but two were in the 1-2lb bracket, but fishing a strong tidal current as an estuary was emptying last 2-3hours of the ebb on a 3-15 rod...great fun! all but 3 fell to a silver long spoon gently twitched as the currents carried it out..going again this evening, saw a few bigger fish jumping but the smaller ones always seemed to beat them to it

[Mike J]

Yesterday was one of those days - 12 bass landed in under 2 hours!
nothing huge, all but two were in the 1-2lb bracket, but fishing a strong tidal current as an estuary was emptying last 2-3hours of the ebb on a 3-15 rod...great fun! all but 3 fell to a silver long spoon gently twitched as the currents carried it out..going again this evening, saw a few bigger fish jumping but the smaller ones always seemed to beat them to it

I use a similar spoon made by ILBA, its an Italian company that produces for the regional market. A tackle importer gave me a selection but the most successful by far was the 2" Dentex.
The other lure thats similar is the cebar or german sprat, my father had doubles on them (Porthcurno) but just lost my last one so need some more.

The other day, on the quay in blazing sun and kids all around crabbing and a guy a caught two to 6lb in quick succession, the lure was a lipped, hard bodied, jointed sandeel thing like Ive never seen before.

.

[Lunix79]

Yesterday was one of those days - 12 bass landed in under 2 hours!
nothing huge, all but two were in the 1-2lb bracket, but fishing a strong tidal current as an estuary was emptying last 2-3hours of the ebb on a 3-15 rod...great fun! all but 3 fell to a silver long spoon gently twitched as the currents carried it out..going again this evening, saw a few bigger fish jumping but the smaller ones always seemed to beat them to it

I use a similar spoon made by ILBA, its an Italian company that produces for the regional market. A tackle importer gave me a selection but the most successful by far was the 2" Dentex.
The other lure thats similar is the cebar or german sprat, my father had doubles on them (Porthcurno) but just lost my last one so need some more.

The other day, on the quay in blazing sun and kids all around crabbing and a guy a caught two to 6lb in quick succession, the lure was a lipped, hard bodied, jointed sandeel thing like Ive never seen before.

.

I know Ilba well, I came across them when living in Cornwall at the Bodmin tackle shop. Not seen the spoon you are talking about though, I will have a look. I am half Italian and have enquired about them with family and friends over there. Italy actually has quite an interesting lure market, I used some handmade spoons that just fluttered beautifully in mountain lakes, caught plenty nice trout on them

The Sandeep lure - I actually purchased one today that sounds similar to the one you are describing, made by savage gear. Though where I fish is so weedy, i find the spoon is a little more forgiving in my situation

Went back to the spot yesterday evening - had 10 bass this time, biggest to just shy of 3lb. I did have one massive take though, only one which peeled line off the reel (I have it set as tight as I dare), a good 5 meters! I know there are sea trout around the estuary, so it could've been that, it definitely felt heavy straight away! Going to try my luck again this evening, hopefully it won't get too dark before perfect tide time!

[Mike J]

Yesterday was one of those days - 12 bass landed in under 2 hours!
nothing huge, all but two were in the 1-2lb bracket, but fishing a strong tidal current as an estuary was emptying last 2-3hours of the ebb on a 3-15 rod...great fun! all but 3 fell to a silver long spoon gently twitched as the currents carried it out..going again this evening, saw a few bigger fish jumping but the smaller ones always seemed to beat them to it

I use a similar spoon made by ILBA, its an Italian company that produces for the regional market. A tackle importer gave me a selection but the most successful by far was the 2" Dentex.
The other lure thats similar is the cebar or german sprat, my father had doubles on them (Porthcurno) but just lost my last one so need some more.

The other day, on the quay in blazing sun and kids all around crabbing and a guy a caught two to 6lb in quick succession, the lure was a lipped, hard bodied, jointed sandeel thing like Ive never seen before.

.

I know Ilba well, I came across them when living in Cornwall at the Bodmin tackle shop. Not seen the spoon you are talking about though, I will have a look. I am half Italian and have enquired about them with family and friends over there. Italy actually has quite an interesting lure market, I used some handmade spoons that just fluttered beautifully in mountain lakes, caught plenty nice trout on them

The Sandeep lure - I actually purchased one today that sounds similar to the one you are describing, made by savage gear. Though where I fish is so weedy, i find the spoon is a little more forgiving in my situation

Went back to the spot yesterday evening - had 10 bass this time, biggest to just shy of 3lb. I did have one massive take though, only one which peeled line off the reel (I have it set as tight as I dare), a good 5 meters! I know there are sea trout around the estuary, so it could've been that, it definitely felt heavy straight away! Going to try my luck again this evening, hopefully it won't get too dark before perfect tide time!

The ILBA Dentex is the long slim spoon, it swims in a rocking motion with the curved side down, they come in a range of sizes up to 80mm of so. Italy produces some superb tackle but much of it rarely leaves the county, I use an Alutecnos Gorilla in lefthand and my boat was rigged with custom made tele outriggers produced by Italcanna.

I was out last night, fishing the flood until 11ish. The only fish I saw was a good fish move off the shallows as I cast over and a hard knock on a splasher.
I fish for ST on the rivers (was out Tuesday night) and in the sea but they are the hardest of fish to make stick, their attack is usually from the side and v fast, you feel the weight and the rod goes around violently then nothing! Grrr
Last nights lures drying - the ILBA is bottom left.

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[Lunix79]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the photo of the spoon - it looks very similar to the one I have been catching on!
I love the simplicity of them - like many who started lure fishing in the last 10years, the market is full of lures that look so realistic, spoons get overlooked as they don't inspire confidence...it's only when you start catching on them (and them often out-fishing anything else, exception made maybe for a mepps spinner or similar) that you realise how realistic they look, especially under the blazing summer sun!
Sorry to hear about the fruitless day out - I had my record on Thursday with 17 bass, day after went back and only had one, the smallest schoolie in the world! Fishing hey?

[stubbojo]

when there having it they will take anything you chuck at them , but a big livey sorts out the bigger fish by far ..........

i am in dry dock ....... covid has floored me .. i am 6 days into it now

[stubbojo]

Yesterday was one of those days - 12 bass landed in under 2 hours!
nothing huge, all but two were in the 1-2lb bracket, but fishing a strong tidal current as an estuary was emptying last 2-3hours of the ebb on a 3-15 rod...great fun! all but 3 fell to a silver long spoon gently twitched as the currents carried it out..going again this evening, saw a few bigger fish jumping but the smaller ones always seemed to beat them to it

I use a similar spoon made by ILBA, its an Italian company that produces for the regional market. A tackle importer gave me a selection but the most successful by far was the 2" Dentex.
The other lure thats similar is the cebar or german sprat, my father had doubles on them (Porthcurno) but just lost my last one so need some more.

The other day, on the quay in blazing sun and kids all around crabbing and a guy a caught two to 6lb in quick succession, the lure was a lipped, hard bodied, jointed sandeel thing like Ive never seen before.

.

i also have had some good sea trout , at first thought it was a good bass , then turned into a 4lb trout
I know Ilba well, I came across them when living in Cornwall at the Bodmin tackle shop. Not seen the spoon you are talking about though, I will have a look. I am half Italian and have enquired about them with family and friends over there. Italy actually has quite an interesting lure market, I used some handmade spoons that just fluttered beautifully in mountain lakes, caught plenty nice trout on them

The Sandeep lure - I actually purchased one today that sounds similar to the one you are describing, made by savage gear. Though where I fish is so weedy, i find the spoon is a little more forgiving in my situation

Went back to the spot yesterday evening - had 10 bass this time, biggest to just shy of 3lb. I did have one massive take though, only one which peeled line off the reel (I have it set as tight as I dare), a good 5 meters! I know there are sea trout around the estuary, so it could've been that, it definitely felt heavy straight away! Going to try my luck again this evening, hopefully it won't get too dark before perfect tide time!

[Lunix79]

when there having it they will take anything you chuck at them , but a big livey sorts out the bigger fish by far ..........

i am in dry dock ....... covid has floored me .. i am 6 days into it now

Sorry to hear you're unwell - hopefully you'll bounce back soon. I had it for six days bad, seventh started clearing and fast - fingers crossed for you! Hope you have a kind soul looking after you!

I find that is true for all predators - when a feeding bonanza is on, the big'uns are looking to feed off bigger fish! I believe we often fish lures which are just 'too small' and therefore the smaller, more active fish will chase it down first! Although I am equally sure that a well presented live bait normally outfishes a lure

[stubbojo]

when there having it they will take anything you chuck at them , but a big livey sorts out the bigger fish by far ..........

i am in dry dock ....... covid has floored me .. i am 6 days into it now

Sorry to hear you're unwell - hopefully you'll bounce back soon. I had it for six days bad, seventh started clearing and fast - fingers crossed for you! Hope you have a kind soul looking after you!

I find that is true for all predators - when a feeding bonanza is on, the big'uns are looking to feed off bigger fish! I believe we often fish lures which are just 'too small' and therefore the smaller, more active fish will chase it down first! Although I am equally sure that a well presented live bait normally outfishes a lure

i usually fish quite big lures when i do lure fish for bass, but most of my bass fishing is done off a boat where i can target the bigger fish with a well presented live mackerel or a big sand eel either under a float or free-lined with a small bullet weight in the ripps around shallow reefs

[stubbojo]

these are the type i like to use for the bigger bass, kind of match the hatch mackerel type , cast these around the shallow reefs and close the cliff areas again in shallow areas about 15feet deep on average......

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[stubbojo]

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2 fish on live mackerel and the smaller one on a rubber sand-eel side winder.......a few seasons back

[stubbojo]

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[Lunix79]

these are the type i like to use for the bigger bass, kind of match the hatch mackerel type , cast these around the shallow reefs and close the cliff areas again in shallow areas about 15feet deep on average...... DSCN1367.JPGDSCN1371.JPGDSCN1369.JPG

These are very similar in shape to the ones I use....when I am at a spot from the shore in summer that allows it due to weed!

Those are some pretty nice fish you have in your other photos! Hopefully towards the end of the year some fish that size will come to some of the marks I am at now

I am jealous of your boat - I am hoping to buy a sea kayak next year to access some better spots, but still won't have the same range as a boat of course!

[stubbojo]

most of the places i fish can be accessed by a kayak if the weather is kind , last season i was 2 miles out on a reef and 4 guys come up on kayaks and it was blowing a bit ...braver than me .....
the ali boat in the picture is my pike boat , but i bring it on holiday sometimes if the sea is flat i like to fly and lure fish off it ,but dont go out far in it in the sea ........as you can see the freeboard is not that high.......