Unequivocally my favourite form of the sport, nothing beats working a lure through the waves or the frothing water as it laps up around the rocks. Waiting for that unmistakable smack and run with the reel cranking away!
I’ve had more fun and satisfaction fishing for bass than any other species. It’s high-tempo and adrenaline-inducing, yet also extremely convenient in terms of how little gear you need to take with you. The perfect combo, in my opinion. You can stay on the move and have an adventure, or you can hit the jackpot at your first mark and feel like you’ve cracked the code with hit after hit. And, just when you think you’ve got it all worked out, the stunning and aggressive, hard-fighting bars of silver are suddenly the most elusive sea specimen, and nothing you do makes it happen.
That, for me, is one of the things that keeps the novelty of bass fishing so fresh. I know other forms of fishing can throw up anomalies where you just can’t switch the fish on, but nothing like the true mystery that bass can pull off. Then you get a day like my perhaps most memorable session.
Best Lure Fishing for Bass Moment
I’d arrived at my favorite mark to find someone else already fishing there. DRAT. As I edged closer, I realized he was casting from the rocks. Hmm. Interesting. I hopped over to my usual rock of choice and cast what was perhaps my most premature and impatient first cast to date. A slow retrieve back and bang, fish on. I learned the lad bait fishing hadn't had a fish yet, so it was obvious to me the bass were after a bit of chase for their meals today!
Fish after fish after fish, I didn’t feel as though I could fail. Casting into the blue-green sea, allowing my SG Sand Eel lure to drop down through the water column before slowly retrieving it back in the direction of the current. Smash after smash, the bass were hungry and fired up for a feeding frenzy. I think I landed around 11 bass in the space of an hour and a bit, all safely returning to fight another day. Epic.
The true cherry on top for me, though, was that I’d introduced the lad and his family to the joys of lure fishing for bass. I let him use my rod to get an idea of the agility and fun this awesome way of fishing has to offer. He landed his first couple of bass, and when he asked for the name of my set-up and lures I was using, I knew he was converted! Seeing the rush and thrill it brings me transferred into someone else in a flash was just brilliant.
Getting Friends Into Bass Lure Fishing
My next successful trip and another one introducing an old family friend to my now ‘all I ever talk about’ sport brought something that even a non-angler could appreciate.
We turned up to my mark of choice and I have never seen the water so clear in my life. Gin clear. Not the best conditions, I feared, and I was desperate for my new recruit to catch up so as not to disappoint when along came a huge spray of whitebait from the water.
Darting out like little silver fireworks, with my reaction to match, bass were hunting them in crystal-clear, shallow water and I could see every bit of the show. Every few seconds, another display of whitebait shot out of the water as they were being chased by the feisty, powerful bass. I’d forgotten all about the fishing while watching this true spectacle of nature in its purest form. The fish couldn’t care less about us being there, and I felt extremely lucky. This made mackerel feeding frenzies look underwhelming in comparison!
A few casts between us into the huge dark masses of baitfish that were surrounding the rocks and shoreline, and we were in. My friend exploded with excitement as he hooked into his first fish, and it wasn’t small. His face lit up the entire fight, and after landing his prize, around 46cm, the celebration he gave certainly confirmed he’d been sucked in! Welcome to the world of bass fishing!
If you're into fishing, or if you're not into fishing, you should try lure fishing for bass. I wish I had found it sooner!
