1st Mike Toogood Tooe 39lbs 8 oz
2nd Kev Pike bull Huss 13lbs 2 oz
3rd Mike Toogood Tope 32lbs 4 oz
1st Mike Toogood Tooe 39lbs 8 oz
2nd Kev Pike bull Huss 13lbs 2 oz
3rd Mike Toogood Tope 32lbs 4 oz
Some stunning carp from North Devons trusty South West Lakes carp waters!
(Below) Carl Watkins had this beauty from Lower Tamar yesterday. ‘25.2 caught with a single 14mm vitalbaits kraken pop up over 18mm kraken freebies soaked in vitalbaits robin red and black squid, and salmon protein hydrolysate‘.
(Below)Karl Yates had a cracking session on Melbury at the weekend. 6 fish to 23.10 with three over 20lb!
(Below)Mervyn Beale has been back on Upper Tamar and rewarded with this lovely 21lb Mirror and 16lb Common yesterday. 20mm Nash Scopex Squid boilie doing the trick for Merv with a 5 bait stringer.
(Below) Tim Surridge has this 20lb common from Upper Tamar on his first visit to the venue. Tim also caught two more to just over 16lbs. Fishing the lookout swim with Cornwall Baits red seed and special occasion boilies.
Tarrant Wotton fished a North Devon Rock mark to tempt a fine tope of 52lb 11oz. The huge fish was landed with assistance from his good friend Julian Stainer as a heavy swell made conditions difficult. The tope was returned alive after carefully weighing and photographing.
“No words can say when I pulled this bootiful girl out the water, had some epic battles in my time but the swell made her a nightmare to land but quick photos and weighing with me old mate Julien Stainer made it a pleasure to watch her swim off”
It’s been a good season for bass fishing so far with both bait and lure anglers enjoying success. There have been good numbest of quality fish too with plenty of fish in four to six pound range. As the summer moves towards autumn bigger bass normally show with double figure fish expected. Big mackerel baits anchored out in the surf are often successful.
Kody Chugg enjoyed success with bass tempting three bass over 4lb the best 6lb 4oz during the past week. All taken on large fresh mackerel baits. . He also tempted a small eyed ray off k]just under 8lb from an up channel mark.
Dan Welch enjoyed an action packed lure fishing session in rough water conditions bringing nine fish up to 55cm ( Approx 5lb) to the shore.
With a boat trip off Ilfracombe cancelled due to a brisk wind I decided upon a short session with the lure rod in the hope of a bass. I timed my arrival at the mark two hours after low water as the flooding tide pushed over the shallow boulder strewn shoreline. The shallow water was a little murky with more suspended weed than I would like but if the lure can be presented I felt sure bass would be there. I had a Megabass spindle worm clipped the end of my line from the previous trip in similar conditions. This lure is weedless and can be fished nice and slowly in the snaggiest of water without fear of losing tackle.
I started searching the water close in where weed was not so prevalent and after a couple of casts there was a swirl and knock as a bass snatched at the lure. The next ten minutes were non eventful as I peached the mark carefully. A cast to an area of slightly clearer water brought a big swirl and an all too brief encounter.
My confidence was now high and as the tide pushed in my confidence grew. I followed the edge of the tide up and was rewarded as a bass hit the lure with thump. Line was ripped from the reel and the thin braid burnt my finger as I applied heavy pressure as the fish thrashed about in the weed. After a spirited tussle the bass was secured and at around 5lb despatched to take home for tea. I only take the occasional fish for the table returning any fish over 7lb and any under 4lb. Pan fried bass fillets are delicious!
I continued to search the shallow water and enjoyed another spited tussle with another bass of identical size that was slipped back into the shallow water. The fish swam strongly away and I hope to encounter the fish again in ten years time when it will perhaps be a double.