Combe Martin SAC members are enjoying good sport along the North Devon coast. Daniel Welch tempted this fine bass of 62cm using a patching surface lure. He takes the lead in the clubs lure fishing competition. Sponsored by High Street Tackle.
John Shapland caught this stunning thin lipped grey mullet of 4lb 5oz.
Gary Moore enjoyed a weeks holiday in Woolacombe and messaged me asking if I could give a few pointers as to where he might catch a few bass. I was delighted when Gary messaged me to say he had enjoyed success on several short sessions in area.
General consensus is that the fishing year is running at least a month late with lure fishing for bass in particular only just starting to pick up. High Street Tackle in Ilfracombe is run by lure fishing enthusiast Danny Watson who tells me that interest in lure fishing is at an all time high. The shop stocks a vast range of lures from many major companies with hard plastics, soft plastics in every variation of weight size and colour. Advice is at hand as to how to rig and fish the lures. High Street tackle are sponsoring Combe Martin SAC,s annual lure fishing competition that runs from July 1st until September 5th. The competition is open to paid up club members with a first prize of up £200 of quality lure tackle with £100 for the runner up.
As settled weather improves water clarity lure fishing will start to take off with bass top of the agenda. Ross Stanway has got his season underway with an eying lure fishing catching three bass to 6lb 6oz.
Lure fishing enthusiast Mark Jones continues in his quest to land bass on lures throughout the year tempting this fine looking bass of over 4lb on his latest trip to the waters edge.
Keen lure fishing enthusiast Mark Jones has set himself the challenge of catching a bass on a lure in every month of the year. He started in November 2020 and has succeeded each month so far. With December, January and February ticked off it should be plain sailing from here on?
As autumn descends upon us the evenings draw in and it seems essential to try and fit in those short evening sessions with the lure rod before darkness descends and many of us turn to bait fishing. There is of course the opportunity to catch bass after dark with the lure but this is something I always intend to try but tend to shy away from as I feel slightly uncomfortable wading the boulder strewn marks I prefer whilst fishing alone.
This season I have fished far more using weedless soft plastics and have enjoyed some success using the Megabass spindle worms. This 5.5 inch lure gives me confidence as it is retrieved sending a pleasing pulsing action back through the light braid to the rod. I love fishing really shallow water as the tide floods in and have discovered that the bass will move into water less than a foot deep.
Whilst I carry a selection of lures I only tend to alternate between half a dozen patterns.
I arrived at my chosen mark as the tide was starting to flood and searched the shallow boulder strewn foreshore after ten minutes a flash of silver appeared just a few feet from where I stood slamming into the lure with ferocity. After a spirited battle at close range the bass of around 3lb 8oz was beached.
I fished on confident of further success and twenty minutes later the lure was hit by a far bigger fish that made an impressive reel screaming dash for freedom in the shallow water. A handsome bass of around 6lb was admired and its image captured before release.
The autumn months can offer the best chance of the year to catch that elusive double figure bass. At one time I believed the best chance of a double lay with a big bait. Now I am not so sure and feel confident that persistence with the lure will pay dividends eventually.
Ross Stanway (Right) has won this years Combe Martin SAC Lure Fishing Competition sponsored by Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle. Ross takes away a top of the range N- One lure fishing rod from Major Craft. The winning bass neared 70 cm and was calculated to weigh over 9lb. Wayne Thomas was Runner who won an impressive bundle of quality lures. (Middle) with a bass of 62cm estimated at 6lb.
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway continues to seek out bass with lures intent of maintaining his lead in the clubs lure fishing competition sponsored by Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle. He tells me the lure fishing has slowed down in recent days. I suspect the bass are feasting on spider crab or mackerel off-shore. Ross also enjoyed success with his family landing a 3lb wrasse whilst son Charlie enjoyed success with pollock and smelt. The below bass was 49cm.
