A couple on Sunday evening - 10th July 2011

I was busy during the day so didn't get out until evening. I arrived at the shore close to 7 pm, not an ideal time with low tide at 8 pm. I started fishing with a Feed Shallow, after a few casts I was hit by a small bass about 25 m out. I had it in at the edge of the rocks and was waiting for the next swell to coast it in over the edge but before the wave arrived the fish managed to shake itself loose!!

I continued fishing with the same lure, then about 10 minutes later the lure was struck by another bass in about the same area. It felt a slightly bigger fish and was pulling harder. I coaxed it in around the rocks into the shallows. There was no escaping this time. It was a 49 cm bass. Interestingly its dorsal spine was bloodied, as if it had been lashing at bait fish. But afterwards looking at the photo I noticed that there is a mark on the fish's body below the doral spines, looks like it was caught in a net and maybe damaged the spines trying to free itself.

There was nothing for a while after that and I tried a variety of lures. Then switched to a Texas rigged Xlayer. I cast it out an let it sink into over the edge of reef, just giving it gentle twitches to keep it moving. On the first cast there was nothing. I lobbed it out into the same gulley a second time, letting it drift. Then after a few minutes the line suddenly went taut and I could feel a strong fish pulling. Shortly afterwards it broke the surface and I could see that it was a bass. I guided it through the rocks and into the landing net. It was a 52 cm fish, well fed and weighing just under 4 lb. It was cleanly lip hooked so the hook could be removed with the minimum distress to the fish.

Just before the tide started its initial push in I moved further along the shore to a mark that often produces big bass at this stage of the tide. However, it was quite. I fished there for about an hour without a bite so moved back to where I started.  I did have a strong bite but the fish came off after a few seconds. As the light began to fade the pollock came on the feed. I had a few attack the Feed Shallow, but most were lightly hooked and came off apart from one. At that stage I decided to pack up as it was going to be difficult to find a bass through the pollock.