Back in the room......

OK, one year on from my last post so thought it was time to re-launch my blog! Why? Well mainly because I have just been given a new DSLR camera and I want somewhere to showcase my amazing fishy photos that I’m no doubt going to be taking with it…however, in the meantime you’ll have to make do with all sorts of rubbish while I get used to it!

Over the last year my fishing has focus has changed a little, not massively but I have done a little more bait fishing over the course of this year compared to the last few. That’s mainly perhaps because the bass fishing has been hard on one hand, and the other Chesil beach, has been fishing incredibly well over the course of the summer.

The bass fishing has been tough for some reason, so far this year I have caught 32 lure caught bass in 20 trip, numbers way down on previous years on a fish per trip basis. I have no idea why this should be, but I am not the only one struggling. I’m not convinced there are any less bass this year than normal though, I just think that their habits have changed a little. Maybe that’s down to the great weather we’ve been having, or the mild winter with all the storms, who knows? What I do know though is I have fished a few marks several times in spot on condition in which I would have bet my mortgage on catching and have not seen a sign of a fish, bass or otherwise. Other marks, though, have produced as normal.

Just to fill you in on some of the sessions I’ve had over the last year though….2013 finished with a flourish, then a whimper. I had a blinding session down in Cornwall catching 40 bass in the space of a couple of hours, it was absolute carnage with virtually a fish a chuck and if I had the time to stay on that day I think I could have doubled that figure! Then the season finished abruptly and I didn’t catch another fish!

This year got going in early May and it started pretty well to be honest, but things have slowed down over the summer and almost ground to a halt now, in what should be the best time of year, still with this good weather there is still plenty of time to get in a good session or two.

Bait wise, as I mentioned Chesil beach has been fishing well, particularly for the summer species at the Portland end of the beach, with lots of Bream and Gurnards and a good run of codling to around 3lb to which is always a bonus. I’ve had a few trips down here over the last couple of months and done pretty well. I’ve also caught quite a few Gurnards on lures (or power isome to be specific), bounced around on a jig head or drop shotted at 30/40 yards out. It turns out this is a very effective way of catching them and I’m sure would account for a few other species with a bit more time and effort put in.

Anyway, that’s it for now, here’s a few pics (from the old camera) of stuff I’ve caught over the last 12 months and here’s to more regular updates moving forward!