I hadn’t been fishing much recently due to family/work commitments. When I had free time, high pressure and marvelous sunny weather took hold, which was not really great for fishing. I patiently waited and soon enough a storm brewed in the Atlantic sending a wonderful wave of low pressure our way. On my first session down Portsmouth harbour, the winds were still a little too high and great rafts of weed floated by making fishing impractical.
The next day, the weed had gone, but waves and low pressure remained, it was perfect.
Recipe:
11ft bass rod 2-4 oz and size 4000 fixed spool reel loaded with 20lb braid, and 30lb leader.
Running ledger rig, 5/0 circle hook on a 50cm long hook length 30lb mono. 4oz lead weight.
Chunk of fresh mackerel.
High water slack/first of the flood.
Low pressure (most important bit)
I cast out a frozen chunk of mackerel and then started casting feathers on the 2nd rod and caught a mackerel after 5 or 6 casts. I switched the frozen chunk with a fresh one and cast out the bait towards the middle of the channel. About 10 minutes later, the rod tip bent over and line was pulled from the reel at a fast rate. Bass on! I readied the net and made my way to the waters edge and took in the slack line. The hook was already set, thanks circle hooks! It wasn’t a huge fish but it gave a good account of itself. A nice 53cm specimen.
I managed three more mackerel on the feathers to top up this winter’s bait supply then called it a day. No more bass graced me with their presence.
A few days later I returned. The low pressure remained but the wind had dropped somewhat. Also there were far more mackerel present in the harbour entrance with huge flocks of gulls making a feast of the bait fish driven to the surface. I adopted exactly the same approach and repeated the results. Same bait, same rig, same part of the tide, roughly same cast out, slightly smaller fish.
I managed a few more mackerel this time, a couple for eating and some for bait.
Now looking forward to End September/October and a real effort to get the big one! Be back soon!
First of the Flood 