David Norman of West Cork Bass reports on a stellar session…

“Sometimes you see it coming, special conditions that show great promise but, more often than not, don’t always deliver what we dream of…

but sometimes, just sometimes, they deliver everything and more. Such was the case as the weeks of hot August weather we’d been enjoying gave way to an increase in wind speeds and came accompanied by a Met Éirann Level Orange severe weather alert (Thunderstorm).

I chose my locations really carefully, tucking away under high ground and watched flashes of lightning out at the horizon in the night sky and thankfully coming no nearer.

Having already landed some good sized Bass from a number of locations that evening it was immediately obvious when I connected with the big lady that I was connected to something different to the norm… Line was ripped of my tight drag with ease on multiple occasions and my 5 – 20g rod was, as you’d expect, bent right through to the butt. Heart in mouth I gradually gained the upper hand but was not willing to risk dealing with any fish in the precarious position in which I’d hooked it.

So a perilous retreat to flat ground began and seemed to last a lifetime until finally I was able to gently land the fish, get a photo, scale sample it for the IFI National Bass Program and send it on its way strong and healthy whilst I stood there alone in the dark trying to take in what had just happened – Who dares (Sometimes) Wins…

Bass
Big bass were the reward this night. The Bass measured 78cm in length so would probably weigh 10lbs+, the fish wasn’t weighed to save further time out of the water after scale sampling and photographs.

Go fishing…

Sea angling from Clonakilty to Glandore Harbour