By Tom Baron

One thing I’m sure all ultra light anglers can agree on, is how much sport even a small goby or pollack will give on a LRF rod.  While it can be great fun targeting the mini species using ultra light tackle, I decided for the latter half of 2022 to flip that on its head and try pushing the boundaries of LRF by targeting big bass on the 1-7g set up. It’s fair to say I found my new favourite fish to target and the results certainly didn’t disappoint! 

After having another fantastic summer catching big bass, pollack and wrasse on the heavier 10-40g set up, I figured for the start of the October holidays I’d change things up a bit and splash the cash on some new Keitech soft plastics. In particular, the 3.5 inch Easy Shiners and 3.3 inch Swing Impact Fat. The plan of attack was to fish these on an LRF set up, my rod rated 1-7g and my reel being 1000 sized, loaded with 9lb Daiwa J Braid. I really wanted to get the most out of these stunning creatures and figured it’s got to be worth a shot. 

For the first trip targeting bass, I was out on a stunning Cornish estuary chucking small 7g soft plastics into the racing current, it looked spot on. Gin clear water, plenty of tide, bird activity, and an abundance of baitfish. Everything looked perfect but for the first hour nothing, not even a nibble! I was trying to get the distance using a 10g jigpara, letting it sink and a constant speedy retrieve back towards the shore hoping that a hungry schoolie Bass would come along but they had different ideas. After a long calculated think, I decided to change the profile, stick on a small 7g easy shiner and let the tide do the work. I figured what I’d be lacking in casting distance I’d sure make up for in a much slower controlled retrieve speed.  

Pretty much immediately, I got hit! My small 1000 sized Shimano Stradic started giving line as it became clearly apparent I was into a bass, and a big one at that! I will never forget the fight. The tide was absolutely ripping past me and this fish was determined to swim downstream and within the first 20 seconds, this bass must have stripped 40 yards of braid leaving me with only one option…. to follow it! 

Hastily, I scurried along the estuary bank, making sure the line had tension and there was a constant bend in the rod. That first run must have been physically demanding on the bass and afterwards she played ball, luckily finding my net within 3 minutes of being hooked. 

She measured in at 47cm and after a few questionable snapshots I was overjoyed to slip her back and watch her magnificent silver flanks slowly glide back into the the cover.

               I was hooked!! 

The next session was down in Devon on an urban bass hunt.  I had adopted fairly similar tactics as before, the only difference being I was fishing from the comfort of a stone pier, casting no more than 20 yards towards some pontoons and moored fishing boats. Bass love nothing more than a good old bit of structure; this can be in the form of shallow reefs, sand bars, boats or harbour walls. You get the idea, anywhere they can corner and hunt baitfish with decent cover will likely hold bass, especially when there’s a good run of tide coming through. 

My first hit came from chucking a small 5g Fiiish Black Minnow in between the pontoon and the wall. It came as somewhat of a surprise, just as I was lifting the lure out the water, a bass devoured it.  Only a tiny schoolie but it just goes to show, 10 yard casts between the structures can really pay off when targeting Bass. 

 After this awesome result, I carried on round the harbour making sure to cover as much ground as possible while trying to locate the bass. The second and final hit of this trip came with a stunning bass, bang on keeping size (42cm). Personally, I like to see my bass returned, as they make for great sport in the seasons to come and are also an extremely important fish for the health of the harbour.

My last trip of November targeting local bass was a great one! I had plans to walk a few miles and fish some interesting looking urban features that I was sure would hold them.  Tides and wind were perfect and I was almost certain I would find one or two. On this trip, I was guiding my mate too, hoping to show him the ropes and teach him a few key pointers. I got out to the first mark and on my 3rd chuck my lure was smashed again. Instantly, I knew I was onto another big one, as it was stripping line and taking me for a right run about round the bay. After a few quick pictures, the fish was released, another absolute stunner falling to a Keitech Easy Shiner bumped slowly along the mixed ground sea bed. 

After such quick success, we fished on, I landed another much smaller fish of around 25cm before the tide turned, pushing the hungry bass back out into the bay. So we headed up to Mount Batten breakwater and both managed an 8 species session, just dropping tiny dropshot and cheb rigs between the deep snaggy rocks. 

By the time we got back to the ferry the tide was halfway in, light was beginning to fade and we only had 20 minutes until our bus home. So we came up with a plan; we were both to phone our parents, miss the 6.20pm bus and stay out later to catch the next bus home.  This gave us a short window to get down on a floating pontoon and chuck some small lures about for the last time. I was on three Bass but Will hadn’t had a nibble, so I was determined to find him a fish. 

Within minutes I was getting follows, predominantly from smaller fish that were hunting in the mid to upper water column, presumably taking little sand eels and other fish from the big shoals. It wasn’t long before I hooked my first fish at this spot. This fish took my lure at distance and gave me a right run about in the tidal flow, almost running me into the anchor chains that were mounting the floating pontoon tight against the rocky sea bed. With some stroke of luck, I managed to steer it away and she swiftly found the net! 

The last trip of the year.
It was now early December, water temperatures were starting to drop and the numbers for species hunting days had dropped from 10 per session down to 5 or so, Winter was fast upon us! The League was also in full swing now and I had an idea to start my Winter hunt off with a session down in Plymouth. One of the species I had in mind being a bass. I will never forget that day, easily the best session I’ve had in my life for so many reasons! 

I woke up at the crack of dawn and got the early 7am bus down to Plymouth. Once I had arrived, I quickly stocked up with lures from Osborne and Cragg and got on with the task in mind. BASS! Straight away, I clipped on my old faithful (a Fiiish Mud Digger head paired with a 3.5 inch easy shiner) and walked to my favourite spot. Second chuck, BANG! A 45cm bass hooked, landed and logged on the comp card. After slipping her back I kept on fishing, it wasn’t more than 5 casts later before I was on again, another absolutely crazy fight on the 1-7g rod but super happy to have a second fish of 48cm in my hands! 

I could have gone home then! 2 high 40s within 7 casts and just to top it off, I couldn’t resist the urge to have a few last chucks before moving onto some other species. Whilst bumping the lure along the mixed ground I suddenly lifted into a dead weight, thinking that was odd, I lowered the rod tip just to watch the slack line go tight and the rod arching over! My first thought was, it’s got to be another bass, but after a minute of playing this fish, it just wasn’t fighting right and then as it got close to the beach I couldn’t make out any silver flanks. It was only when I put my hand in the water too lift it out that I realised what I had caught! A flounder, and a huge one too! 

I couldn’t believe my luck, I’d absolutely obliterated my pb flounder and for it to come on a completely unscented lure was something special. Looking back on this, it’s clear on this particular day that there was a huge abundance of baitfish in the water and it’s likely that along with the bass, this super greedy flounder was happy to snap at my lure as it swam past. After such success I carried on fishing only to add 8 species for my comp tally, which was incredible considering the water temperature was rapidly falling! 

I just wanted to finish this off by talking about this year. As I write, I have just invested in a proper ultralight bass rod for the 2023 season, a 2-10g Major Craft Benkei. I’ve been out a few times and chucked some bass lures about whilst I’m struggling to catch anything else on the scented soft plastics, so far to no avail but what you’ve got to remember is that it’s still very early on in the season, in fact I won’t properly target bass until gone mid September (I find you’ll often pick up the bigger fish around then). 

On one very final note, I could write a book solely going into detail regarding targeting bass but I simply don’t have space here to do that, so if anyone has any questions whatsoever, you’re more then welcome to send my Instagram account ( Devon_Fishing_ ) a message and I’ll get back to you with some advice! 

I hope you all enjoyed my article and many thanks to the lads at the Big Lerf for putting in all the hard work and hours into the magazine and running the winter league! Tight lines and stay safe guys!!