07/10/2023 - Topwater bass action

Had been in touch with Joel Squires, North Devon bass guide, again before we came down about the possibility of another lure session somewhere. He replied that the tides weren't brilliant, being small neaps, but that he'd have a think about it. 

As it happened I ran into him on the beach at Saunton on Saturday when I got back from Ilfracombe and after a quick chat I arranged to meet him on the estuary at Crow Point later that afternoon. Walking up from the car park towards the mouth of the estuary we discussed tactics. It had been a cracking, warm sunny day up until then and Joel thought conditions would be spot on for a bass off the top as the evening progressed. However, as previously, I started off by bumping soft plastics along in the current, but the small outgoing tide meant that there was not a lot of flow and I kept snagging up in the weed on the bottom. Joel meanwhile had headed a little futher away to see if the bass were interested in a big Pachinko.

Therefore, as soon as I saw him catch a small schoolie I clipped on one myself and started banging it out towards the horizon. Walking the lure back towards me along the surface I could see swirls behind it and the occasional garfish leaping after it, so was full of anticipation. However, the first proper take resulted in a bass that wasn't much bigger than the lure itself! A few minutes later I managed a better one around 2lb, before snagging another tiddler. Joel had also had another couple of small fish, but after a bit of deliberation he decided that a change of location to some shallower, rough ground was required if we wanted a better fish, so we walked back up the estuary where weed-covered fingers of rock exposed by the tide jutted out into the main channel - an inspired move as it turned out. 

Wading out from the shore I did wonder whether Joel was going to stop before we got to Appledore on the opposite side of the estuary, but we eventually got to our new positions with me on one side of the furthest gully and Joel on the other. The light was disappearing rapidly now and the water in front of us was like glass - absolutely perfect! As advised I changed down to a slightly smaller Savage Gear panic prey and again started covering the water in front of me. The move certainly appeared to have been justified as second cast Joel had another schoolie and moments later I happened to look over as yet another fish slashed at the surface at his lure. This was obviously a much better fish and, after getting weeded up a couple of times, he held up a cracking bass of about 5 lb.

There certainly seemed to be plenty of fish in front of us as, frustratingly, I had three aborted takes myself before Joel advised me to slow down my retrieve and I eventually hooked into another bass of around 2lb that also did its best to weed me up on the way in. The light was really fading now and we were into the last ten minutes of the session when my lure was sucked into a vortex, the line tightened and the rod hooped over. Learning from the last fish I bullied it straight into the deeper water of the gully where it woke up and gave a good account of itself at close quarters. Joel by now had waded over to me and as the fish tired on the surface he secured it first time with the boga grip. 

Not as big as his, but a superbly conditioned, dark fish of about 4 lb, so I was well pleased with that. Got a quick snap, unhooked him and sent him back on his way. Whilst we had a couple more casts each that fish nicely brought the session to an end and we waded back to the shore, giving the legs a good workout in the process. Was fully dark by the time we got back to the car park and after promising that we'd hook up together soon we went our separate ways  - me to a freshly cooked cod, chips and curry sauce that the others had kindly brought me from Braunton. Fantastic end to a fantastic day!