12/10/2025 - Bass at last

Not been a great year for the bass for me, although I have had limited opportunities to be fair. Did have a nice fish in May in Wales when I was forced by the weather and the big spring tides to explore a new section of the estuary, but that has been the highlight so far. 

Was therefore keen to make the best of our trip down to Suanton, so had contacted Joel Squires about hooking up for a lure session. However, did my best to scupper my chances before I'd even arrived. Swapped cars with the wife for the trip and happily waved her off to work on Friday morning before remembering half an hour later that my chest waders were in the boot. Even better, when we stopped at Lidl in Barnstaple I moved my HTO Nebula from the back seat and popped it onto the roof bars so we could load the shopping in. Yep, you guessed it......drove all the way to Saunton before I realised that I'd not put my rod back in the car. However, by some miracle, it was still on the roof wedged next to the surfboards - how lucky was that? 

Crisis of my own making averted, I contacted Joel and we arranged to meet up on the Sunday. He'd wanted to show me a new mark on the coast but the tiny swell was not enough to make it work in his opinion, so we opted to fish the mussel beds in the estuary instead. Come Sunday morning it was pretty cold and gloomy and there was a stiff Easterly breeze, so we had to wrap up for our paddle up from Crow Point to Velator Quay. However, when I met Joel a couple of hours later the wind had dropped, it was a bit warmer and the sun was even threatening to come out. 

Just as well because we were both wet-wading - me because I'm a forgetful idiot and Joel in solidarity. Headed over the dunes and onto the estuary to find one angler already fishing the outgoing tide, but with acres of space we crossed the mussel beds and onto one of the fingers of rock protruding out into the main channel. Started off with a slender scoop shad, casting across the flow and letting it swing in the current. Had done that a few times when I decided to cast it straight down tide. 

The lure was taken with a bang within a couple of turns of the reel handle and I had a good scrap with a lovely dark fish that fought all the way back against the current and which went 55 cm on the tape measure. Success! As we carried on the tide dropped away to reveal the tops of the reef. Casting close to one of the outcrops I had a take from another good fish that immediately set off down tide, forcing me to bully it and stop it from going behind the rock. Unfortunately, after a short tug of war in which neither of us budged the hook pulled out. 

Joel in the meantime had moved onto the next exposed finger and had two small fish in quick succession, so I moved over as well to join him. Had a little schoolie myself before Joel suggested we switch to surface lure, so we both put on a large Patchinko. Had one unsuccesful blow up before the lure was taken with a thump by what felt like a very heavy fish that stayed deep and didn't show itself until it was under our feet. Found that it had actually rolled on the lure and that the front treble was nicked in the base of its pectorals, so it was coming in at an angle and therefore not the monster I thought it was. By this time the tide had turned and after having one more tiny schoolie we moved back onto the main body of the reef. 

Sun had come out, the wind had dropped and the sea had flattened off so it looked absolutely ideal for some more topwater action. However, despite thrashing the water until the sun disappeared below the horizon, we had no further interest and headed back to the car park in the gathering darkness. Still, it had been good to catch up and it had just been great to be out in the big space of the estuary. After saying our goodbyes I headed back to the bungalow to find the others drinking absinthe and red wine. Needless to say, dinner was a bit late.......