[Bagpuss]

Not a catch report as such, but I thought that you may be interested in where I fish for bass here on the Isle of Man.

Bottom left is the village of Kirk Michael, then north to the Point of Ayre, then down to about 1" left of the little cloud is Ramsey. These are the main bass areas, mainly sandy beaches but the further north nearer to the Point of Ayre that you go, the beaches change to shingle beaches.

South of Ramsey & Kirk Michael are a few sandy beaches that produce bass but the main coastline south of these two points is steep cliffs & a rocky coastline. Ideal bass terrain you would think, but they aren't caught there. People fish these areas & catch wrasse, pollack, mackerel etc but no bass.

Any ideas why this should be so?????

 

[Ian Morris]

Sorry Nigel, all I can see is the basstastic peach with the A-Grade Toblerone Gap below it.
In fact thats often all I ever see on your posts and long may it continue.
:muttley:

 

[Bagpuss]

Ian

You will go blind & your private parts will drop off if you keep looking at things like that. Well that's what my gran told me would happen.

 

[davidriley]

Nigel/Rapala

I think you two are as bad as each other:-D.

Now back to bass. It may be because of the depth of water and currents, possible even temperature.

One place I have visited is the Isles of Scilly, which just 'shout' bass yet none are ever caught there. I think there is a similar situation with some islands off Eire but I cannot recall their name.

The Isle of Man is just one bl**dy big rock stuck in the Irish sea, so has some similarities with the Isles of Scilly.

Well that's my explanation. Others may think differently.

David

 

[Tim Murphy]

Nigel/Rapala

I think you two are as bad as each other:-D.

Now back to bass. It may be because of the depth of water and currents, possible even temperature.

One place I have visited is the Isles of Scilly, which just 'shout' bass yet none are ever caught there. I think there is a similar situation with some islands off Eire but I cannot recall their name.

The Isle of Man is just one bl**dy big rock stuck in the Irish sea, so has some similarities with the Isles of Scilly.

Well that's my explanation. Others may think differently.

David

Living in the Bass-barren South, that's about the best theory I've come across yet.

 

[Bagpuss]

Lets see if we can pop your bass cherry on Friday Tim.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Cherries? peaches? Let's hope for a fruitful day !!!

 

[Ian Morris]

Good luck Manxies. Any apparent absense of bass between Port St.Mary and Derbyhaven will never stack up for me!
Maybe a word with the fairies wouldn't go amiss?...

 

[Bagpuss]

I don't know any fairies Ian, but maybe you could point me in the right direction. Remember the YMCA Village People photo :wink: :wink:

 

[jbarry]

Before I got over there I was sure the south of the Island would be your bass waters I still reckon its only a matter of time before they start to get them down there when the right areas are fished at the right time. Im sure theres some shallow rock marks around there, with plenty of food in the form of pollock and wrasse for bass to feed on. When I was driving around there during the summer close to Port St. Mary or Erin cant remember but it was low tide and the shallow reefy areas that were uncovered looked the business it reminded me of spots here at home.

I reckon the bass concentrate up North due to the huge currents found up on the point leading to huge amounts of prey concentrated in some areas for the silver fellas to gorge on,, and then they just move down from there along those bloody long beaches either side of the island.

 

[Tim Murphy]

I have lived all my life in Port st Mary/Port Erin. Never to my knowledge has a bass been pulled from the sea down this end. It's a real stumper.

We have some major currents down here too!

 

[Tim Murphy]

God god! I've just sussed out Photobucket!



Cheers Si Lewis!

 

[Bagpuss]

David/James

Good theories. Bass have been caught here since the 1960's & probably earlier than that & none are caught either by design or accidentally in the likely looking spots down south.

 

[Tim Murphy]

I have lived all my life in Port st Mary/Port Erin. Never to my knowledge has a bass been pulled from the sea down this end. It's a real stumper.

We have some major currents down here too!

I meant pulled from on rod and reel...

 

[Mark Sleep]

Do commercials make any catches of them from down there? Thats really really weird... How long is the island, north to south roughly?

 

[jbarry]

Think its about 30-35 miles long I could be wrong though...

 

[Bagpuss]

Do commercials make any catches of them from down there? Thats really really weird... How long is the island, north to south roughly?

33 miles long by 13 miles at it's widest point approximately. http://info.iomcollege.ac.im/?node=586

No bass catches & here is why:

In 2005, the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry introduced byelaws to prohibit all netting activity in a restricted zone consisting of the beaches from the north end of Peel Bay, round the Point of Ayre, to the northern side of Ramsey Harbour. Netting is not permitted from the beach and to 750 metres seawards.

http://www.gov.im/daff/fish/sea/0to3miles.xml#top

http://www.gov.im/daff/fish/eel_netting.xml

 

[Tim Murphy]

What've you uncovered there Nige. I can't see it on my phone, or I can only see a tiny bit a time...

 

[Bagpuss]

Sorry Tim

A bit of editing gone on to put all the information up.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Cheers Nige, haven't seen that legislation before. Though it still doesn't explain the south.
I'm gonna enquire off Crofts -the local fish merchant.