[James Davis]

Went to look at 2 new marks that I've never been to before. First one was pony but the second looked promising. Took a notepad and camera at low tide, made some notes and took some pictures (sad bugger!)

Anyway this part of the coastline is the same terrain as below for about 500 meters, becoming more trecherous the further you walk. It's located on the same side of the Island that the surfers head for due to the white water, which can be excellent for bass.

I was thinking Feed Shallow type as the tide turned and started to flood for 2-3 hours. SP's could be out of the question due to continual/possible snags unless rigged Texas style for instance.

How would you attack a new mark with this type of coastline?

 

[dai56]

Either surface wtd or slider type lures or drop shot soft plastics would be my first plan of attack

 

[Marc D...]

like dai said, either use a surface lure or a very shallow diver, or like you already metioned softies rigged texas style..

 

[Dave Irving]

Bassorama,
Does the beach taper away at the same angle or does it drop off into deeper water??

Based on the pics, I think I would start by fishing a dawn high tide, Feed Shallows, Z Claw, Zara Super Spook (smaller size)Chase BW's. Would start by covering those areas with weed amoungst the rocks, but my first casts would be from well back from the waters edge, crouching if there is no cover behind me, no point spooking any bass that you don't have too. Look for any depressions in the beach, that might hold an extra few inches (or feet) of water. As the tide starts to drop I would fish these depressions, as the bass will tend use these areas to drop out through as the tide falls.
Keep your eyes,ears and even nose open, for any signs of bait, bass, birds (terns are your best friend, but even gulls will some time give away bass/bait in the water)

 

[James Davis]

Good questions, Tunny and thanks for the advice.

Although it was at low-ish tide when I went there, it was actually a very high-low tide (if that makes sense?) so I'll definitely go back next week when the lows aren't so high and check to see if the beach does indeed drop off in to deeper water.

It's a dangerous mark and if you get cut off you're buggered because behind you is a vertical cliff which would be impossible to surmount, which is why I wanted to try it at low first because I've not seen how far I can get down there at high.

Thanks again. Advice like this is invaluable.

 

[Mike Hayes]

Always worth trying to suss out the tides (via references) Take another look over a low water spring tide, this would give you the best overall picture of the mark. Taking a notepad and pictures aint sad, it depends how serious you wanna take it. Have a dig around in the rocks to see what lives there, shrimps, crabs, gobies etc. As Tunny said, look for the depressions and drop offs. Another way forward would be to just have ago next time youre down there. It def looks a decent mark, and has been said already a surface lure might be just the ticket

 

[James Davis]

Thanks Plugs. Actually, what are the tale tale signs of depressions and drop offs if it's high-ish tide?

 

[Dave Irving]

Bassorama,
The easiest signs for drop off's and depressions in the shoreline are the waves. Gaps in breaking waves are a sign that there is deeper water in that area, Or an area of the beach where the waves break much closer to the shoreline, is often a drop off. Often the waves breaking at the edge of a drop off tend to be bigger than those along the beach as well.
There's a much better description (and good diagrams) in the Googan thread.

 

[dai56]

Thanks Plugs. Actually, what are the tale tale signs of depressions and drop offs if it's high-ish tide?

Look for anywhere the surface of the water's doing something different the small eddy ,the flat spot, the chopped up spot, any strange ripples, foaming, they will all mark out features under water that may hold fish

 

[James Davis]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh funny that as when ever I have seen spots like that I've automatically chucked my plug there as I've thought to myself that there must be a reason for the change in tide/colour/wave pattern etc etc. Funnily enough, a lot of times that googanistic common sense approach has prooven to be fruitful!

Cheers Tunny/Dai.

 

[dai56]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh funny that as when ever I have seen spots like that I've automatically chucked my plug there as I've thought to myself that there must be a reason for the change in tide/colour/wave pattern etc etc. Funnily enough, a lot of times that googanistic common sense approach has prooven to be fruitful!

Cheers Tunny/Dai.

That's the idea all too often i will watch people casting infront of them when i feel they should cast along side [does that make sence?] or just drop a lure or bait straight down into the gully imediatly infront of them on one mark i fish for me the best fishing is casting to the right along the rockface on an incoming tide i have lost count of the times i have watched people cast straight out and blank [the mark is a fair walk so if i find someone there when i get there so i will sit and watch for an hour or so before moving on]
the secret is to keep covering different ground get to a spot cover as much water as you can from one position then move 30 or 40 yards at a time no more untill you have covered all the water infront of you then move on again and again and again
One thing the mark you show in the pic's, i wouldn't recomend wading it would be too easy to have a fall or trip there!
cover the ground and keep safe dai