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After a few disappointing sessions when weather and tides seemed perfect with marks that had structure, food and birds with only the odd small Schoolie or none at all I was wondering what to expect on Saturday. Neap tides, bright sun and virtually no wind and what wind there was, was an Easterly!
Got to my first mark tide was flowing, huge numbers of fry, third cast wallop and I was into a Bass on a ZClaw nice schoolie of about a pound and a half and back she went. Five minutes later huge swirl under the ZClaw but no connection. I spend the next 90 minutes in the area but nothing more. I tried going down and using a Feed Shallow to no avail, except for a couple of small Pollack. Throughout this time fry are being chased to the top and attacked by Garfish. Back to the ZClaw and after a couple of casts a decent Bass follows, swirls and follows again then clears off. Then nothing for 20 mins so time for a move.
Tried a couple of other marks with a Rudra, Tide Minnow and Feed Shallow (trying not be be dependent on the ZClaw!) but not luck. Fourth mark hit Pollack on the Rudra so moved up to the Tide Minnow and hit Mackerel but no Bass. Lots of fry in the water so back on the ZClaw. Second cast a crashing take and the fish goes deep, and a see big silver flashes about 7' down, rod bent hard over and I realise the drag is too tight but as I loosen it is too late and the fish is off.
As the air turns blue around me I watch the ZClaw float to the top with a decent Bass following it. I spend 30 minutes in the area but get no more interest from anything.
Off to the fifth mark, again I spend 30 minutes with sub surface lures but nothing shows any interest. One quick go with the ZClaw and first cast an arm wrenching take and Bass on. After a really good fight I net a 54 cm very fat Bass - 3.75lbs on the Boga (see attached). As I lay it on the deck it spits out 2 sizeable hard green/orange crabs.:shock: Back it goes no worse for wear. :-D
Another 20 minutes in the area yields nothing and with the wind getting up and a long run back I head for home. Close to home I stop in a shallow sheltered spot and do not faff about with sub surface lures straight on with the ZClaw! Only do one drift and land 2 small Bass and have a further 2 swirls.
An enjoyable day and I caught fish but the day posed more questions than it answered, not least,
Is it normal to move or catch a Bass then find nothing else in the area?
Why would a Bass full of crabs take a ZClaw off the top?
Why do I catch Pollack, Wrasse, Garfish and Mackerel on sub surface lures but not Bass?
Got to my first mark tide was flowing, huge numbers of fry, third cast wallop and I was into a Bass on a ZClaw nice schoolie of about a pound and a half and back she went. Five minutes later huge swirl under the ZClaw but no connection. I spend the next 90 minutes in the area but nothing more. I tried going down and using a Feed Shallow to no avail, except for a couple of small Pollack. Throughout this time fry are being chased to the top and attacked by Garfish. Back to the ZClaw and after a couple of casts a decent Bass follows, swirls and follows again then clears off. Then nothing for 20 mins so time for a move.
Tried a couple of other marks with a Rudra, Tide Minnow and Feed Shallow (trying not be be dependent on the ZClaw!) but not luck. Fourth mark hit Pollack on the Rudra so moved up to the Tide Minnow and hit Mackerel but no Bass. Lots of fry in the water so back on the ZClaw. Second cast a crashing take and the fish goes deep, and a see big silver flashes about 7' down, rod bent hard over and I realise the drag is too tight but as I loosen it is too late and the fish is off.
Off to the fifth mark, again I spend 30 minutes with sub surface lures but nothing shows any interest. One quick go with the ZClaw and first cast an arm wrenching take and Bass on. After a really good fight I net a 54 cm very fat Bass - 3.75lbs on the Boga (see attached). As I lay it on the deck it spits out 2 sizeable hard green/orange crabs.:shock: Back it goes no worse for wear. :-D

Another 20 minutes in the area yields nothing and with the wind getting up and a long run back I head for home. Close to home I stop in a shallow sheltered spot and do not faff about with sub surface lures straight on with the ZClaw! Only do one drift and land 2 small Bass and have a further 2 swirls.
An enjoyable day and I caught fish but the day posed more questions than it answered, not least,
Is it normal to move or catch a Bass then find nothing else in the area?
Why would a Bass full of crabs take a ZClaw off the top?
Why do I catch Pollack, Wrasse, Garfish and Mackerel on sub surface lures but not Bass?
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