CoverstoryGeneral Game Coarse sea tackle

54 Irish Angler October 2012 55October 2012 Irish Angler

Are anglers’ worries just a knee-jerk reaction, or is there something wrong with our bass

fishing? Jim Clohessy talks bass, or rather lack of them!

Hey Minister! Any FisH?

The Dinghy Angler

I like to be upbeat in my articles. I like to be positive about all things fishing. Most of you will know that I have serious issues centred on bass fishing. I just cannot get enough of it. I love everything about bass. I do not think there is a fish to compare in terms of fight. I love the fact that bass

fishing takes on more of a hunt than fishing for more “normal” species. Early in the year I was incredibly upbeat about the coming season’s bass fishing. Up until May 15 (start of closed season) I had caught more and better quality bass than any previous season. I must say I was buzzing with anticipation and looking forward to the remainder of the summer.

The season reopened mid-June and I could not wait to get back on the water. When I turned my attention back to bass it was like all had changed and the fish seemed to have other ideas. It appeared as if they were not around at all. It took a bit of time to get things sorted in my head, but one question was

screaming to get out – where are our bass? I spend a fair bit of time online. It can be an effective method of finding out if some of my fellow anglers are catching a few bass. Lots of my Facebook friends will post up pictures of some of their catches and it makes for a nice diversion. According to some, the bass fishing was great in Waterford and Wexford. It looked like Cork was the only area suffering from a lack of fish.

Initially I thought it was just me! I began to question the way I fish. I began to question the areas I was fishing and I began to question my lures. Luckily, I maintain a photographic catalogue of the bass I catch. I can analyse my catches and from the pictures I can tell where I was fishing and the conditions I was fishing in. I’m doing nothing much differently than I was doing last year so it is not my techniques. Yet still bass are thin on the ground. I’m using the same or similar lures that I was using last year. In fact there are some lures that I’m using this

year that I would reckon are even better, so I would have an expectation that my catches would at least remain consistent and maybe even increase. Tackle shops around the country have copped on to the lure fishing craze and most are getting well stocked with soft plastic lures alongside some cracking hard lures.

Like all bass anglers around the country I waited, watched and listened. Bass anglers are generally a fairly chatty bunch! They might not tell you where and when but they will certainly tell you if the fishing is good and will probably give you a good idea of what techniques are working. I noticed a decidedly quiet period online. Catch reports were few and far between. There were some jingoistic reports of catches but few were accompanied with concrete evidence of veracity. There is no excuse for lack of photos! I contacted a few anglers I know well and made discreet enquiries. Yes, more anglers than me

are finding things tough. Eventually I spoke with anglers from further afield and for sure the bass drought extended certainly along the whole south coast.

I spent a week in east Cork, something I do each year. This “family holiday” is blatantly organised around some superb tides. It is a time when I can get some really targeted sessions in and my expectations are always high. Over numerous sessions, sessions where you would bet your house on catching a few bass, I managed only a few fish. All told for the week my catch was six bass. A paltry return for the effort I had put in.

Typically, I would rise early and be on the water for first light. This coincided with high water – really classic bass catching time. I worked very hard, moving between mark and mark. I tried my usual soft plastic lures. I thrashed the water with some of the best hard plastic lures that money can buy. I found that I began to lose more lures than normal as I

A n g l e r P r o f i l e

Jim Clohessy has been an Irish Angler contributor since its launch in 2004. When it comes to small boat angling there’s little that Jim has not done. He’s always tried to keep ahead of the game in terms of fish catching. From beginnings in the club scene to specimen hunting and the frenetic world of species hunt competitions, Jim has broadened his take on modern dinghy angling, but bass fishing with lures really gets him going.

Babs caught bass! We caught nowhere near the numbers we would expect at the time of

year but she is hooked on ireland !

CoverstoryGeneral Game Coarse sea tackle

journalist visits and there has been expenditure at angling shows around the continent – all in the name of promoting Irish angling. The current hiccup in bass catches is a stark reminder of the way things could be – no bass, no tourist anglers. The “craic factor” will only last for a short while in attracting visitors. We need to be catching fish as well. When local communities can see the tangible results of bass angling tourism there is a willingness to protect the fishery.

Recently, Wexford based bass guide Jim Hendrick’s business model was recognised at the Wexford Business Awards. This recognition is important because apart from being recognition of good business management it is also recognition of the contribution the business makes to the local economy. It is important because angling businesses are often considered to be vocational or part-time ventures and not true businesses. It also shows that the business model works and can be used as a template for angling guiding businesses around the country.

Enough of the comment and more about fishing! So what are anglers doing while waiting for bass? There is no shortage of species to chase with

lures. The humble pollack is always willing. Cod are a realistic target from the boat. I notice more and more anglers tackling wrasse with lures. It’s all a matter of keeping your rod bent and keeping your eye in! I have been experimenting more than ever in the quest to lure some bass.

New gear is always a refuge. I recently got my hands on one of the new Hayashi SW rods from Pezon et Michel. The Hayashi range is part of the Gunki range of modern lure rods and reels. These saltwater (SW) rods are additions to a range of rods that were designed for anglers that are looking for a rod that can do it all. I opted for the 210 model which suits my boat angling at 2.1m long. There is also a 240 model for the angler that wants a longer wand. The 210 is rated 7-28g and this tends to be the rod that suits me best. The rod is finished impeccably, Fuji seat and guides and snazzy colouring abound. I am fishing this rod both vertically and casting and it is a joy; well worth checking out as it is in the mid-range in terms of price. You get a lot of bang for your buck.

I have found myself carrying a light spool of braid for plugging and casting lightly weighted soft plastics or weightless soft plastics. The 20lb/0.13mm braid that I usually use is perfect for vertical fishing, necessary even as you need the bit of oomph in the braid for pulling through the inevitable snags while drifting. Certainly when using plugs and poppers the chances of losing lures is less therefore the thinner braid can help you achieve better distances. So far I am delighted with the distances I am getting with the Hayashi SW rod combined with 0.11mm braid (around 12lb breaking strain in old money). One thing is for sure when it comes to lure rods: stated actions and rated weights vary considerably across all manufacturers. I have tested some rods that have the same rating but are as different as chalk and cheese. There is no substitute for picking up a rod and getting a feel for the action to see if it suits you. The Pezon et Michel range should be available from any tackle shop that deals with NI based distributors Dennetts.

As our poor summer fades into an unpredictable autumn, the best of fishing times beckons. Up to now the bass fishing has been unpredictable but I am sure that we will look back on this period and wonder why we were concerned. As one angler said to me recently: “This will be a good test for anglers, it will sort the trendy guys from the really obsessed” He could be right! But one thing is for sure, trendy or obsessed there will be plenty of opportunity for us all to help to defend our fish in the coming months.

cast lures into areas I would normally avoid, all in the hope of connecting with some bass. The results of each session were consistent in that they were disappointing. The few fish I caught were not much of a consolation. I found myself heading offshore to catch some pollack and cod just to get the bend in the rod. There are plenty of pollack and cod around and in general the fishing for other species has been very good. I have noticed that mackerel are a little scarce at times though. During my week I made a point of seeking out the shore anglers in the area. To a man they all reported the same dearth of fish, just the occasional fish being caught or none at all. Every now and some would have a great session but lack of consistency is the major issue. Where are all our bass?

Am I worried? Not really at the moment. There are so many factors that could be impacting the bass population along the south coast. We would usually reckon that the criminals have netted them all. There is no doubt that there is netting going on around the coast – I see them skulking around our areas regularly. The level of activity from small punts that is going on in the dead of night remains high. The level of apprehension of these criminals remains low. It is clear though that these people cannot have netted the whole coastline, so there is something else afoot.

Let’s face it, we have not been gifted the most splendid of summers so far. Levels of rainfall continue to break records. Water temperatures are struggling to rise to normal levels. We have had algal blooms in different parts of the country. So really there are many factors that could be affecting bass. Things may just be happening later than in previous years and our autumn bass fishing could be brilliant – hopefully! Consider the cod fishing on the south coast. A few years back a catch of cod would be commonplace. Then over the course of a season the cod all but disappeared. I felt that it was a result of over fishing and the cod were gone as a viable target species off the south coast. Then two years later the cod returned en masse and we have had superb winter sport since. Can every shortage be explained by cycles in nature?

I hope that I am correct in my assumption that the fishing will get better as the season progresses. There is one thing that the lack of bass has really brought home – what if the bass were all gone? Bass guides all around the area are having equally poor results. Will their customers return next year? Will these people sell the Irish bass experience to their friends? Will the growth in Irish bass angling tourism continue? Will local communities continue to

benefit from tourism? The current lack of bass is like a brief glimpse into a crystal ball. The future without bass is a bleak one for many companies and communities. The commercial sector is again applying pressure on minister Simon Coveney to open up bass fishing to commercial fishermen. They are using every possible argument – establishing TAC data (Total Allowable Catch) is one of the latest. They continue to use the preposterous discrimination argument – “everybody else is catching our bass so why not us”. To those that know this, another spurious argument. To those that do not know it seems like a reasonable plea.

The commercial sector has powerful lobbying abilities and these people are good at their jobs. They will keep pressurising the minister until he relents or finally puts the matter beyond discussion and enshrines the bass protection measures for the foreseeable future. I must say that having met the minister and brought up the subject I was impressed with his grasp of the situation and was comforted by his assurances that there would be no change to the current laws. But the man is a politician, and as good as he appears there is always a risk that he may be swayed by such powerful lobbying.

As a group of stakeholders the people interested in a quality bass fishery are diverse. It’s not only anglers! Unfortunately the stakeholders are spread across many sectors of society and business. This group has no unified voice and limited lobbying abilities. The governing bodies of sea angling in the country appear silent on the matter. The campaign to see our bass survive is more centred on the work of individuals rather than groups. As individuals we will be called on time and time again to contact our politicians and lobby for the sake of our bass. If you are a member of an angling club it is important to get the club to contact the local politicians as well. The issue is not going away any time soon and we must all be vigilant and willing to do what we can in the fight for our fishery.

I know of some UK based anglers who have not made their annual pilgrimage to Ireland this year due to the poor bass fishing. In spite of this I am confident that the visitors will return especially when the fishing returns to “normal” levels. They had better! The main argument that you will hear from people in favour of protecting bass is that the economic benefit of bass angling far outweighs the short-term benefits of a reopened commercial bass fishery. To this end companies and government bodies are continuing to promote our bass fishing abroad. Already this year there have been many

56 Irish Angler October 2012 57October 2012 Irish Angler

Many dinghy anglers are targeting wrasse – We used say “ why fish for wrasse when you can fish for bass!”

the bass are there! Just not in numbers like we have grown used to – what is going on?

robert Valkeneer enjoyed the craic and the hunt for bass. We did not catch many. He will return because he can see the potential – Will others return?

Getting the bend in your rod is all important –

Cod are a great quarry.