Rise to the challenge, Ascension,

For a few weeks now I have been preparing myself for a trip of a life time down to the South Atlantic Ascension island ,,
This is a work trip we are bringing the airfield up to scratch around a 6 week programme of works cannot say too much about the contract but cant wait for this one I would say a trip of a lifetime flying from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to Wideawake airfield in Ascension a 9hr Flight to the remotest island in the world dot that that thought give you a Buzz when you can take as much fishing gear with as you can carry!!!!!!



box of goodies going to ascension

I would at this time like to thank some good people in this fishing world,, first Andy Barmby from Bridlington for supplying me with some awesome top water lures that will smash them Tuna and Jacks I am sure ,,
Mark Padfield for selling me his go pro black 3+ I think I will have some fun with this joe and Barry for listening my ranting on,
and of course Seven Seas pro shop for some great shore rods,lines and Reels the have supplied ,they have been really good to me not like some UK Based trash,,

got the old VS 150 going too,,
all my gear is now down at Southampton ready to sail with our Vans ,Pick ups and machinery
I will meet it on the 17th June on Ascension

So a challenge to say the least and thanks to all ,,
I have a few Bass trips to fit in before I go but it somehow does not feel the same with those shore caught Tuna Crying out,,
for now,,

Gee

Essex Bass fishing

• Let's hope the bass fishing blossoms like it did in 2014 in and around the SE of England has been so refreshing For me top lures were ,,,
• Zenith Z-Claw mullet
• Patchinko  500g
• Duel silver dog 90
• T Phelps 86 mullet all not cheap lures with the exception of the silver dog 90 we are looking at cheaper versions that will work as effective as the above

Had some superb Bass fishing in 2014 all off the surface so refreshing ,,

Here's a couple of pictures that made me up,,,,

All of my fishing is done in and around essex nowadays and the results are quite astonishing,,,

Bass smash and grab

The Blackwater never ceases to amaze me a place where the skill of the angler can shine through a place where watercraft is king and putting your money on pure luck just won't cut it ,
Look on a map and you will see a expanse of water pointing North East with the sea faring town of Maldon at its Head and Bradwell on sea at the mouth leading into the North Sea.
The Blackwater has the largest expanse of estuarine saltings in the UK a total and utter wilderness with large sky's and sunsets to die for ,supporting wildlife of all descriptions from Adders to Avocets a purely remarkable place no more than 20 miles from horse guards parade in London.

Access to fishing areas is afraid by foot or on your bike and there is no easy access to any of the great fishing this diverse place has to offer.

By far my personal favourite in the estuary is the z claw surface lure off the top with that Bass fly flier sitting around 6 inches from the nose of the lure. Standard walking the dog is not the case here
The most effective way of fishing the hard running estuary is to again to trot the z claw and do not retrieve the lure just let it go down the run holding it back with the odd twitch to give that ball bearing a little tap!.
In the mean time the flier will be slowly sinking and rising with the action of your rod tip under the floating z claw when your lure is at distance feeling for takes is the answer but these hard fighting estuary bass play smash and grab  and it's great fun I have landed fish up to 5 lbs this year but hopefully the Bass will get a better size soon but what great looking fish.

Thanks for reading
Gee

   

Blackwater Bass Pictures

Catch and release has always been on of my main things with my Bass fishing to see a bass or any fish for that matter a living thing that has given you loads of pleasure  swim off can give you a great buzz on my guiding trips it's C@R only a great discussion point the picture  below a fit 5 lb bass slashing it's way back to the estuarine waters great to see giving you the feel good factor.

a success for the angler and in a picture a record of that moment for ever. 

When unhooking bass be careful with the trebles ,I find using forceps' are one of the best tools for the job a firm grip and out the hooks {barbless} come ,,you need to keep the Bass bloodless and Fresh ,

I Love taking photos of the Bass I catch or any one else fish  for that matter so I suppose this makes us sports fishermen but to handle and keep the fish fresh for its big day and the photo call is quite a difficult task, Bass in my experience can be calmed down in a pool of fresh sea water by gentle touching giving the fish a calming and non threating approach and you will find that feisty Bass that Smashed your lure and gave a great account of itself becomes a pussy cat for the shoot, 

Above even small Bass can be made to look good in the right hands once the fish is calm grip and hold but not too tight but a must when taking a picture of a Handsome Bass is that spikey dorsal erect please here's a tip just wiggle your finger at the back of the fishes backside and up the dorsal will come. I have been around Bass for some time now and it amazes me how many guys don't take pictures of Fish The Catch,,

No excuse on your own either the Bass below is a average picture but a Handsome fish and a picture with depth,

I have wrecked many Cameras and Mobiles over the years .

 I now have a Fuji fine pix XP 60 up to 6m deep water proof and 2m shock proof guaranteed 3 yrs

Perfect for my needs and will take a quality picture that would grace the front cover of Sea Angler ,  

 

A Pair from Zenith

Below I just bought a smaller zenith lure the Carol 80 mm designed by Azu Hayashi a sit up action that drives those surface feeding bass to take with very little movement ,this lure sits up at around 30* to the surface casts well and now has entered my go to box very impressed fist tim out accounted for som nice fish.

The carols slightly bigger brother the z claw phelps 86 below, but a smaller version of the brilliant zclaw 100 ,the reason I have got these lures is I have missed a lot of fish off the top this season and the theory is get a smaller lure this has started to help,

Phelps 86

had some super fishing this year and the Black water using the trotting surface method  this is where you cast the lure into a run and simply let it go with no retrieve and the odd twitch as the lure runs down the current.

A Nice pair two at a time off the top in the Black water

Well the lures did work bazza and myself doubling up on some nice bass on the essex Blackwater a pure feeding frenzy off the top is a sight to behold,,

Gee

Blackwater Magic and Spooky Bass

Another trip down the Blackwater and much to my delight the clear water conditions are persisting up bright and sparky the other morning and down fishing for 5am cannot remember the last time,it has took me some time to work this Essex shore line out certainly one of the Hardest areas in the UK to fish and fathom out ,certainly miles tougher than the Bass Mecca they call Ireland. Bazza my guide for the day on his very first cast nailed a silver bar of around 2lbs he was delighted ,

5lb Blackwater Bass a suberb fish for the river

above a superb 5lb+ Bass smashed the River To Sea Rock rover 98 up there with the best small surface lures.

That Lure Again

We Had a Fantastic mornings fishing 9 Bass 7 of which were in the 3-5lb bracket and Bazza lost a real Croc right at his feet , bit of a bummer but there is always next time.

Spooky Under Water Picture

I bought a new camera a Fuji XP60 6m/20ft water proof and shock proof from 5ft so above i took what i think is a very spooky picture of a bass under water and the the camera is still working ,just the job. Thanks For Looking,,,, Gee

Blackwater Bass Guided Fishing in Essex

Took out a guided trip today down my local Blackwater, there has been a few bass around and with exceptional water clarity i called one of my regulars Chris and off we went on a red hot day i had planned for some experimental High Tide fishing then moving on to some close up and personal Lure Bass Fishing,the day could not be better.




Black water Bass fight hard and in the mood for off the top

 I opted to take Chris to fish the high tide but to no avail we moved to area ready for the ebb Long casting and deep wading order of the day



Gee with a nice plump blackwater Bass on the ZClaw

 The Mullet ZClaw was absolute mustard today off the top is king in the blackwater for the hard fighting feisty Bass.


A nice 4lber on the ZClaw always unhook in the water with the grips

 the fish were going good and my man chris was in his element then some really tidy fish came along we were in bass heaven,and before you ask yes Chris he was asked by me be and i got permission to fish ,a big mistake mate.ha ha


looks a happy chappy the Bass are going mad in the warm weather

 Oh Gee the bass are bouncing



The Jap weed is a certain fish attractor

 The Jap weed is alien to our shores the estuary has loads and more to the point the Bass Love it.


upside down harry

 a great day had by all total 10 Bass to 4lbs not to be sniffed at and every fish returned alive and well superb fishing not 20miles from London Thanks For Reading Gee

IMA Scarecrow Pencil Jointed Super Lure

At Last a company that has took on a pattern that has been ignored by the Revelation of MODERN LURE FISHING apart from the Jackson jointed effort a casting lure,basically the modern lure scene emerged in 2004 in the UK and Ireland at which point the rapala and the SJT were the kings of Jointed Bass Lure fishing ,,now this new jointed IMA lure has been developed in Japan and i must say looks great a certain match for the SJT with a very similar action and we all Know how good the SJT is ,,even though past over by the modern scene,to this day the SJT is a top Bass Lure and this jointed lure from japan seems to emulate the pre Era ,,,,,

Take a Look at the action of the Scarecrow in the video and you will see the resemblance with the pre modern era of jointed Bass lures i am really exited about this lure i would say not a great caster at 15g but for surface shallow and sheltered estuary lure fishing a killer

Travel Rod a set of golf clubs and a Turkey

Travel rods seem to be a fishing tool that is a necessity but can be so expensive well after breaking my AFAW 8ft travel rod a couple of seasons back i was very disappointed that the tip of the MK1 could not be replaced ,,so beware well i decided any travel rod could do so i went on EBay to have a look ,,

The Trully 240 MH High Performance

So just have a look at what i got from china ,,,, sent me for 35 quid from china fishing ,all i can say 5years ago this rod would be £250 and the revelation of all time,,, high performance Travel rod i wont only use this rod on my travels that's for sure.


Here is my Son Arron on the 18th Green at the Montgomerie MAXX ROYAL Turkey
shooting a level 72 Par well done mate





Turkey always amazes me with some of the best sunsets in the world The fishing was not that good but theres always next time



Had a great time in turkey and the Travel Rod was Brilliant Cheers till next time Gee

The Pool Of Death

The Pool of death ,,,,this video was shot a couple of miles upstream from my place on the Blackwater last may,, a diverse place for wild life and in the middle of summer where i have nailed a few schoolie Bass off the top and seen Mullet to double figures caught on the float, This estuary as all others really get me going mabey its the crossover from fresh to salt its just very interesting with the fresh to sea thing and i know its difficult and boy its a devil to work out expecially where the Bass are concerened ,,but with my experience in the world of fishing and expertise in exploring esturine enviroments i am going to try to work it out using my blog as a media ,,, just take a look at the pool of death video and you will then get that feeling of what the Hell,,,

So did yo like that ,,great there were carp and other of not only fresh but sea water species as well swimming side by side in the brine of the estuary,, all the best and tight lines till next time Gee

New Beginnings

Well i am sat here at my desk in our new home ,yes moved again ,and cannot believe that it was 5 years since Carol,Arron and i left Ireland the ups and downs of them last few years and the massive demise of Ireland as a viable country to live in. Now we as a family can say we are not going back to ireland any time soon as far as we are concerned a chapter that is now closed. We are very settled in our new home alongside the Blackwater and there are exiting times ahead,,




River Blackwater at Dawn (MALDON ESSEX)


So,what about that sunrise this morning over the blackwater could not resist it ,a rising tide at dawn love that senario pity its January but i am sure the Bass and other species will be on the move soon enough Below theres a few lures i have been testing out today sent down from a mate of mine in Bridlington ,Andy Barmby thanks mate , had a little giggle when i opened the package then with a second glance these lures similar to the pencil lures i have moaned about for years but looked strong ,well made with diverse colouring and weight  

AYU Colour 30g Sinking Pencil Bait (HANDMADE)

Got the AYU Pencil wound up on the cast and off it shot a country mile first thoughts were typical North Yorkshire Design a sinking lure with no real movement on a streight retrieve lead out lead in sort of way but still a great colour in the water, next cast found a whole different lure with just a flick of he wrist and a constant retrieve the lure walked subsurface with darts that even pushed he lure airborn without even trying these lures are a proper fishermans lure that can be controlled by the angler,well done Andy with the construction and application i have a couple of marks lined up for this lure and i am sure the pencils will have their day i am sure. To contact Andy to have a chat about these lures catch him on 07548656173you wont be dissapointed .. Tight lines Till next time Gee

For a blind Bass Angler

I would just like to say all of you that follow my ramblings on this blog i am sorry for not been around for a while i have not been too well of late but i am on the mend now ,in my absence though i found these great sunglasses and when you are getting on a bit like me and your eyes stop focusing but you still want to get out there Fishing these are just the job,,

i have a Pair of Costa De Mar 580s and the polarisation brings a whole new sub surface world to you they are the Best around and i rate the tops Get them here Absolute fishing  in Ireland ,,Costa De Mar the best that a fact but when you need a bi focal,,

These Predator Sunglasses are Polaroid and have a bi-focal feature i saw theses and i just thought give it a go and i could not believe how good they really are have a look at special eyes  they have opened a whole new world for me and my lure changing,knot tying i can actually see what lure i am using now!!!!ha ha ,,

the specification is at the bottom of the page certainly worth a look.



Style: Predator



Unique sports / fishing / para glider sunglasses Brown tinted polarised bifocal lens

Tortoiseshell brown cameo frame

Innovative lower magnifying segment 'built-in' to the lenses

Aids the tying of hooks and lures

Wrap-around sun protection

Polarised lenses reduce irritating reflections and glare

Size: H = 38mm, W = 60mm, O = 132mm

Choose: +1.50 +1.75+3.00Buy a pair now for £13.99!

 Thanks for now ,,,Gee

Gambia on the Beach

Our Impressions of the Gambia,long sandy beaches,hot sunshine,Lazy days ,i took some spinning gear with a few plugs and hoped for the best

 Carol my wife below enjoying a few rays and looking good we beach bummed it for our full week out there,i was watching the surf line like a hawk but the first couple of days but nothing,

 Here's my other woman below, Stella she came a long for the ride too and was always at the ready up in the canopy of our sun umbrella,on the 4th day i saw a few bait fish and risers around 150 yds off a reef at low i clipped on a Seaspin P120Q surface lure and made my way up the barren beach ,the rising fish looked a good size so out went the flashing plate surface lure was looking good but not far enough out ,,then BANG!!!fish on it came out of nowhere and then was off,felt a tidy fish Then BANG!! FISH ON again!! just back of the small surf line the seaspin surface flashing plate was certainly doing ok,,,these fish are certainly leap and fight like mad when hooked ,frequently slipping the hook,,

I had a lot of takes on the surface lure and was brilliant sport for the Fish the natives of the Gambia call the Nine-Bone, elops Senegalensis

Above the Seaspin P120Q in Flashing Plate i think in ghost a lure to be used in Ultra Bright conditions it certainly got the Bones attention this day,have a look here for a nice action with the lure,,

 Above a Nine-Bone of around 4lbs a fish species that gave me a load of enjoyment down on the reef and the beach difficult to keep on the hook but great sport on the surface lures,,
Check out seaspin lures here http://www.seaspin.com/ some really nice stuff,,

The Gambia Experience

My Experience of Fishing and Holidays in the Gambia goes back to the late eighties in those days it seemed a place that was so far away i had seen John Wilson on the TV and that's what i wanted to do i contacted Mark Longster some Reports Here on the white warrior for some boat fishing he did the business way back then a really experienced guy that could put you on the Fish. 

Below a 31lb Cassava which is a pretty large fish for the species,but really i don't want to go back to then i am a angler that looks forward and on the 16th of April i will be revisiting The Gambia with My wife Carol, a special treat for me ,and the rods will be coming too,,but here is a couple of pictures from those days,,not always been a Bass Man ,,



31LB Cassava on Bait fishing with Mark Longster in 1989

  I Did take to the beaches in those days and the Red Snappers were common and were great sport on the beachcasters on the night trips ,i also had a snapper off mark longsters boat of 28lbs that took a  Rapala J11 stationary off the top ,,

a fine snapper off the shore Gambia 1988

 Some times the African trophy shot can get out of hand ,,,,,,Here the Barracuda were going mental on the boat with snapper and cassava ,but for me just happy memories of times gone by ,,,

Over 200LBS of fish for the locals in the area,,,Trophy shots not my style in todays Bass world

 The Barracuda came thick and Fast but just buggered your lures but great sport ,,

 And below the main reason i am going back to the Gambia on the 16th of April,, Carol my Wife ,,thanks love what a brilliant i love you Present ,,so lets hope the fish will still be there and play a little ball for old times sake,,and we can get a few,

if not i will just have to take you to the Bar,,,

I will get a report up as soon as we get back and fingers crossed ,,,

Asturias Report No1 2012

All was well the flight was a smooth a really good service from Easy Jet Flying with fishing gear is a art in itself we took a Bazooka Rod carrier 7 plugging rods are the maximum for this bit of kit and a extra bag for sporting gear and extra £20 but worked OK on the flights,,the anticipation on the Plane was electric between Joe ,Mark Myself and the newbie Gary ,big respect to Gary as we had all been to Asturias before and really we knew this trip was never going to be easy,i asked Gary along as he had won the RNLI raffle for a Guide on World SeaFishing Forum but i did stress this was not the one as we would be fishing hard for 5 days we will go for a easy one in summer ,,

 

The scenery vista in Asturias is simply stunning for the plugger this land in northern Spain is a very hard area to get around ,personal fitness levels have to be high as the access down the cliffs can be off the scale one of our marks we christened the stair way to heaven  just up the road from our house at Cavedaro is a 1000 feet decent to the beach and when you get there well a 2 to 4 mile rock hop is not out of the oordinary to get to Fishing Marks,

You can spot the path down at the end of the Road
Thanks Google Earth for the picture

This area of Spain not only has the roughest ground of any Bass Marks i know anywhere but also suffers the double wammy of really large and unprecdictable swell patterns you must be so carefull and alert when fishing,Below is Mark and Dario planning the next fishing trip both these guys cannot speak the others language at all but i must say the universal  international world of  lure fishing this simply was not a barrier
for any of us on the Trip,,

Manel ,Below, explaining the in and out of the evening session these guys know the area so well and let me say this without the help from Manel and Dario this trip would not have been possible they fished and helped at every corner simply a great effort of friendship and angling have a look at Manels Blog Here Thanks guys from all of us,,

I would advise anyone who fancies Asturias for some extreem Bass Fishing get hold of Manel and Dario
local knowledge in this area is a must,,
below Joe and Dario discussing Tactics on a early morning trip ,things were hard and we were getting a little twitchy that the Bass were not giong to show but with Persiverence and hard work,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Mark with a nice Asturian Bass and well earned too did not have many fish 6 in total for the trip but when one came out it just seemed to work for all of us ,,,

Another thanks Manel and Dario for making this a trip to remember and thats from Joe ,Mark, Gary and Me

Cheers guys,,

Aturias Report No 2 will be the lures we used on the trip what worked and what dident,,so till next time,,