A most interesting day... I am finally accepting that changes have to happen, and HAD put thoughts of bass completely out of my mind. Time to do the lure version of scratching, and looking for action more than looking for quality fish, while all the time of course hoping that quality fish will show. So, more drifting of banks for Gurnard and whiting. Very inshore is quite dead to me at the moment, although more to do with flood waters than water temperatures. The outer rocks and reefs always worth a look for that very odd coddie.

So, it was as we were drifting said sand bank, catching said whiting, plaice and gurnards, that something very unexpected happened. Very unexpected indeed. I was working my HTO Frolic / Isome combination when it just went very solid. And then, despite a well set drag, I found myself forced to run down the full length of the boat by a fish so fast, that I can confidently say I have never hooked anything so fast in the UK ever before. I got to the back of the boat, and the fish changed its mind and tore back up into the tide. I screamed at everyone to back up, but then, even as I prepared to follow, whatever it was hooked on simply dropped out. An amazing experience. So of course, I have since that moment wondered what it could have been. Zero head shakes. No feeling of the tail pulses. No clues whatsoever. Just immovable and VERY fast. Bonito is the thing that sits in my mind, especially as this ground has pedigree. Sadly, we wont perhaps know, although maybe someone else might have encountered this creature on another craft.

Also very unusual were the school bass on this mark. Not only that they were there, a first as I have never encountered bass on this spot prior, but they were happy to hit the isomes. Only one other bass in the history (albeit quite short) of BIF1 has ever hit an isome. Today, they were happy for it. As were the whiting and small and medium Gurnards. Quite fast and furious action. But, as is often the way, other spots were nagging me. I wish I hadnt have bothered. Other spots were also awash with flood water and held very little bait, other than a few pouting.

2nd sailing, I used all that knowledge to conjur up a great plan. And it even worked. I went well down west, if only to confirm that the Adur was still ruining things by being a freshwater cannon (confirmed). A couple of BIG pout on a mark well offshore was the only thing happening. But on the way back, I stopped at one of my first and last spots (First place we find bass, last place we find bass, in the season). And... the bass were actually there. Not schoolies, as I had expected, but quality fish, the biggest being a little over 5lb to Mark. Two fish a drift is not bad going for November bassing in close. Eventually, after some merriments, the tide began to die, and with it the appetite of the bass also died. Back to "the banks". Where we finished off with lots of tings, one decent plaice, and gurnards for supporting act. No sign of unstoppable beasts this time though...

Great forecast this coming Tuesday / Wednesday and even now Thursday morning. with spaces available. Wind is up over the weekend, enough to stop sailing, but the right direction that the sea will not colour, and bait should continue to gather. Could be quite good fishing still to come... Time will tell. 07970 112774 if you want to help me find out.