Bass Plug help.

[Bass Dood]

Hi all.

I have been desperatly trying to catch a Bass on a plug for 2 years to no avail.

I can get a few on bait and eels quite well but the plug style is bugging me.

I have no problems getting up at 3 am and going to Meadfoot and have fished there 20 or so times and no joy. Also happy to fish into the evenings.

I have a great Shimano set up, and a large selection of plugs, poppers and sinkers all the top makes.

I have read many a book, internet etc.

Just cannot seem to get one.

Any one offer any help please?

Ta

BD

[tony p]

hello mate,plugging getting harder and harder seems, mate of mine who,s good ,does 3 or 4 times a week and is struggling, only had a few so far.he always uses a popper mornings and into dark.last ones i had were on the j11@j13 but you still need to work out best tide for best place ,trial and error and a lot of thrashing.ive nearly given up ,get more on live baits now,.even thats getting harder. will let you know if and when we get any

[Bass Dood]

Thanks Tony, frustrating but I know I'll hit it right one day, 2 years of perseverance and dogged determination, and a fortune spent on shiny bits of plastic.

I am so damn determined and think I am doing it correctly, met Alan Vaughn a few months back even he thought I was unlucky!!

Will post if I ever get one!!

It would be wise not to hold your breath

Cheers

BD

[tony p]

no prob, ive been tonight not a sniff. Just keep trying high tides ,low tides mornings evenings any where we go between meadfoot @ maidencombe ,but start trying live bait as well ,cheers.

[Bass Dood]

Thanks for the advice Tony, will give it a go.
Will get me some live bait too and have a bash with it.
Thanks
BD

[fishbonkers]

Hi Mate,

Here are some tips - (sorry if you know this lot already ):

1. Don't bother to plug in dirty water. If you travel a long way and have to put up with what's there, take some float gear and use your plugging rod for floatfishing. A float-fished rag in dirty water might get seen/smelt by a passing bass - a plug out of sight of the fish will not.
2. If the dirty water is in an estuary, try fishing it at say an hour each side of high tide - the reduced flow might result in the silt/sand clearing a bit, allowing the fish to see your plug.
3. Bass like shallow water, cos the swishing of the water around rocks, piles, jetties etc dislodges food items. Get into the habit of looking out for shallow rubbly rocky areas, especially those that have crab, blennies starfish etc in them in season. Also in-between 'fingers' of rock. Don't bother fishing into water more than 6 foot deep - the bass might be there, but you are not giving yourself the best chance by fishing in deep water.
4. If there is a flow, always plug with the flow, or slightly at an angle to it. This is true even if you have to wind like hell.Pulling a plug against the flow will not look natural to a bass.
5. Always take a few 'Bass Bandits' with you. Cast one out, count to say five then reel in, to simulate a mackerel swimming like hell. Then do the same and count to ten, then with fifteen, then do the same three casts in another direction, and so on.
6. Try to fish on bright days with some ripple in the water. The brightness will help the bass to see your plug, and the ripples will help your body shape to not be seen by the fish.
7. To use a popper, don't worry about using it in choppy water, or water with some suds/froth in it, as long as its reasonably clear - that's the main thing. Wang the plug out so that it makes a hell of a splash. Then leave it for a few seconds (this period can be the best of all) , then snatch with the rod horizontal to your left, tweak the rod a couple of times to make the front of the popper make a plume of spray. Then leave for a few seconds, then tweak it once, then do the same all over again with the rod horizontal to your right. The most like;ly time to get a bite will be whan you are making that plume of water, or when the popper is still just after being 'popped'.
8. Use braid, say 20 lb Fireline, but there are plenty to choose from. Use a pike angler's plugging clip (ask in pike-orientated takle shop). Dave Lumb is a good brand.
9. If you know where there are any sandeel beds, then try to fish those. Failing that, fish where there is a trickle of water into the sea e.g. fresh water discharging over a beach. In both these circumstances use a plug to mimic a sandeel e.g. silvery or pearl colour minnow type plug.
10. If you can only afford a few plugs and poppers, go for these to give yourself the maximum chance:
- Popper: Storm big bug in chrome. The top colour doesn't matter a jot to the bass underneath. Also Aigle Magnet or Yo-Zuri in mackerel colour.
- Plugs: Silvery or pearly or mackerel colour. Rapala J11 in white with black top or white with blue top, or thunderstick (if you can get them) in chrome. Also Yo-Zuri crystal minnow in two sizes (can't remember details), blue or black top colour.

Good hunting !!

[Bass Dood]

WOW Thanks for the info there fishbonkers, a lot of really usefull stuff for me there.

No i did not know the majority of the info you offered and thank you for taking time to reply.

I do have a lot of shiny plastic rapalas J13, J11 poppers and a skitter bop, yo zuris black and makerel, bass poppers of various design etc approx 15 but always on the look out for more

Just think I have been unlucky despite my best efforts.

I will try your methods shortly and hopefully have something positive to report back toy you.

Thanks mate you are a star.

BD

[oilyal100]

Bass are weird things, biggest Bass (11lb) Ive seem caught was a complete accident, it took a whole Mackerel on a Tope set up. Also saw a 10lb plus fish caught on Angelsey after a "duff" cast from the beach ended up about 20 yards out and was grabbed immiediatly it hit the water.
Not had a lot of luck with plugs, I tend to stick to live sandeel.

[K_T]

Fishbonkers - I disagree with your 6ft limit I'm afraid. My best marks are over 12-13ft and I regularly catch on poppers here as well as shallow divers. I'm not disagreeing that shallow marks are'nt good - they are, but don't discount deeper areas - much more important is the topography of the seabed - i.e. boulders/rough ground.

By the way - I have found the Aile Magnet/Mag Popper (same thing I think) to be deadly - 3 times the hit rate of chug bugs...

[fishbonkers]

Hi K_T,

I've just realised why we differ. I'm on the east coast and it's a bit sandy at sea-facing venues and the estuaries can be a bit green, so 6 ft is starting to push it for the bass to see the lure. Down your way the water is probably clearer than that, so you can go to 12-13 feet even.

Note to Bass Dood: Another thing to take into account !!