Bloody Tourists!!

Well July is usually the month when the weather and fishing normally hots up a bit for me, and to an extent it did. Bob and I had some good trips out on our boat, with numbers of bass starting to get into double figures, but the sizes are still small. I keep telling myself its not all about catching....but it is hard to remember that when youre out every weekend and only catching school bass time and time again. But in all fairness we have been learning something everytime we go out, new lures, techniques and locations all add up to a good trip even if it is a bit demoralising.

We found a load of bass one afternoon in amoungst some jap weed, I mean there were dozens chasing the lures, I think I saw about 30 at one point all over my surface lure, and the bigger bass were below the crazy small ones that were attacking the Z-Claw. I think we hooked out about 10 before they were gone, all good fun and out first real peice of summer fun.

So then, the tourists. Knowing so many people that love their bass fishing, and all of them wanting to learn how to use the lures I sell them, I tend to get alot of visitors coming out on the boat with Bob and me. Now I love it, seeing them experiencing Jersey for all its beauty is great, even if the fishing is tough. But, I am getting fed up with visitors coming over here and showing me how to do it!! I am joking of course, I love it really, and to know they have come here an experienced some of out beautiful coastline and bass is just superb.

So here are a few of the boys we have had out recently.

Mike Kennard (Mr Daiwa 2009) came over a couple of week ago. Mike loves his Daiwa tackle, in fact he should be a rep for them as it was a Daiwa rod, reel and lure that secured him these beauties.

Ok the first one is the normal size of a pound or so that we have been getting...sound, it got him his first Jersey bass and we hadnt been out the harbour long.

Twenty minutes later he shows us it hasnt stopped yet!!

Another few minute later and he is starting to rub it in with his third!!

So, I am happy for Mike, he is happy, we are all happy (ish). The other guy out with us that day was Martin Hall from Newton Abbot, Martin is a great angler and like me was struggling to find some fish. We were transfixed on getting some bass on the Patchinko, as we were getting rises galour and the bass were all over our surface lures but just not taking them. So as we are hell bent on a surface catch we hear Mike behind us say "Oh yes, into another one!!" And was he into one? Oh yeah. He only goes and has a scrap and a half with this little beauty, which gave some stick on his Daiwa Tournement Bass. It ended up going 7lb 5oz, and a great trophy shot for him to finish off his Jersey trip nicely.

So that was one happy tourist. Martin had to wait a bit before he caught his first Jersey bass but he got one in the end.

We had a double hook-up, and yes, Mr Fish had the smallest again, but it was good fishing and good company, friends in fishing are great friends indeed.

Next up was David "Pikey" Edwards, the Pike angler that usually prefers hooking lovely Pike on a fly rod in the UK.

Here is Dave with his first ever bass, caught litterally ten minutes after leaving the harbour. He had this bright chatreuse "Bomber" with him and it looked perfect for the bright day that it was.

And Dave managed a nice 4lb'er, which did give him a great scrap for its size. So all in all its getting better, all I need to do now is catch some fish myself.