Race Against Time

Marc Cowling Made the Best of a Short Session to Bag a Personal Best Bass.

- Marc Cowling

I had that feeling… I really wanted to go fishing but I had a multitude of chores to complete – so did I have time, was it worth bothering? I dropped my daughter off at school and sat there deliberating for a few minutes. The westerly wind had increased in strength overnight and the clouds were getting darker by the minute, heralding the forecast heavy rain for the morning.

However, burning in the back of my mind were two things: I knew the conditions would be absolutely perfect for a particular stretch of south Devon coastline I know and love, and the previous day a client had smashed his PB with a stunning 5lb-plus bass. So I knew the bigger ones were about – that was it, I was going!

HEAVENS OPEN

As I navigated the numerous winding lanes to a village some 20 minutes from my home, I knew I only had approximately two hours to fish, on the final half of the ebb tide – again, ideal conditions for the mark I had chosen. As expected, as I slipped on my waders, boots, jacket and flotation vest the heavens opened, and as I neared the clifftop overlooking the beach below the rain was practically stinging my eyes!

But to a bass lure fisherman, the sight before me was magnificent – lots of movement to the water but essentially, still some water clarity (one to two feet to be precise). Carefully, but with high levels of anticipation and expectation, I gingerly made my way down the muddy path and out across the slippery rocks.

WAITING TO CROSS

I do like fishing the ebb tide – the bass are more often than not waiting at the entrance to certain gulleys, at the base of rock formations or sat in deeper pools waiting for unsuspecting smaller fish (gobies, sandeels, pollack etc) therefore, casting and moving every 10 to 20 minutes or so is my favoured tactic.