Also new to the forum - Bass lure help please!

[ian]

Hi everyone
Also just joined the forum as I've read a few posts and it looks just what I need, thanks! I've been fishing chesil beach at Abbotsbury with my dad since I was 11 - a few years! We have mainly fished mackerel in the summer but this year we are going to do more together and try some bass lure fishing and cod fishing with live bait towards the winter. Can anybody please recommend bass plugs which you have found work well off chesil and suggest the best bait combination for cod- we intend to try pulley rigs.

Thanks in advance everyone!
Ian

[PompeyPete]

welcome Ian, can't advise on bass or cod as I'm still waiting for my first sizeable ones from chesil, some one on here will give you good advice though

[jfbee]

Welcome to the site Ian. Cod baits can be a combination of worm (black lug, common lug and ragworm), squid ,crab and shellfish (like razorfish).
The better ones that ive found are black lug with a strip of squid lashed to it, whole squid and peeler crab (if you can get it). Just be sure to match the size of hooks to the size of baits and make sure the hooks are sharp and proud.

[Litchy]

welcome to the forum Ian


success plugging is more to do with confidence and watercraft than lure selection - lures catch anglers and everyone has there favourite. tide and weather conditions might dictate what lure to select as you have to be able to cast to the fish. its more about locating the fish when they are feeding.



there will be as many lures suggested as there are members so this is just my opinion but what seems to work for me is fishing the dawn in with a popper ( rapala skitter pop or storm chug bug ) if its calm. if there is a bit of a chop on then a abu terminator silver and black (they might be called something else by now?!) although most of the paints has come off it and it looks like its white! feed shallow or a tide minnow are good too. i can't afford to spend £20-£30 on a lure although lots of the boys i fish with do and they catch good fish on them. take a look in reels and deals in weymouth they have the best selection around. or mr fish jersey online is good too. if you can afford expensive lures then buy them if they will give you the confidence to fish them that little bit longer of go out more often. keep a selection with you and don't be afraid to change them if you are not catching.
soft plastics will catch im sure but im no expert - iv caught the odd bass on a shad when its been rough to cast a plug any sense but some one else will have to help you there.


one last thing NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ORIGINAL SILVER ABU TOBY - ITS CHEAP, CASTS WELL AND HAS CAUGHT ME LOADS OF BASS OVER THE YEARS.

tight lines. tom

[fishdorset]

Veals - https://www.veals.co.uk/acatalog/Artificials.html

Bass Lures - http://www.basslures.co.uk/

Both the above have a good selection and great delivery service. Dennings and Weymouth Angling have got some good lures at a lot cheaper prices than other shops in Weymouth to.

[ian]

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for the great replies, this forum is a real gem and you are all so welcoming. What sort of distance would I look to be casting with a plug? I've never casted with one before, only leads from a beachcaster. Also, would you recommend a lighter or heavier plug?
Cheers
Ian

[Litchy]

so long as your plug is in the water you have a chance of a fish. iv had bass chasing a plug in 2 inches of water up the beach as a wave washes in. really the wind will dictate how far you can cast on a particular day, distance isn't everything although one school of thought is that casting long will cover more ground and draw more fish which maybe true?!?

personally fishing chesil i like to cast behind the shoulder of the wave before it breaks (distance depends on the weather and tide) not perpendicular to the beach but a sideways chuck so that you are working the lure along parallel to the beach, the longer the cast the more time the lure is working in the water - shorter cast just means you have to cast allot more! this is easier in calmer conditions. don't fish static have a few casts then walk a little way - few more casts then on again..... etc....etc... cover the ground.

plugging a new rock mark look for any features that might hold fish- underwater stuctures - currents - weed - bait fish, failing this cover the ground but casting out in a fan like pattern (if you get what i mean?!?) cast 1 - at 3o'clock ; cast 2 - at 2o'clock ; cast 3 - at 1o'clock ; cast 4 straight out and so on, you are covering the ground until you locate the fish.

cast any plug weight you like. look at the rod you plan to use it will indicate a recommended range of lure weights, between these is a good place to start. if you feel that you aren't casting as far as you would like then change to a heavier lure. distance wise i don't think i cast more than 40yards maximum. unless im fishing for mackerel then its as far a i can chuck it till i find them.



hope this helps. tom

[JBUTS]

nice report there Tom.One other thing i was showed was on the retrieve,before it leaves the water, drag it to one side rather than straight out of the water,if you know what i mean.they reckon a bass will follow a lure right till the end,so allowing it to go either way will increase your chances of a catch. Better still,having a play is the only way to find out.enjoy mate and welcome to the site

[ian]

What fantastic info, thanks loads Tom. I would have just gone for the straight out and back in approach, but this is why this site is so valuable - great advice from genuinely nice people.
I'm hopefully going out with my Dad this weekend to get some new plugging gear as we both fancy a go. Is there much of the bass season left? Just thinking how quickly we need to get down there, but actually I'm itching to have a go now!!!