December Bass Lure Fishing Blog

It is getting colder and its harder to catch Bass in Dec, but we are so lucky in Cornwall to have warmer water temperatures than all other coasts in the UK. The exception is Guernsey and Jersey where it is even better again. December is more settled than November but colder and we have done well in December on the coast and estuary in the past.

As you are already aware Nov & Dec is either lovely or bad. Wind and swell are the enemy to all lure anglers and it is so hard to avoid it. We have also taken the biggest risks along the coast in December and it is not worth it at all to catch a fish. Please ensure you all stay safe and do not take any unnecessary risks especially when there are large waves present always wear a life jacket if there is any risk and especially when it is rough.

Estuary: Fishing the estuary changes in Dec and if you normally fish with surface lures it is unlikely you will catch as the fish will be swimming below most retrieved lures especially if the colour of the water is chocolate (if it's cloudy water or night time use white or bright lures) but if the water is clear then it's always worth trying a surface lure or a natural soft plastic (we have done really well on black lures this year) but ensure you use longer pauses than normal in Dec. We would suggest you cast a soft weedless plastic (with a tail preferably) into the tide (up tide) and occasionally drag it along the bottom. If you can master skimming it along the bottom then you WILL catch bass and sometimes a flounder. Try and mimic what's swimming around your feet, typically a small brown fish like the picture below and allow the lure to completely drop to the bottom. “Drag” the lure as slowly as possible (1 full turn every 2 seconds) along the bottom and ensure you are holding your rod tip slightly up at 45 deg and nice and tight because if a 6/7 lb bass strikes you will certainly know about it. Ensure your drag is set so the bass can take line but not too loose and you must ensure all your knots are secure & tight. A large bass will shake its head to try and escape so you must not rush the retrieve. One last bit of advice is constantly move all the time. Do not stay in the same place for very long and try and read an estuary. according to the flow of the water. Ask yourself if I were a bass where would I be swimming to munch on an easy snack? The answer is with the tide, and they could be in 2 ft of water so never rule anything out.

Handmade 4.5” Cornish Shads 

A 65cm Bass (below) caught on a brown lure with a tail being dragged along the bottom of an estuary. 

Open Water: Occasionally it can be a beautiful day in December where everything aligns. Clean surf and clear blue seas happen once in a Blue Moon but when they do you must take advantage of these conditions. We generally use a a natural or colourful hard plastic to fly out into the surf in December. The shoals of bass are larger in Dec and they will be looking to capitalise on bulking up on fry. Cast your lure into the white water and wait for those huge takes when the bass hit. If you get no hits after a few casts then move to another spot. They are either there or not. They won't come to you, you must find them yourself. Before you start casting think “if I catch a large bass how will I land it” really think about that before you cast your lure.

Please take care on the coast in Dec and wear a life jacket if you own one. If you don't then buy one and use it. 

There may be a few squid still about on the open coastline or even an estuary so its always worth a chuck with a snax lure retrieving it deadly slow. 

5" Cornish Snax

Take care and tight lines....

Thank you for your support this year...

Merry Christmas and HNY...