Recently a very interesting occurrence has happened to us within the river system we fish in, and we can think back over the past 12 months when this has happened more than once improving our catch rate for bass. We will chat about the most recent event first and then go onto the past few times where matching the hatch is so important but can be easily dismissed. So only a few days ago we were fishing within the bladderack in the river trying to tempt a bass out and the tide was flying out on a very powerful spring ebb tide. It was a windy day, and the sun was out in full force. As I was up to my waist in water I like to have my floating net beside me just in case I need it. I also like to see which way the tide is flowing so it has two effects as I normally feel the flow and pull of the tide on the net. As you can imagine the ring part was floating and the mesh was underwater, and I did not think anything about it. After a while when the tide had reached a point where I needed to move I picked my net and lifted it out of the water and I was amazed with how many sand smelt were caught within the mesh of my net. There must have been twenty smelt intertwined within the mesh and I attempted to pull them all out and release them back into the river system. This instantly got me thinking about all the splashes I could hear and then realised what the bass could be feeding on in the coming weeks/months. These smelt were stuffed to the brim and their bellies (the bottom one) was bulging so they clearly liked it within the bladderack. Can you see that distinct purple line down the side of the fish? That could be a good indicator for a certain lure type. Look how silver their bellies are. Below is a picture of the smelt I am talking about:
Recently I had a picture from a good friend Robin Bradley (A Bass Anglers Life) who sent me a bass he caught from a local mark of his.
If you look closely you will see the lure he was using to catch that bass and cleverly he was using something that looked exactly like what was just caught in my net. After a few messages back and forward we both realised that the river systems that we both fish in had a very similar occurrence happening, both were stuffed with these sand smelts as he noticed similar findings also. He is a very wise knowledgeable person and is my go to if I see a particular type of bait fish as he generally knows what it is from his great work at BASS (Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society). I now know why he likes this particular lure we sell and why he likes the flash belly within the soft plastic lure
There are many instances where this has happened to us over the last year, and these are a few examples of what we use and what we catch when we match the hatch:
Below is a picture of a rockling again within the estuarine system we fish in and the lure we use to great effect within that system:
Below was what was inside a Bass we took home for the table and what lure we caught it on.
Don't really have to say much for the lure in question below. The reason why it works is self explanatory which was caught be Steven from Kernow Bass :
So what we are saying is put your mobile phone down, take in the surrounds and enjoy being out in the fresh air, watch what is happening in and around your feet and ensure if you see signs of bait fish, crabs or shell fish try and find something that resembles what the bass are feeding on. It’s the most important skill you can learn, and you don't have to spend a fortune replicating the type of bait fish the bass are hunting. It can be a cheap metal which is the right colour and size, a homemade soft plastic or a natural hard lure that catches your next bass.
Good luck and tight lines
From the lads at Bass Lures UK.