Yesterday was a day that shouldn't happen if you believe everything you read and hear. The wind down in Cornwall has shifted from a southerly to an East/North Easterly and it was blowing quite hard but it was a beautiful sunny day if you could manage to avoid the wind and it felt such a shame to waste a day like this in October as the nights are drawing in. So I decided I might venture out to the open coast to see if the sea had cleared a bit after the storm we had over the weekend. As I was driving out I could feel that wind blowing hard and thought to myself I needed to get shelter from that wind to enjoy the sunshine. I arrived at my venue and noticed instantly that there were hundreds of seagulls just sitting on the water and thought I wonder why they are all there? As I walked down the tide was fully out and there was very little water to play with but I just kept saying to myself it's a nice day what have I got to lose? When I arrived and got set up the water had cleared up slightly and it was the perfect colour of just enough to see a lure but cloudly enough for a fish to be adventurous. To my left and right i spotted huge seals also and thought that this might turn out to be either a great day or absolutely rubbish as it felt like I was late to the party and everything had already happened but I was so wrong.
On the turn of the tide and flow of the flood, I cast a white lure into the sea and as it was shallow I worked it very fast avoiding the bottom and then bang right at my feet my first bass. It was hiding in kelp and weed beds yards from my feet.
I thought wonderful a bass for tea for my wife tonight. This bass was 61cm and a great start to fishing in an easterly wind. Then what happened next was unbelievable. As the tide was flooding and there was more movement things started to click. The birds were no longer sitting on the water and they were now circling and making loads of noise. The seals had dived and it felt like things were about to change and I was correct. Bait fish were next to show and everything just kicked off. Bass started smashing the baitfish on the surface, the birds were picking up bits left over from all the bust-ups and I started to cast my lure into the mix to see if I could pick off a few bass. Bass after bass, cast after cast I caught fish continuously all afternoon. The size of the bass ranged between 38cm and 65 cm. 98% went back but it was great fun catching bass in the sun.
The lure I was using was starting to get battered so I switched to something a bit stronger and popped on a Red Gill Vibro Shad in a pearl cotton candy colour and still caught bass but not as many as it was starting to get quieter now "oh was I so wrong"
All of a sudden I could see a tuna boat trolling birds behind it and thought that's strange but what happened next would make sense. I saw a few bigger bust-ups about 300 yards from me and put two and two together and realised that the tuna had turned up to that party.
As I cast out my lure and it wasn't in the water for long all hell broke loose. My rod went solid and then something started to instantly strip line from my reel. This aggressive take and stripping of the line lasted around 30secs and it was so powerful. I absolutely shit myself and thought I was about to be spooled and it would have been game over for me but I got lucky and it just went light and managed to get off. It didn't feel like a huge tuna, It wasn't a bass that was for sure but I think it may have been a bonito as there have been a few catches recently in Cornwall which would suggest this. I was gutted but relieved after I realised what might have ended my day.
It went very quiet for about 30 minutes after the tuna bust-ups and it seemed as if everything was going to go very quiet so I decided to have a coffee I made before I left and have a little rest as it was hectic and ring my mate to join the fun. I decided to switch my lure once again and go for something I have had some luck with this year but it just looks and swims great. It's a little lighter in weight than most of my lures but it has a length 178mm and if there were any bigger bass still there it might tempt a few out. I was correct and as the tide was in full flow now I could work the Red Gill V8 Jig slowly to tempt a few bigger girls out. The stamp of fish this lure caught was exceptional and it caught me over 10 bass that were in the 60cm bracket (5lb and over) and did not break/tear or falter at all. Bass after bass this lure caught me so many fish. My mate was stood next to me trying every lure possible but caught nothing at all. Unfortunately, I only had the one in my bag so he was a bit gutted, to say the least. The picture below was the Red Gill I was using. Not a scratch, fully functional after multiple large bass being caught. Still loads more bass (and maybe a bonito) to be caught on it.
We fished right upto high tide and enjoyed a lovely sunset. What a day and memory that will stay with me forever. Please dont be put off by easterly wind tales. If you have a day when you are free and the sun is shinning then get out in that fresh air. Enjoy the beautiful coastline you live near and get your lures wet because if the fish are there then you will have the best day ever just like i had yesterday.
