A new first for this year..

I blanked…

I really hate to blank and usually scale right down to catch a fish, any fish, of any species and any size but there are days when that just isn’t on the cards and today was one of them.

The venue was my favourite bass haunt. I had everything I needed, my other sponsor had sent a load of terminal tackle, I had my trusty proven lures, I had my new favourite rod and reel , I had top quality fresh bait…even the weather forecast was looking good. Completely wrong as it turned out but to start with it was looking good.

On the beach I started doing shots for a bass fishing video I want to put together, confident that the rest of the day would provide all the necessary footage. I launched into a mirror like creek and set out on the 30 minute paddle to the fort in perfect windless conditions.

By the time I arrived at the fort the wind had picked up and showed no sign of stopping. It was around 20mph gusting a lot stronger but a NE direction so blowing straight back on shore. I know this venue very well so wasn’t overly concerned, but was aware that when the tide turned the swells would increase as it was going to be wind against tide. It was never going to be dangerous, just uncomfortable but it was still annoying that the forecast could get it so wrong.

Sitting it out for an hour or so without a bite the wind was getting noticeably stronger. It had also started to rain and there was the ominous sign of thunder and lightning on the horizon. There soon came the point when safety became more important than a fish and I decided to up anchor and head in.

The only problem here is that this is a low water fishing mark. I launch at low tide paddling down the creek to the shore line and then fish over the banks as the tide floods back in over them. This means that cutting a trip short entails a one and a half mile walk back over the exposed sand to the car. Ideally I would paddle back parallel to the shore to the creek mouth about a mile back along the coast and then walk the yak back up the creek but paddling along the shore line means paddling along the surf line and with 4ft breaking waves this was going to be an interesting paddle.

In the event I spent half an hour playing in the surf. The Cuda 14 handled it all beautifully. I didn’t get as far as the creek and did have an invigorating walk back over the sand dragging a yak behind me. It wasn’t by any means the best days fishing but it was still a great day on the water. I learnt a lot more about what the Cuda 14 is capable of and how it handles in a decent surf and messy swell. It will surf a 4ft clean break straight up a shallow sand beach and doing it is a hell of a lot of fun. Next time in these conditions you will see me out there playing, just without the rods.