Round-up of catches and stories.

Massive bass is second-best ever taken on a lure (a home-made one too!)

This stunning 17lb 4oz bass is one of several big doubles caught in January, and is the second-biggest of the species caught on a lure. It was taken by Isle of Wight angler David Cheal at the end of a session on January 6, when he switched to a home-made Wight’in lure, a 165mm shad-style version, and on his second drift caught the personal best bass.

The angler, from Ryde, was fishing on his boat FishArdour, a Warrior 165, off the southern side of the island.

“I was fishing lures vertically using a new Hart Bloody Offshore 15-50g rod, 25lb Daiwa J Braid and a Quantum Cabo 50 fixed-spool,” said David who, along with his friend Ben Creaser, designed and moulded both the 130g jighead and the 165mm tail specifically for this type of fishing, and to imitate a small whiting on which the winter bass seem to be feeding.

“This was our first trip with the new lure and on my second drift with the lure I caught the fish, which beats my personal best by more than 6lb. The fish took around 10 minutes to land, and went on many long, slow runs – it was heavy,” said David, who photographed, measured and returned the big bass.

David and Ben run the Wight Water Angling fishing blog, which offers an insight into the fishing on and around the Isle of Wight.

“A few people mentioned to me it could be the biggest UK bass caught on a lure, but I have no idea though,” he said.

Sea Angler consulted BASS, and its forum member Geoff Gonella told us that the former British boat-caught record of 18lb 4oz caught by Roy Slater was taken on a lure trolled over the gullies close to the Eddystone Lighthouse.

There was also a 14lb bass caught by Neil Rogers while fishing from his own boat in the Weymouth area of Dorset. Anglers are unable to retain bass until April 1, when a bag limit of one fish a day will be introduced until October 31.