BASS FOR ALL SEASONS
When is the best time to fish for this popular species?
When is the best time to catch?
In my recently published book, ‘A Bass Angler’s Life’, I write about the things that have shaped and influenced a life spent chasing these wonderful fish. These are many and varied, and include the way he fishes, and the things that influence when and where I go fishing. Here, I’ll dip into those parts of the book that relate to the seasonality of bass angling.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could catch bass all year? Some anglers do, but this is more about proving a point than part of their regular fishing habits. Fact is, there are definitely months when bass fishing is more productive, and others when diminishing catches make the effort required harder to justify.
Non-anglers often ask if there is a ‘season’ for bass fishing. That implies that you can only fish for them at certain times of the year. In fact, you can fish for them whenever you like, but there are times when the fishing is better than others; perhaps this is what they actually mean.
To most bass anglers, ‘season’ means the continuous period during which there is a reasonable chance of catching a fish, but each will have their own individual slant on this. Each ‘season’ is separated from the next one by a period, of varying duration, when the fishing tails off. This can be any time from November to April, depending on where you fish.
For many bass anglers, the ‘season’ starts and finishes in the same year, for example May to October. For others, such as those fishing in Cornwall, it spans two consecutive years, starting sometime in March, and ending sometime in January the following year.
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE
One reason we get peaks and troughs in fishing might be sea temperature. It is thought that bass don’t feed in colder water, with 10°C being accepted as the critical temperature.
In Cornwall, sea temperatures are a shade below this in February and March, rising to reach it in April.
It is still possible to catch bass in water below 10°C however, as demonstrated by anglers fishing around Guernsey.
Another reason could be migration. It is thought that during autumn, bass migrate towards the south-west of England, where they overwinter, and group together in prespawning/spawning aggregations. For areas further north, the start of the migration may mean an end to their fishing for that season, as the resident fish depart. As these fish move south and west, they can provide a welcome boost to the fishing in the areas they pass through, before moving on again, joined by the resident fish for that area.
Cornwall is the end of the line, and anglers are fortunate in that all these migrating fish must pass these shores on their way to the overwintering grounds, subject to temporary distractions such as the herring shoals which they feed on. This can result in a noticeable rise in the number and quality of fish caught at certain times of the year, and this can last for several weeks.
Late October through to mid-November is one such time, with a second, perhaps bigger, hike during early December, which can last until mid-late January.
By then, both migrating and resident fish will have departed from our shores. Fish, occasionally very big ones, can still be caught during February, but these are isolated stragglers. Mostly, the fish caught at this time are likely to be the occasional immature fish. This is my cue to have an annual break from fishing. Having said that, if the weather is mild, it’s tempting to have a go.
GAME OF CHANCE
My bass fishing season starts in March, when I hope to catch a lunker moving back to the summer feeding grounds. This is often a game of chance, with long hours in often cold conditions, for the occasional, but potentially very big fish.
It’s not until May, when the resident fish should have returned, that the fishing starts to hit any sort of consistency. It’s thought that the second set of spring tides in May is the time to start bassing; some say the time to start fishing for bass is when the foxgloves come out, which is usually about this time. By June, the fishing should be established. If things aren’t happening by midsummer day, start to worry about the state of the stocks.
Probably the best months for fish of all sizes in Cornwall are July to October, but November to January, and March and April can also be good, particularly for bigger fish.
My favourite time is probably midSeptember to mid-December, when the fishing is usually at its best. Of course, the duration of the season depends on where you are. The further south and west you are, the longer your season.