(In association with Mike Thrussell’s web site sea-fishing.com)
To take bass, especially big shore bass over 6lbs, from weed strewn, coral and barnacle covered boulders and rocks on a consistent basis takes hard work, knowledge, and some skill. But anyone can do it. It just takes time to learn the basics. 
WHEN DO BASS ARRIVE?
This is governed by the availability of crab, that is the shore variety, Carcinus Maenas for the boffins.
These start to peel in the South, Southwest and Wales in numbers from the end of March, but it’s mid-April before the bass really move inshore to fill their bellies. Look for air temperatures averaging a consistent 11C, which is a good indication that enough crabs will be peeling to pull the first bass inshore.The numbers of peelers escalate weekly then until mid-May when there is literally an explosion of peeling crab. These explosions peak either side of the spring tides, and there’s a further big peel during the first spring tides of June, then numbers ease back through until early August when they build again. Around the spring tides at the end of August, and again in early September, there will be another explosion, before numbers decrease towards the autumn.
Kent follows a similar time cycle, but further north above the Thames estuary, expect the peel to start a couple of weeks later.
This is the key to the main rock bassing season. Start fishing in mid-April, fish hardest through May and to the end of June, fish the rough through July and August only when the weather is very rough, then fish hard again in late August and early September. Fish to this timetable and you’ll maximise your chances.
PICK A GOOD MARK
What do I mean by rough ground? Ideally, the rougher the better. Big single scattered boulders with patches of sand and gravel between them are no good. The beach needs to be predominately rock with smaller boulders mixed amongst larger rocks or fissured rock with minimal sand and gravel present. The inclusion of small weed accumulations adds to the areas attractiveness.Don’t ignore mixed ground where you find dense areas of rock and boulders, then a cleaner sandy area. Bass will scour the rough patches and move across the sand towards the next rough patch in search of food.
Why so rough? Simple… food! Rough ground creates hidey-holes where the main food source of bass, crabs, can conceal and protect themselves, especially during the peeling process. Reserve food items like gobies and other small fish also use the same sanctuaries.
Dead food items borne along by the tide will roll across clean ground and fish trying to feed here need to work hard to locate it. Over rough ground, water borne food becomes trapped amongst the boulders and lodges against ridges and weed beds making it easier to locate.
With this in mind, it pays to walk a rough ground bass beach at low water and locate and map in your mind specific areas where food items will fall and stay when dropped by the passing tide.
Look for depressions, especially water pools that still retain water after the tide has receded. Note rock fingers that run either parallel or towards the shore and fish the outside or uptide side of these where typically, food items borne along by the tide collect. Bass tend to work around the bases of bigger boulders laying amongst the smaller ones, which is a favourite home for crabs. Mark weed beds and again fish tight to their edges, especially the uptide side.
Some beaches have definite deeper gullies amongst the rocks and boulders that run parallel with the shore some distance out, or maybe come in directly from the sea towards the high water mark. Bass use these as both feeding areas and routes to other feeding grounds. The deeper water also gives the bass more cover during a flooding tide if the ground is shallow.
Other areas to try are just uptide of small streams that run across the beach and enter the sea across the boulders, but avoid these areas after heavy rain when the acidic flood water will push fish away.
Depth is not critical. Bass prefer water between 4-ft and 10-ft deep. But they’ll feed happily in just 2-ft of water if there is immediate safe access back to deeper water.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO FISH?
Rough ground beaches generally tend to fish to a similar pattern. Try to time your trips to coincide with the hour before low water, and the two hours following. The mid flood period is rarely good for bass, though if there are those deeper gullies across the beach, then these tend to be the marks that produce fish through mid flood. The two hours before high water are again excellent.
To pin it down further, expect some beaches to fish best over low water, especially if the water is deepish close in and there are reefs and rough ground out beyond the low water line. If the offshore ground is relatively clean at low water, and gets rougher towards the mid tide area, then it’s more likely to be a high tide mark.
Just to add a spanner to the works, there are no hard and fast rules when bass choose to feed. A few marks will throw off this tradition and produce fish only on the ebb. This usually occurs because the tide flow on the ebb works over the ground in such a way that bass know food will be scoured out, whereas maybe the flood tide current flow is restricted, possibly by an obstacle like a small headland that forces the current further offshore keeping the ground towards the high water line calmer and less likely to see food scoured out.
You’ll find that the bass feed over the same type of ground following a specific route at the same stage of tide. Typical examples would be two bites say 20 minutes after low water, then nothing for another 30 minutes, then one more before the fish disappear. One hour before high water you get a single bite, nothing again until say 30 minutes before high when there’s time for two more bites, plus one more at dead high water, then the fish are gone until the next tide. I’ve taken this example from a particular beach I fish myself, just to give you an idea of what to expect. Bass are predictable!
TIDES & WEATHER
There’s a misconception that the bigger tides are always the best. Not really! Go for the middle sized tides, especially those rising towards high springs, these prove the most consistent. Neap tides can be okay if the water depth is over 8-ft, but they’re not consistent unless the weather has been very rough and the shallower marks are unfishable for us… and equally difficult for the bass.
The crabs and fish living amongst the snags are most vulnerable during roughish seas with a surf. This is when wave action can scour them out and make them literally easy meat for bass.
Most boulder bass beaches fish best in prevailing onshore winds between force 3 and force 6. If you’ve got the confidence to fish through a gale, then expect the sub 6lb fish to be offshore in protected water, but there’s a good chance any fish you do hook will be close to double figures. The biggies have the body weight and tail power to feed through the turbulent shallow water at this time.
All beaches fish to their best when the wind chooses to quarter from a certain direction. Again it’s to do with the way the wind and tide interact to produce surf and tide currents that expose large amounts of food on that particular beach.
When the wind is blowing straight off the sea or slightly from a southerly direction, then it’s a good time to try. North-westerly winds tend to be poor. But some beaches can surprise in these conditions, especially if they face slightly north. A southerly side wind on some beaches is the best of all and outfishes a straight onshore wind.
Easterly winds on the south and west coast generally fish badly over rough ground. But there are exceptions. Normally, these winds see the vast majority of bass well offshore chasing sandeels, but occasional lone fish take advantage of the lack of competition and stay on the boulders to cash in. It’s not reliable fishing, but it can pay off.
The other exception is when an easterly wind puts surf on a beach otherwise protected from the prevailing winds. This brings bass in from far and wide to just this one small area and such times can give bumper catches.Night time, or day time? If the sea is well coloured and carries a good surf after a long period of prevailing windy weather, then daylight can be every bit as good as darkness. Put some clarity back in the water and the bass become shy and tend only to feed through dusk, dawn and pitch darkness. Even a full moon will put bass off if the water is very clear and fairly shallow.
TOP TIPS FOR ROUGH GROUND BASS FISHING
Expect the unexpected when it comes to bites. Some fish “knock” the rod once, then run. Just strike hard at these. Others take the bait and swim inshore. Wind like hell until the line tightens…then hit them. Some clever bass tremble the line just perceptibly on the rod tip. Don’t wait, they’re nervous and a quick strike is best.
Occasionally, bass take the bait and swim parallel along the shore. This is weird giving you a sensation that the line is gently travelling sideways, but there is no pressure on the rod. These fish are usually well hooked and a strike is just insurance.
Expect to cast up to 60-yds at low water if the depth is shallow. Over high water, if the depth exceeds 4-ft, bass will be right in under your feet if there’s food present there and casts between 20yds and 40yds will be adequate. Use as light a lead as you can. Often just 1oz is enough for close range casting, and rarely is more than 2ozs needed. Lighter leads snag less and put fewer fish off as they move away with the baits.
If you’re catching regular sub 2lb bass, then it’s safe to assume no big fish are in the immediate area. The big fish won’t work with the shoals of school bass as they haven’t the speed of manoeuvre to compete for food items on an equal basis. When the small bass disappear expect a period of about 15 minutes to lapse before bigger fish are likely to move in.
BAITS
As we’ve seen, shore peeler crab is the number one bait, but a big soft crab can be just as deadly.
The peelers ideally, should literally be popping their shells as you use them. Kill the crab by pinching it between the eyes, then cut the body in to two halves. Now push one half over the hook point and up along the shank to make a juicy bait. Finish with a light wrapping of thin knitting-in elastic for security. Soft crabs can just be fed on to the hook and secured again with elastic. Presentation is not critical, but lots of scent from the bait is.
Aim for a bait about the size of an England’s Glory matchbox. Go bigger and the average sized fish struggle to get the bait cleanly into their mouth.
To target bigger bass over 6lbs, consider either a single 5/0 hook loaded with bait, or a two hook pennel rig and use several halves of crab to form a large sausage shaped bait about 6ins long.
Edible and velvet swimmer soft and peeler crabs make good bait, but remember, these are subject to specific laws regards size and collection, so check locally first.
If you’re struggling for crabs early on, then try cuttlefish, preferably fresh from the boats, but Predator Baits are now doing blast frozen cuttlefish and it’s a proven bass bait early in the season.
RODS, TACKLE AND RIGS
Rods need to be powerful enough to cast 1-3ozs of lead and a big crab bait. It needs to be light enough to hold all the time and should be about 11ft 6ins long with a fast -taper action.
Either a medium sized fixed spool or 6500 sized multiplier, it doesn’t matter which, but load it with 18lb line for medium rough, and maybe 25lb line for heavy rough with a covering of barnacles. This gives you a chance should the line rub over the rocks and take damage…which is frequent. There is no need for a leader using light leads and heavy line.
The best rig is a simple sliding paternoster. Run the main line through one eye of a size 10 swivel and tie on another swivel. The free running swivel on the main line takes 24ins of 15lb line and the weight. The swivel tied to the main line has a 6 to 9in length of 15lb mono and takes one of the new 33751BLM Mustad Ultimate Bass hooks.
This rig gives instant bite detection back through the rod to the angler’s hands and keeps you fully informed what’s happening to the bait.
