Q&A LURE FISHING
Our experts solve your fishing problems
Q Sometimes I worry that I am not covering enough ground with my bass fishing. What are your thoughts?
HG says: It’s a really interesting question because I don’t believe there can be a definitive answer. I fish some locations where Iam very deliberately targeting a specific area, such as part of a reef at a specific state of tide. My confidence that this is the time and place to fish comes from previous experience, but in general I do believe that the more water you cover, the more your chances are of connecting with fish.
When you get to know certain locations really well you are going to make sure you are standing in specific spots at various times. That said, bass move around a lot on the hunt for food – so I think we need to as well. Not every mark we fish presents the opportunity to cover a lot of ground, but when I can I like to fish as much water as possible. Don’t get lazy and just stand there for hours on end while you thrash the water to a foam! Some of the best bass anglers I know are also pretty fit and able and to cover a lot of ground with their fishing.
Do your moving with purpose though: move and look, walk and scan. Keep your eyes and ears open all the time, either for any hint of fish moving around, bait getting attacked, or more likely, good-looking parts of the mark to fish. Asuccessful bass angler has to have a bit of that “I wonder what’s around the next corner or headland?” about them. If there is one type of fishing which is going to open up a coastline to you, it’s lure fishing for bass, wrasse and pollack. Lure fishing is so much about staying mobile because we are not carrying loads of gear which is a pain to move around. Two rods in a tripod is obviously a great way to fish, but lure fishing is more about hunting for fish rather than nailing a bait to the bottom and waiting for fish to come to you.
Q I notice you are often using white braids these days, Henry. Is there a reason for this?
HG says: I do like a coloured braid and I don’t worry at all about a bright braid putting fish off, not when I always fish with a length of fluorocarbon leader. Most of your brighter coloured braids are a bright green or yellow, perhaps pink, and sometimes a garish orange; however, a while back I got a spool of a white braid which is now discontinued. I began to notice how easy the braid was for me to see during the day and also at night when I occasionally switch my headlamp on. From a photography point of view I really liked how a white braid “jumps” out at you.
Earlier this year I stumbled across the fact that a braid I really like – Berkley Sick X8 – is now available in a white colour
