Friday 3 Nov was a beautiful day, the sea was flat the fog had cleared and we skimmed from Stokes Bay to the Fingers in “High Hopes” in search of something large; cod, conger, bass?

Fishing before 9.30 we were straight into whiting with the occasional dog, by 10.30 the bites had virtually stopped but the sun was shining.  The tide turned and we fished on slowly for another hour and then re-anchored about half a mile to the South on another bank.  Again fishing was very slow, a few whiting and several dogs, then a thornback and a gurnard.  The radio was indicating it was the same all over, surely on what was a perfect day there would be something to write home about.  It was turning out to be a lovely day with some very disappointing fishing.

Then about 3 pm as the tide was grinding to a halt, a knock followed by the rod surging down (and out) and battle commenced.  Well behind the boat the fish surfaced, dived and then surfaced again to the side of the boat.  It was shy of the net but once in the boat came in a shade under 12lb, my first double figure bass.  We fished for a while longer but that was it, what a difference a bite can make.

John Ellis