Summer Bass

 I had a trip out to the beach over the summer hoping for some Bass and flounders using up the last frozen peeler crab from my winter cod fishing. The sea was pretty flat when I arrived and wading out for my first cast I realised how clear the water was, what I didn't spot until later was just how much weed was in the water. 

I had changed my rigs from a general pulley rig to a fixed paternoster with a size 2/0 hook and baited it with peeler crab. First cast and I was in to a school Bass of around 1 1/2 to 2lb and I was picturing a good session. Then it started to rain.... and that was the only bite of the whole night!

PB Perch

I've out on the river with lures searching for pike and perch, great fun on light gear. I manage to inch up my personal best perch weight to 1lb 11oz on a small rubber shad with a light Cahira wire trace for safety.

Lighting

I recently bought a new head torch to replace an almost identical model I bought a few years ago. In actual fact I bought because they have detachable battery packs I can quickly swap the power supply over without leaving my position...usually perched on a rock or knee deep in water. The lamps are extremely bright, 1200 to 900 lumens depending on the power setting with a long battery life.
The only downside of this Cree type of lamp is that there is usually no warning when the battery is about to die. The design has been changed slightly since my first purchase and now I find the cable is slightly too short although will still fit in the front pocket of my chest waders.
I bought the items from Amazon, Comunite for £16.95 each.

Ebay Shads

With an eye on next summers saltwater lure fishing and also some pike and perch on the rivers I turned to Ebay for some inspiration. The smaller lure is (supposedly) a 12cm Spikey Rage shad and the the other a (supposedly)15cm Savage Gear Cannibal shad. 

I went for the white colour for fishing in dark peaty rivers and also for the coast at night. The Cannibal shad is quite heavy so I'm hoping I can bounce it over the weed without much extra weight.

Akios Airloop R10

I've been using my Airloop on the beach and on the rocks this winter, the increased casting distance means I can put a bait in to more productive areas. As the winter went on the reel started to lose some of its smoothness so I decided to give it a good lubricate... I seem to have misplaced some of the shims that sit under the spool and now it won't turn when the drag is tightened. PLUS I can't find a parts diagram for the reel.

Rapala X Brat

Rapala lure may not be cheap but when they look and behave like these do you can understand why.

Lures

I've just been looking at some Rapala lures for pike and bass, blimey they're expensive!