A proper bass...........

• ...........so nearly got caught late yesterday afternoon. But not quite. OK, so the tides were very small, but I really fancied the conditions before they blew up a bit today - the last two hours or so of the back tide, great water clarity and a lively but manageable sea. I would rather have had larger tides, but when you reckon the chances are good, you've got to go for it. Work can be finished later. What on earth is the point of being self-employed if I can't sneak out of the office sometimes to go fishing ? Hell, I spent most of the last half of last year getting up at 5am to get my fishing book done on time (check here).

• The sea conditions were better than I could have hoped for in fact, and I went for the lure that worked for me the other day (see the post here), the brand new Duo Tide Minnow 120 Surf in this holographic silver/white colour. I never thought I would see many bass, but I reckoned there might be a nice fish around somewhere. With my sheepdog Jess I virtually ran across the rocks and waded a couple of gullies (she swam) in my haste to get fishing.

• After about twenty minutes, I was bringing the lure back at steady, medium pace, when all of a sudden a proper bass came up right behind a rock and smacked the back of the lure. I got a hell of a jolt on the rod tip. I'm not going to speculate on the size of the thing, but it was a big fish, and I was gutted he did not make proper contact with the hooks. A proper bass - a dark, wide head, broad across the shoulders, with a liking for this Tide Minnow Surf. He went for it, but it was one of those times when the fish didn't hook up. To say my heart missed a few beats would be a serious understatement, and I think I might have sworn a little - poor Jess thought it was at her !!

• I knew I was not going to see the fish again as he had felt the hooks, and I carried on until the sun went down, but never saw sight nor sound of another fish. But I always wonder how many unseen fish your lure surely has to pass by during a plugging session. I had a feeling that I might only get one chance.......

• You know when you have one last cast and wished you didn't ? That was me early yesterday evening - I had a bad feeling about it as my lure flew out. Yes, I went and snagged it up good and proper. A lot of the time I can wrench my lures out of most snags, but this time the Tide Minnow Surf was stuck good and proper and I eventually broke it off trying to free it. Poor Jess once again thought it was her that I was venting my rage on, but at least she got a decent walk back to the car to make up for my bad behaviour. I had better get on the phone and order a couple more of these lures. Check here for where you can get them. You've gotta be in it to win it as they say. So near yet so far.......