OK, so that’s not entirely true, but I was rather happy! Three or four casts into the session which began at around 10.30pm and a nice bass jumped on the end of my white senko. So now’s the time I say to myself - on goes a freshly rigged, brand new 6’’ long white OSP DoLive Stick. Following on from a fair amount of tail-nipping last week at night I’ve got the thing rigged with a singlestinger hook that sits just before the tail of the lure starts………….
I had a few small bass at night last week, but I didn’t get in amongst them to a point where I felt confident in changing the lure that was working and sticking with the alternative come what may. I had a few tentative bumps on one of these newly arrived white DoLive Sticks, but nothing stuck and I didn’t really persist with them - whilst swearing to myself that the moment I felt confident there were more fish around I’d change back and make bloody sure I went and caught a bass on one at night to give myself what is surely one of the most important aspect to this night lure fishing thing. Without confidence it’s going to be a tough one, and I speak from experience here.
Anyway, last night we had a decent tide and good night fishing conditions although it wasn’t completely dark even at after 10pm when we got there yet there was a bit of a fog rolling in, and that bass jumped on the end of my stinger rigged white senko rather quickly. The fish didn’t actually hook up on the stinger, indeed all the bass from last night save for the last one I caught which was on one of Jim’s Lures rather nice needlefish managed to hook themselves on the “proper” weedless hook. How different to last week when any (small) bass I managed to winkle out at some very antisocial hours were hooked fair and square on the single stinger hook at the rear of the white senko. How come this week they seem to be hitting the lures differently? Does fishing ever stop (gloriously) asking us questions?
Out comes my lure box and on goes a rather lovely looking white DoLive Stick - this is it I tell myself, it’s not coming off until I catch a fish on it, and that’s a promise. Unless I’m still standing there an hour later and catching sod all that is, but worry not fine reader because a few casts and retrieves later and bang, a bass goes and nails the lure. I land the fish and then I cough a bit to make sure that Mark can’t hear the sobs choke forth from me as moisture appears in the corner of my eyes. Crying? No way, a bit of dust in the eye.
Now of course I fully expected these brand new white DoLive Sticks to work at night, and I was buoyed by the news I saw on Facebook the other day from a good angler I know on the south coast of Ireland who landed some cracking bass on his new lures - but you and I both know that it doesn’t completely matter at the end of the day. You are never going to feel entirely confident about a lure until you catch on it yourself. Doesn’t matter if your mate is hauling out double figure bass on the lure right next to you - you have to do it for yourself. Confidence. You need to take that punt and clip the lure on and persist until you catch on it. Well that’s my theory anyway, and I’m sticking with it.
Epic night fishing photography!
I grant you that it certainly makes life a little easier when only a few casts later it is proved to you that your new lure does indeed work, but I am sure you get my drift. A bunch more bass later on the same white DoLive Stick (but still none hooked up on the stinger) and I have managed to manfully choke back my sobs and mop my tears of joy at proving to myself that firstly the white DoLive Stick works at night, and secondly because I now know it works and works well, persisting with it is not shooting myself in the foot. I had a bit of a play last night with working it nice and slowly along or just off the bottom and I think that’s worth exploring further. Little things please little minds? Whatever the case I couldn’t get to sleep for ages after fishing last night as I turned the session over in my head and tried not to cry more tears of joy lest my wife wake up and think I’m even more unhinged than I reckon she already suspects…….
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