You only get one 50th

Just had to get out again, but a party invite meant I couldn't. I did try - but as my daughter explained to me, fishing trips will come again Dad, but there is only one 50th. How very true, and it also had the desired affect of making me wish I never asked! But there was a chink of light at the end of the tunnel, it was starting at 4pm and there may be a chance it would finish early...

First cast in at exactly twenty three mins past ten. Conditions were just like a swimming pool after the public had all gone home, and the air had a hint of autumnal chill. Rob on the Island was fishing at the same time, so we kept each other updated throughout the night. And we needed to, as it was deafly quiet on the fishing front for nearly two hours.

At just past midnight I had a schoolie of about 2.5lb which for the first time in many years was deeply hooked. This was shortly followed by another scorching run, resulting in a bass of 24", which looked a lot bigger than last nights. Maybe she would have weighed nearer 6lb? Who knows, as she was quickly unhooked and returned.

The fight was amazing, ripping line from the clutch every time I tried to beach her. I was trying to keep everything quiet from the two anglers fishing 150 yards to my right, but she had different ideas thrashing the water noisily to a foam every time she tried to make her escape.

The rest of the night was quiet on the captures, but I have never seen so much surface activity coming through with the tide. Most were from small shoals of bass fry (I assume) working along the shoreline, but a few were definitely decent sized bass working a line roughly two to three feet from the shore. 

I think I may have missed a few opportunities due to the weed along the shore line, as I may have been fishing just a little too far out last night.