Dusk Pike on the Savage Gear 3D Bleak Glide GoPro Video

Not been able to get out on the bank for a while due to work picking up but finally managed a short session in the evening just as the sun was on its way down.

Headed to the mark with only a small period of daylight left but conditions looked good for this shallow bay. On went the Savage Gear 3D Bleak Glide 135 in the Firetiger pattern and i swung it along the reed line to my right, decided on a twitch retrieve which makes this lure glide side to side just under the surface and half way back it was grabbed! nice to feel a bend in the rod after some time!

A short fight and a pike of around 4lb was safely chinned, unhooked in the water and released with lots of energy still as you can see in the vid below!




Thanks for Watching, Sam

Underwater Bass Release from a recent trip to Wales

Some great footage of an underwater release of a Bass caught on a recent trip to North Wales.


Thanks for watching,
Sam Johnson

Salt Skimmer Strikes Again

Another few days down at the caravan in wales gave me another opportunity for a Bass or two. Got down to the mark as the tide was dropping, flat calm conditions meant only one thing.. Surface Lures! And of course, with my recent success, it was the IMA Salt Skimmer that came out of the box.
  A few casts in to the session and the lure was hit about 20 yards out, no hook up! but the bass were here. Another 15 or so minutes passed working the Salt Skimmer over the reefs when it got hit again, this time the hooks were set and a short fight resulted in a lovely fish of around 2.5lbs.

2.5lb Bass off the surface on an IMa Salt Skimmer

 I returned to the same mark a couple of days later, this time at a different state of tide to see if it would fish the same, it didn't. 2 hours passed without a sign of a Bass, plenty of mullet milling around on the surface but not bass. The tide then was on the way down and had reached the same state as my previous trip because i could now reach the rock i was standing on as it got exposed. A few casts in and the Salt Skimmer was hit by a feisty little schoolie, landed and returned unharmed i carried on fishing and another schoolie was landed, a twin of the first one.

A couple of Schoolies on the IMA Salt Skimmer

This was to be the last of the action, but great to out fishing all the same.

Thanks for reading,
Sam Johnson

Old Wooden Wobbler produces a Pike off the Top

Found an old wooden surface wobbler hidden away in a little corner of the garage, a fire tiger pattern, perfect for my pike fishing. I took the lure up to my local water to have a look at the action, it was excellent, the balsa lure was so buoyant which enabled the lure to wobble across the surface in a lazy slalom which proved to be irresistible to a little pike in the shallows. the lure is around 15cm long and quite bulky which meant a lot of commotion was caused on the top, second cast down the side of a reed line and the lure got smashed!

2lb Pike on an old wooden surface wobbler in Fire Tiger Pattern

I carried on with the lure along the bank and had a lot of interest, 3 fish tried to take the lure off the surface without the hook setting but great fun to watch and heart stopping stuff.

The Old Wooden Surface Wobbler in Fire Tiger Pattern

Hope to be out again soon,
Thanks for Reading,
Sam Johnson

Underwater Release of a Lure Caught Bass

Managed to film the release of this little Bass of around 2lb that i caught on an IMA Salt Skimmer over the Easter Bank Holiday. I always use a Catch and release policy in my fishing as it preserves the future stocks of our Bass in the UK.



Thanks for Watching, 
Sam Johnson

Another Day on the Bass! IMA Salt Skimmer!

Another Day of Bass

  Headed out again for a final trip before I set off home the next morning. A few friends of mine had come to visit me at the caravan for the bank holiday weekend so no fishing was done then but when they had left I was out again in search of the Bass.

  Now, with waders and boots on, I went down to the same mark I had success with the previous trip. This time however, with the neap tides, I decided to fish much close to high tide and down. This proved to be a good choice!

  On went the Salt Skimmer again and within minutes of it dancing across the surface it was slammed, a nice schoolie around a pound had taken a fancy to the lure.

A little Bass on the IMA Salt Skimmer

The bass were here again! On went other surface lures to try and tempt a fish on a different lure but no success. Switched back to the Salt Skimmer and first cast it was finally engulfed after numerous attempts by the Bass. A short fight later and another bass was in the net, this time a little bigger at 2lb.

2lb Bass IMA Slat Skimmer

  A couple of casts later and its twin decided to have ago, this time flip out the water to attack the Salt Skimmer, Another nice little fish of around 2lbs was netted.

Another 2lb Bass on the IMA Salt Skimmer

After that fish was released I noticed boiling at the surface where sandeels were getting attacked by the bass and being forced to the surface. I flung the Salt Skimmer out over the back and started the WTD retrieve. The Salt Skimmer then got hit hard, this was a better fish, a nice bend was on the Injection and the fish was making some nice clutch screaming runs. I waded out and eventually managed to get the fish to the net, she was a nice fish of 3.5lb and had but up a great fight. With my Iphone set up on a tripod this time I took a couple of snaps and back she went.

 3.5lb Bass on the IMA Salt Skimmer

 3.5lb Bass on the IMA Salt Skimmer

That proved to be the last of the action, despite fishing down to the same level of water I had caught the previous trip, the bass had seemed to have moved on.

  All in all and excellent trip down to the caravan in hope the Bass would be about and a new mark proved to be successful for me with 8 fish in total, all off the surface on the IMA Salt Skimmer.

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

4 Days, 4 Fish, to 4lbs, All off the surface!! Great way to start the season!

A tale of 4 days, 4 Fish, to 4lbs.. All off the top!

Day 1:

  It all started with a two and a half drive down to the caravan after reading some reports of a few fish popping up in North Wales. All the gear packed and my rod already set up poking into the front seat due to my excitement back at home. I had planned the journey to arrive, sort the caravan out, and be ready to fish a low water mark I’d previously had success at. I headed down to the mark with the feeling of hope and optimism but as I got down there, my initial confidence was shattered due to very murky water. Despite the murky water, Bright sunshine and flat calm conditions I fished on to no avail. I got back to the caravan for some food and decided to head to a High Water mark early morning to see if the water clarity was any better.

Day 2:

  The alarm went off at early o’clock and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed, it was freezing in the caravan so couldn’t bear to think how cold it’d be out on the coast. I reached for the kettle and sorted out a brew and on went my Under Armour to keep me warm. Got to the coast and was met with a slight glow of the sun which would later become a beautiful sunrise, something you can never get tired of on these early mornings. Anyway, I started fishing over a reef but again, the water was so murky, probably a foot of visibility but I fished on, I was up now. After trying all manor of lures along the coast from surface to soft plastics, still no success. Confidence was low.

  I decided the rest of the day would be dedicated to finding some clear water so I travelled the coast in search of a likely looking mark to fish but everywhere I got to the headland and peered over the edge, I was met with milky water.

  The high tide in the evening spawned some confidence from somewhere and I headed to a favourite mark of mine for last light and into darkness. I arrived full of optimism and hope the water may have cleared a little but that was far from the truth. I got there and a previous reef I fished over had been stripped of seaweed due to the storms and the water, I’ve seen clearer soup. Couldn’t see my wading boots in 10cm of water, safe to say this mark was a right off for the week!

Day 3:

  Day 3 and confidence was very low, in the morning I searched far and wide for clear water and still no joy. I headed back to my first low water mark and was met with a nice swell and probably 3 feet visibility, enough to fish on with optimism but by this point I was thinking ‘Is it too early in the season? Are they even here yet??’ all sorts of things were denting the confidence again and the blank that followed my efforts didn’t help.

  For last light I headed to another high water mark id never fished but heard can produce when conditions were right. I got there and to my utter amazement the water was clear! Flat calm conditions so on went the surface lures to no avail, I continued to play about with different lures and techniques as this clear water had given me confidence but yet again, no fish. I drove back to the caravan hungry and dejected.

Day 4:

  Decided to stay in bed this morning as my previous efforts for early starts hadn’t warranted any sort of success and the murky water I’d be fishing at this state of tide wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence. I went in search, yet again, of some clear water and after a walk around an area I’d wanted to fish in previous seasons, I could finally see the bottom over the shallow ground!

  I ummed and ahhhd whether to even go and try this new area with the lack of confidence I had now but what else was I going to do with the day, the weather was overcast and the sea nice and calm so on went the Salt Skimmer in hope of something having a go on the top.

  After walking along the coast chucking the Salt Skimmer over the reefs in front of me I settled on a nice shallow bay with scattered reefs. Trust this to be the only time I didn’t bother to would my waders and boots on, I was instantly soaked when a rock I was standing on suddenly became immersed by a rogue wave.

  First cast into this promising area and I was gently walking the Salt Skimmer back to me.. SPLASH!! Was that a fish?! Or didn’t I twitch it a bit hard?! SPLASH AGAIN! Then nothing. At least there’s fish here!!!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes after 4 days with no sign of any fish. Second cast to the same area, heart pounding with excitement and the little Salt Skimmer danced its way through the ripples... SMASH!! FISH ON! A short fight later and a little beaut of a bass was netted, 2lb on the Boga and was well chuffed after such hard work during the week, and to get one to kick my season off with a surface lure, can’t beat it!

2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

  With tide retreating I got back onto the rocks after safely releasing the fish to try and get another. A few casts later and the Salt Skimmer was smashed again! My rod bent over and the ever welcome zzzzzzzz of the clutch was a sweet sound. After a short run I managed to get the fish to the net, a nice, plump fish of just under 4lb, my biggest on a surface lure and what a session this was already becoming. The Spiderman pose is due to the carefully balanced iphone ha

4lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

  I fished on in hope of another and was rewarded with this little schoolie after several casts in which the lure was being slashed at almost instantly once I had started the retrieve with no hook up!

Schoolie Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

 The tide was now considerably lower than when I began and the sport had slowed. There was still time for a nice little bass to take a fancy to the Salt Skimmer which resulted in another fish around 2lb to finish off the session.

Another 2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer

  Well, after 4 days of murky water, confidence draining blanks and the never ending search for clear water, it all came together for me at a new mark. An excellent way to start the season for me and all off the top!

The lure that started off my season, the IMA Salt Skimmer

IMA Salt Skimmer 110F

Thanks for Reading,

Sam Johnson

Savage Gear 3D Bleak Glide Test

  I managed a short half an hour session on my local water to test out the new 3D Bleak Glide from Savage Gear as i'd just received them in the post. I got two sizes, 13.5cm 28g and 16.5cm 49g to try in both dirty silver and fire tiger patterns.

Savage Gear 3D Bleak Glide 13.5cm Fire Tiger

  The lures are slow sink so where i fish i started the retrieve the moment it hit the water. I varied the retrieve from slow and steady to short twitches with the rod tip but i must be honest, the lure looked fantastic in the water and creating a wide, slalom action.
  In just a short session i could tell this lure is going to be a favorite of mine for where i fish, the lure that got the most interest was the 13.5cm Fire Tiger pattern which may be because the abundance of jacks where i fish at the moment and the fact the water is very coloured up. I tried the other size i had in both colour patterns with no interest and came back to the smaller version but i'm confident the others will catch on another day.
  I managed to catch a small jack of around 2lbs have a pop at the lure very close in but didn't manage to land the fish unfortunately as you can see, great fun though and always gets the heart going!



Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

First Pike off the Surface 2014!

  Weather seemed perfect on my local water to try for the first Pike off the top. No wind and overcast meant the water was flat and calm so on went the Megabass Dorum 120, my most successful lure last season. The Megabass Dorum 120 has a bib on the front but is so buoyant due to its wooden body that it wiggles on the surface and creates an excellent V wake behind it.

Megabass Dorum 120 

    I cast the Dorum across a shallow bay and slowly started working it back with the odd pause and twitch when about 3/4 through the retrieve a Pike of about 3lb came up to hit it! I always remove the middle hook of lures with three hooks to aid with unhooking and also fish welfare.

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

New Pike Lures from Savage Gear

  Have been looking forward to getting hold of these new lure from Savage Gear; the Bleak Glide Swimmer. These lures look perfect for the shallow water piking that i do so couldn't wait to get my hands on them. The Bleak Gide Swimmer comes in three sizes; 13.5cm 28g, 16.5cm 49g and 20.5cm 85g. I, personally, use light tackle for my lure fishing so i decided to get hold of a couple of the 13.5cm and 16.5cm versions as the 20.5cm version were a little too big for my fishing.
  I went for one natural colour for each size in the Dirty Silver colour and one colour for murky, clouded water in the Fire Tiger Pattern. Both colours have worked for me in the past so they seemed the perfect option for me.

Savage Gear Bleak Glide Swimmer 13.5cm & 16.5cm in various colour patterns

  As you can see below the lures are jointed which helps them create an enticing slalom action just under the surface. There are videos of the action available on youtube if you give it a search but they look fantastic!

The Savage Gear Bleak Glide Swimmer with Jointed Segments

I should have mine by the end of the week so i will hopefully, if weather allows, be out in the coming weeks to test these lures on my local water.

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

Another Pike on the Modified Savage Gear 4-Play Fire Tiger 19cm

 Just a day after my previous Pike i headed up tot the same venue to have another go. A different day all together with break throughs of sun and a light wind causing a small ripple on the water. Fished along the bank as usual casting in likely places that may hold a Pike in wait and had a few snatches at the lure but again, half way along, in the same spot as the day before, i had another hit on the same lure! The two fish were almost identical as well with this one being a tiny bit smaller at around 4.5lb. The modified Savage Gear 4-Play Fire Tiger does the business again!



Thanks for reading, Sam Johnson

Modified SG 4-Play Brings a Pike in the Rain GoPro 3+ Video

  I saw the wind had dropped today and spotted a brief gap in the drizzle so i headed up to my local water for a bit of piking. I got there and the rain was holding back and the surface of the water was calm and flat so i thought i give it a go with a surface lure, the Spro BBZ Jr 6". I cast across a shallow bay and began to retrieve the lure slowly across the top with a few pauses and twitches in hope of a fish.
  Half way through the retrieve and i was twitching the lure on the surface when it got smashed! i waited for a split second to feel the weight of the fish then i struck... missed it. Gutted!

  I decided then to change over to a favorite shallow lure of mine, the Savage Gear 4-Play 19cm. I chose to use the Fire Tiger pattern as the rain had coloured up the water a bit so this would give a pike the best chance of spotted my lure. I make a slight modification to my 4-Play lures when i'm fishing in shallow water, just by removing the middle mounted hook and split ring, it enables the lure on or just below the surface and has worked really well for me over the years.

Savage Gear 4-Play 19cm Fire Tiger Middle Hook Removed

  The rain returned as a moved down the bank but i continued to fish close to the surface with the 4-Play. I cast the lure back along the reed line i'd just walked past, about 10 feet out and began to slowly retrieve the lure.. Bang! Fish On! the pike had taken the lure very short into the retrieve so was a way out. This pike had a little more weight to it than others i'd caught recently and when i eventually got it in, it had a very fat belly.




My prize for braving the rain was a nice chunky Pike around 5lb..

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

New Megabass Zonk UK Colour Range for 2014

Megabass are bringing out a colour range for its Zonk lures to immitate our UK baitfish, check these out!

Megabass Zonk 120 in New UK Colours

Megabass Zonk 120 Mack 1 Colour (Top View)

Pretty Excited for these to hit the shelves as the Megabass Zonk is one of my most successful lures. The proposed UK colours are awesome, imitating all types of baitfish from Sand Gobies to Pollack to Mackeral, fish that Bass just love to munch!


All pictures courtesy of TopWater Lures

Thanks for reading, Sam Johnson

Video on Surface Lure fishing for Bass

Searching through YouTube and found this video by Boat Fishing Monthly which shows Bass being caught of the surface in the UK. Tips on how to improve your catch rates are also mentioned so well worth a watch. The lads managed to catch 67 bass between them with fish up to 7lb 3oz!




Just a few weeks until the Bass start to return along the UK coastline and surface fishing is up there with the most exciting way to catch them.

Thanks for reading, Sam

Finally Got Hold of My Bass Favorites Again!

 I have been looking for these Bass Lures for ages now, there was rumors that the lure company, IMA Japan, had discontinued the production of these specific lures and especially the colours!

When i heard that IMA were shipping some more to some UK outlets i just had to get hold of some. The lures in question are as follows.

- IMA Salt Skimmer (Silent)

IMA Salt Skimmer (Silent) Bora Mullet

IMA Salt Skimmer (Silent) Cotton Candy

IMA Salt Skimmer (Silent) Petit Spark Joker

 The IMA Salt Skimmers had become very difficult to get hold of, especially in these certain colours. I have a few Salt Skimmers but have never managed to get hold of them in these colours and also the silent version with no internal rattles. I cannot wait to get out on the shorline and give these a go, perfect for a stealthy approach. The Joker Salt Skimmer is going to become very much a part of my night fishing Bass armory.

- IMA Komomo II 110

IMA Komomo II Asanago Flashing Plate


IMA Komom II Joker Flashing Plate (JFP)

 The IMA Komomo II is one of my favorate Bass lures, it runs very shallow and can also be used on the surface. These particular colours, the Asanago Flashing Plate and Joker Flashing Plate are among the most illusive lures to get hold because they had a lot of hype surrounding them. For me, i have not really used the Asanago Flashing Plate as i usually fish on the surface or at night, this, however, is when the Joker Flashing Plate is my 'Go To' lure for shallow ground at night. The black bottom creates an excellent silhouette in the dark and a steady, slow retrieve is perfect to tempt a Bass.

When i found out these lures were coming to the UK again i decided to get hold of a few, plus a couple of spares, for if i lost my beloved Joker Flashing Plate i would be gutted!

 A Lot of stockists in the UK are fast running out of these lures, I know a couple sold out altogether in less than an hour so, if possible, get hold of a couple while you can! 

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson

Lure Caught Pike on Spro BBZ Jr 4" GoPro 3+

   After the recent warm weather i decided to try a trip to my local water to fish for the pike. The air temperature was around 11 degrees and the weather was overcast with little wind, perfect. I went up and started off using a Megabass Dorum 120 on the surface to see if i could tempt one off the top, no luck.
  I quickly changed over to a Spro BBz Jr 4" Floating version in the Roach pattern.

Spro BBZ jr 4" Roach

  This swim bait runs a couple of inches under the surface when coupled with the wire trace i use for my pike fishing. The lure is in my Top 10 Shallow Pike Lures i mentioned in a previous post, see here http://sgjlures.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/my-top-10-pike-lures-for-shallow-water.html
  Here is a short video i shot while using the Spro BBZ Jr 4".

Hopefully as the water keeps warming, the pike fishing will get even more productive and i should be able to get some footage of pike taking lures off the surface soon.

Thanks for reading, Sam Johnson

New Perch Lure Testing results in a nice Stripey and an opportunistic Pike

   I received my new Perch lures yesterday and couldn't wait to get on the water and try them out. The lures in question were the Quantum Joker and Fiiish Black Minnow 70 seen below. They each appealed to me for different reasons, the Quantum Joker was a very new concept of lure to me with a new technique of fishing to me and i was interested to try it out. The Fiiish Black Minnow has always worked for me in my Bass fishing so when the Fiiish guys brought out some fluorescent colours in a 70mm size i just had to have them for my Perch fishing.

   I started off fishing the Quantum Joker, in various colours, chucking it to the edge of far bank barges on the canal i had chosen to fish. The great thing about this lure is that when it hits the water, it planes away from you until it reaches the bottom so this meant my lure was falling right underneath the barge.
   I gave the lure some water time but was unsure which technique to retrieve it with; slow lifts and falls, fast lifts and slow falls or a couple of jigs and then fall so this made my confidence in the lure diminish a little and i believe confidence is key to success in lure fishing. I will however continue to give the Quantum Joker a good go in hopes of some success on a certain retrieve.
   After this i moved down the canal a 100 yards or so to another place i'd caught Perch before. I clipped on the Fiiish Black Minnow 70 in Fluoro Green with a 3g Fiiish Head. I started to retrieve the lure with the technique i know best of hopping the lure back with short twitches and withing a couple of casts i had a slam on the rod, missed it. I thought that would be my only chance but a few more casts and irregular rod taps that all anglers wait for suddenly started on the tip. I stopped retrieving and just held the rod up to feel for the bite, BANG!! i set the hook and after a short fight i landed a lovely Perch just shy of 2lb.

   I decided to head back to the first spot i tried to give it a go with the Fiiish Black Minnow but no takers. Whilst i was fishing though i kept seeing fry fly from the water and large splashes and boils on the surface of the water. My first thought was Perch, so i continued to fish with my array of soft plastics and jigheads chopping and changing every few casts or so to see if i could tempt whatever was making these fry jump. I had nothing on the jigs so after another large boil on the surface i thought to myself  'this fish is obviously actively hunting near the surface and i'm using soft plastics on the bottom, time for a change' i rifled through my Perch box which contains a select few hard lures. I decided to clip on the Megabass X80 Trick Darter in a silver pattern. Second cast in the rings of a another surface commotion and the lure smashed! a short fight later and the culprit was little 4lb Pike.

    All in all a very nice morning on the water, No success with the Quantum Joker but the Fiiish Black Minnow 70 fast becoming a favourate and a nice opportunistic Pike.

Thanks for Reading, Sam

Amazing Fly Fishing!

  I, myself, am a lure fisherman who fishes for many predatory fish using lures but i have never been too interested in the art of Fly Fishing. I have never had the urge to learn the technique in the UK for trout species, Salmon or even Pike but the video i stumbled upon below makes me want too!

  This is not the traditional art of slowly wading quietly up a chalk stream to tempt a brown trout into taking a dry fly which i must admit, doesn't really appeal to me. This fly fishing is brutal, chasing big predators with large surface flys in the mangroves of Australia. Watch the video and tell me you wouldn't want to experience this!

Thanks for Reading, Sam Johnson 

New Bass Lures from Fiiish, IMA, Tackle House

With the new Bass season fast approaching, as usual, there are a range of new lures that are available. I have picked out three lures that i will be trying when the new season arrives.

• Fiiish Crazy Eel 

The Crazy Eel is the new soft plastic lure designed by the innovative lure company Fiiish. There first product, the Fiiish Black Minnow has been a revelation in designed and performance fishing for all manor of predators so i am sure this new Crazy Eel will be a huge success in the coming season.

The Fiiish Crazy Eel can be fitted with 3 different weighted heads; Shore, Off Shore and Deep which each have a specific hole for the hook to come out of on the body of the lure. The lure Crazy Eel comes in size 10cm, 15cm, 22cm and 30cm with various weight option depending on the head you choose.

• Tackle House Vulture 120 (20g)

The Tackle House Vulture 120 is a new surface lure which has a very slim profile much like the successful IMA Salt Skimmer but has a weight of 20g meaning the lure should cast an absolute mile.

I have ordered a few for the new season and can not wait to test these lures out on the coast.

• IMA Scarecrow 100 (14g)

A IMA Scarecrow is a very different type of lure to what i would usually use for my Bass fishing as the lure is jointed. This jointed makes the lure swim in a slalom style 'S' action just under the surface of the water, a great target zone for feeding Bass.

The size of the lure is 10cm long so a relatively small lure to what i usually use but this small profile can make the difference between a fish or not if that is the size of prey the Bass are looking for.

Thanks For Reading, Sam Johnson

My Bass Fishing Accessories

I take a few accessories with me when i go Bass fishing to help with fish care and also make a lot of things easier and more convenient for myself while i'm out on the rocks or in the surf.

- Snowbee Lure Boxes

Lure Storage is a big part of lure fishing as we all know but having the right lure boxes can help organize your lures and make them easier to select during a session. These Snowbee Lure boxes have separated section specifically designed to hold lures up to 15cm in length, this spacing reduces tangles of treble hooks. Once you have finished a fishing session you may want to rinse the lures you have used and this box, due to its design with whole throughout, allows you to submerge the entire box into fresh water to rinse all the lures at the same time.

- Snowbee Sling Bag

The Snowbee Sling bag fits hand in hand with my lure boxes, the main compartment holds two of the Snowbee lure boxes which is more than enough to hold my hard plastic lures for a session. The bag also has interior and exterior pockets to hold all your soft plastics and bits and bobs like lure clips, leaders and spare hooks etc. The bag has a single strap to sling over your shoulder and a clip to keep it in place. When you wants to access your bag, just unclip and the bag swings round in front of you for easy accessibility. It also has a drinks holder on the bottom and loads of bits to clip things onto the bag.

- IMA Pliers 6.5"

A good set of pliers with multiple tools is essential for modern lure fishing. These IMA Pliers are small and compact and come with a pocket to store the pliers in when not in use. This pocket has velcro straps and an elastic cord to attach to any bag or item of clothing you have with you. The pliers have crimping capabilities, split ring openers and, most importantly, a braid cutting blade.

- Boga Grip 15 lb

A Boga Grip is an excellent tool for handling and weighing the fish you catch and, for me, they have become a very handy piece of kit for my lure fishing. In essence the Boga Grip is a lip grip for handling fish when you have caught them. Attach the Boga to the bottom lip of the fish and the fish will then be secured, just have to make sure you have a firm grip yourself of the handle and also attach the cord provided to your arm so as not to lose it. The Boga Grip has built in scales for weighing fish but you should not weigh fish solely on the Boga if they are of significant size as this can cause damage. I use the 15 lb model of the Boga Grip.












- Greys Rubberised Magnetic Landing Net Medium

I have recently purchased this Greys Rubberised Landing Net for the season ahead. There are many instances when a net is very useful for landing fish but also keeping yourself safe also. The net is rubberised so that hooks do not get caught in the mesh. If you are stood in the surf or on rocks, sometime it isn't easy to land fish using your hands or a Boga Grip and this is where the net comes in. The short handle means it can be controlled easily at close range. The net comes with an elastic cord with clips to attach to your person. The base of the handle has a magnetic plate so it can be detached and reattached with ease.















- Greys Platinum Breathable Waders and Studded Boots

Breathable waders are probably the most important accessory that i own and this Greys Platinum set are great for me in order for me to do the type of bass fishing i like; rock hopping, standing in surf, standing in swell etc i need a good pair of waders and also a good pair of Studded Boots. The boots provide grip on slippery rocks covered in water, algae or kelp but are also waterproof.

















- LED Lenser Rechargeable Head Torch

If you are going to do any night fishing then a good head torch is essential. This LED Lenser is the headtorch i use, it is rechargeable via any electric source and is also adjustable. The LED Lenser can be adjusted to beam light distances from 5-100 metres or more and also the brightness can be altered from really dim light to an extremely bright beam.

Thanks for reading, Sam Johnson

My Bass Setup

Here is a quick look at the equipment i use for my lure fishing for bass. I have used a variety of tackle over the years but just recently settled on this lot and its an excellent setup for the fishing i do and the lures i use etc.

Rod
- Tenryu Injection SP73M Casting Weight 5-28g

  The Rod i use for most of my Bass Fishing is the Tenryu Injection SP73M, it is 7' 3" long and only 135g in weight. The rod is quite short but has a lot of power in at the base but still that fast tip action which makes working my lures, especially surface and soft plastics, great fun. The lightness of the rod means i can carry it and cast it continuously during a session and not put strain on the joints, the whip of the rod when casting makes lures fly out. The casting weight is 5-28g, perfect for the lures i use, i rarely have a lure over 1oz (28g) with the Patchinko 2 (27g) the heaviest bass lure i use. The great thing about the range of casting weight is that i can switch from a relatively heavy hard plastic lure to a small soft plastic and work them equally well.

Reel
- Daiwa Caldia Mag Sealed 2500

The Reel i use for my Bass fishing is the Daiwa Caldia Mag Sealed 2500, the reel weighs 225g and it very compact and balances well with my rod. The spool can hold a surprising amount of braid for its size, more than enough need for casting and playing fish. The reel is mag sealed which prevents any salt water entering the inner working of the reel to minimize rust over a long period of time. The drag system is very smooth and i regularly use it in preference to back winding which others may prefer.

Braid 
- Daiwa Tournament 8 Braid 20lb Green

I have switched from mono-filament to braid for all my lure fishing now, whether it be Pike, Perch or Bass because with braid you get no stretch so you can feel whatever the lure is doing, braid is also thinner than mono so you can get more line on your reel and further casting distance. I have chosen this Daiwa Tournament 8 in 20lb class for my bass fishing, i don't remotely think that i will catch fish 20lb+ on this line but i use this strength to prevent snap offs on boulders and casts during a session. The bright green colour enables me to follow where my lure has gone when casted which, in turn, helps me retrieve the lure accordingly.

Leader
- YGK Nitlon DFC Fluorocarbon 16lb

For me, a fluorocarbon leader gives me more confidence than my bright green braid straight through so i choose to tie on this 16lb leader, about 4-5ft of it. I know anglers than don't use it and i also know anglers that do so its not essential but just personally gives me more confidence, and i think confidence has a lot to do with success in fishing. A good leader knot is needed if you are to use fluorocarbon and the knot i use is the one shown, i think its called the 'GT Knot' but another popular knot is the 'Albright Knot'.

Lure Clip
- Delalande Agrafe Rapide 

For me, a lure clip is great for my fishing, i can change lures very quickly without the hassle of tieing a new knot to my lure. This can sometimes be the difference between catching a fish and not, i have had many instances when you see a fish surfacing and attacking prey and you happen to have a fast sinking soft plastic lure on when a surface or shallow lure is what you want in that short moment, the clip allows you to switch very quickly and make the most of the situation. This specific lure clip, the Delalande Agrafe Rapid, is a very compact clip but is also strong so makes it great for bass fishing.

Thankyou for Reading, Sam Johnson