Last Cast Magic - Dawn Bass on the Reef
Conditions at a Glance
Pressure: High and stable
Wind: Calm, almost no movement
Rain: None
Tide: Ebbing with strong strip
Coefficient: Mid-range
Moon Phase: Waning crescent, pre-dawn
The Plan
Sometimes the obsession bites hard enough that sleep isn’t an option. I was wide awake before cock crow, so instead of staring at the ceiling, I was on the shoreline before most had stirred from their beds.
Flat calm conditions greeted me — the water like glass. Not perfect conditions for chasing bass, I didn’t see a single fish moving for the first couple of hours.
The Ground
This was a quiet stretch of Wexford coastline, mostly featureless until the tide begins to strip. Out in the middle of nothing sits a small reef, invisible until you know where to look. It’s the kind of spot that doesn’t give much away, but under the right flow, it can light up if you work a lure through correctly.
The Action
For the first couple of hours, I cycled through a spread of lures:
Topwaters in different colours and profiles to try and wake the fish up.
Soft plastics (SPs) searching different depths.
Even the long-range Samson Lures Compact Mini Shad, covering lots of water.
Nothing. Not even a follow. To make matters worse, I lost the Compact Mini Shad — another one gone to the sea, and another order to make.
Still, it wasn’t wasted time. The sunrise over glassy seas was reward enough, even if the fish weren’t playing.
With work beckoning, I began to head back towards the car, but as the tide began to strip quickly, I couldn’t resist a few casts at that little reef. I clipped on a Pirate Lures Teaser and gave it a flick.
First cast, the magic happened. Just two rod lengths out, I watched a beautifully conditioned 53cm bass charge from behind the weed and absolutely inhale the teaser. The fight was full of power and energy, the kind of battle that makes Irish bass angling so addictive.
The clock was ticking, but I managed a couple more casts. Then came the second — a solid 60cm fish hammered the teaser, adding another dose of adrenaline to a morning that had started as a blank.
Lessons Learned
Never underestimate the last cast – persistence can turn a blank into a session to remember.
Cover water and experiment – if one approach isn’t working, keep changing lures and tactics.
Know your features – a small, hidden reef can hold bass even when everything else looks lifeless.