There is no finer time for bass fishing here in the Bristol Channel than the first week of May.
Traditionally this is a time when numbers of bass are inshore and some good sized fish are there for the taking. This year is no exception, but bass have been present on many marks since January, owing to the lack of any real winter.
Targeting bass is incredibly easy and an excellent prospect for the new angler who has yet to learn to cast any reasonable distance. Many fish are caught at less than 30 yards range and when you start getting bites, it’s possible to notch up a number of fish from the same patch.
I’ve detailed my approach to bass fishing elsewhere on this blog already, but it’s worth elaborating on a few particular marks that might produce the goods and how to go about fishing for bass there.
The beaches of Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean can be extremely productive but are best avoided during the middle of the day as they can become popular with holiday makers.
The key time for fish here is often on the first cast and the period around high water when the fish will be lurking in the shallows. Where as I’d choose to use fresh peeler crab at the majority of locations, my preference here would be fresh lugworm dug from the sand. These can be fished on simple flapper rigs, or even a dongle. Take a look at our YouTube channel for my recent video that demonstrates the perfect rig for this scenario. Squid is also an an underrated bass bait, but it will also attract species such as thornback rays and conger that you might not necessarily want to catch.
My advise is to fish Brean and Berrow beach from three hours before high water, but arrive early and put some effort in to digging lug. They really are a fantastic bass bait and will also take flounder and sole here. If you’re new to fishing and you find the prospect of fishing from the rocks at this stage a little daunting, stick to these beaches and you won’t go far wrong!
