There are some really great options on the Jersey coastline for all forms of lure fishing, with a great range of styles and venues to explore. From working a surface lure over a shallow reef, eagerly awaiting a swirl or splash, to ripping a shallow diver through the surf and whitewater while up to your waist in water or bouncing a jelly lure across the bottom. These can all be effective, especially for the prized hard-fighting bass.

 

Bass can be targeted with a multitude of lures and tactics, from various types of venue.

Lure fishing for bass can be great for your mental health, whether fishing with friends or alone. I’ve found the key to lure fishing is being at one with the tackle you’re using and your environment (where you’re fishing). You’ll find many other anglers out trying for a prized bass at all hours of the day - from bright sunshine to the very dead of night.

Fishing in daylight for bass will be your best option. You’ll need to get used to your tackle and build some confidence before trying to venture out at night. You don’t need to buy top of the range gear or climb up and down cliffs to catch a bass. The easiest of places at the right time can produce some amazing fish.

 

A simple 2500-4000 reel (Shimano sizes) loaded with some 18lb braid, combined with a rod capable of casting 10-40g can more than cope with most lure-fishing venues and target species.

 

But bass is only one of the many different species you can target in our waters.

 

Ballan wrasse on lures can be especially fun, with some cheap jelly lures and some beefed up leaders. They will try to bury your line in the snaggiest of places if you give them the chance - this can be the most intense part after feeling the hard hit and powerful run. Getting them up quickly is the key and can keep you busy for hours in the summer months. You don't have to go far, or cast far, to catch wrasse as they will more often than not be right at your feet under a ledge or in among some boulders. The downside to wrasse fishing with lures is their powerful jaws and sharp teeth can make mean work of your tackle, and your fingers if you’re not careful.

​

Another great method in the summer months is using metal lures/jigs to entice a large number of predatory fish. You’ll find that lure depth and weight/size of lure will drastically change your options here. You’ll tend to find snipe (garfish) on the surface or very close to, then underneath them you’ll find the shoals of mackerel, closely followed by the hard fighting scad (horse mackerel). Underneath these fish and fairly tight to the bottom you may find a pollock lurking in the kelp. These fish will dive down as fast as they can and try to snag you up, so be prepared. Throughout the whole water column you can pick up any of these species, and may even find some feeding bass among them.

 

LRF (light rock fishing) can be an extremely fun way of catching fish all year round. This is mostly done from piers due to ease. You can find a vast range of species just by dropping a tiny little lure up and down the side of a wall, or by getting adventurous and trying for larger fish for sport. Using these very light rods and lures you can get your fishing down to a fine art. Finesse is the key here and can be a great way to entice a wary fish to strike.