02/09/2026
Well, there we go, muddy nose aside this fish certainly put a smile on my face. Darren and I grabbed our lure gear for a couple of hours after work and hit the harbour for a short session.
I had every intention of using the Megabass Dark Sleepers, and I have no doubt Darren would have been thinking the same, given he has a serious goby addiction. However, on arrival at the venue we found bass smashing shoals of baby mullet on the surface, so a quick switch to the ever reliable Sawamura One Up Shad 4" ( https://fishytom.com/products/sawamura-one-up-shad-4?variant=56580759683450 ) rigged on a 3/0 Decoy Maki Sasu Worm 130 ( https://fishytom.com/products/decoy-maki-sasu-worm-130-weighted?variant=56593037984122 ) proved succesful. No complicated tricks or actions invloved, just a simple cast and retrieve at a moderate pace was all that was needed.
These fish are already piling on the pounds as we head into the best bassing months. Absolute quality fish and a sheer joy to catch on light lure gear.
I'm going to say something controversial now... I think the Savage Gear Tactical 2.51m 35g rod is possibly the best lure rod ever made!!! I absolutely love it and I can't put it down (despite owning far more expensive gear!). I say this very much with the price tag involved in my decision. Of course it's no Tenryu, N70, SG8 or whatever high end lure rod we can think of, but what it is is incredibly well balanced, has a stunning tip with incredible feel and sensitivity and a mid and butt that doesn't feel soggy or fold under pressure when playing a hard fighting fish. I have used this rod for everything from super slow soft plastics to erratic top water work all with great success and not once have I felt like I'm using a budget rod... and it's £95!!! I genuinely have no idea how they've made a rod this good for that money.
