Bass Information

‘Bass’ is a name shared by many different species of gamefish. The most famous ones are the temperate basses (such as the striped or the white bass) and the black basses (such as the spotted bass). This fish is recognizable thanks to its characteristic features: dark grey to olive green spindle-shaped body, bright belly, broad mouth, dorsal fins of whom one is prickly. It is also much appreciated and renowned for its subtly flavoured white flesh and is part of many tasty dishes.

Bass like very choppy waters and are therefore more likely to find in waves, currents and swells; during storms especially. They bear temperatures going from 2°C to 32°C; however they do not feed below 7°C. They beside do not live in waters where the salinity exceeds 40%. They are very receptive to sounds and are able to locate them in order to going near. On the other hand, violent sounds will generally make them flee. Despite their suspicion, voracity is their undoing. They can hunt at any time - day or night - and mainly live on small shell and sea fish, but also prawns, anchovy, cuttlefish...

Bass Fishing in France

To begin with, you have to keep in mind that sea fishing is completely different from lake or river fishing and will provide you more thrills. If you want to fish bass, you will have to navigate big swells, waves and dangerous rocks; then be prepared. For the beginners, it is preferable for a first fishing trip to go with stagers.

In France, the Atlantic provides an ideal playground for bass fishermen. Brittany is one of the best locations, where bass are found lurking off inshore beaches, rocks and estuaries, offshore wrecks and reefs, or running in big shoals in breaking waves. The Bay of Brest is ideal. The Mediterranean Sea is another great spot for bass fishing.

The season for sea bass varies according to the area: May to January for the Atlantic, Channel and North Sea but October to March for the Mediterranean. A useful advice is not to forget to check the high/low tide times. As follows are the two most common bass fishing methods:

• Fly fishing: even if not the most efficacious one, this method is inexpensive and clearly much emotional. From the seashore or on a small craft, fights with very wild and combative bass promise lots of thrill. Ideal spots should have clear waters and not be too windy. Suitable baits are prawns and small fish.
• Lure fishing: if you want to go looking for good bass fishing on lures, you should search for rough ground, masses of weed, gullies, tidal rips and shallow water. These fish can be caught on almost any lure, depending on what they are feeding at the time; the best period being when the tide is out.

If you want to pit your strength against other fishermen, a good solution is the Labrax Tour, a national tournament for bass lure fishing. Teams are made up either from 2 people on a boat or from 2 sea kayaks competing during several events taking place in different spots. It aims at promoting sports and recreational fishing but also the protection of the halieutic resources thanks to a cautious and responsible fishing as well as sea safety.