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Conditions look set to be perfect for tomorrow morning on the west side. The problem? You have to get up at dawn and ride for two hours. But the opportunity is just too good. I throw the idea to the girls: "How about a bar session tomorrow?" A hasty start at 6.30am, and a rude awakening. The girls grumble but follow suit. Breakfast rushed, gear thrown in the car, and we headed for the coast. En route, my youngest consults her weather app: "Dad, look, there's going to be a storm this afternoon..." "We'll be back," I reply, confident as a rooster.
Arriving in port, the sky is already overcast. Clouds are gathering offshore. "Are you sure about this?" asks my eldest daughter. But I have a feeling it's going to work.
First contact with fish
We leave the port under a threatening sky. Head for my secret rocks, a rocky plateau where bass come to hunt. The water is clear, perfect for lure fishing. I position the boat on the usual daggerboard. My youngest daughter attacks directly with a popper, my eldest daughter prefers a soft lure, and I test a 20 g jig. First pass: nothing. Second pass: still nothing. On the third, my daughter pulls out a 40 cm bass on her soft lure. Hope is reborn! We went on to catch 4 more fish in 20 minutes.
The lull that worries
We put the boat back in position, sure of our move. But this time, it's a total desert. We test other lures, change sectors on the plateau... Nothing. The storm is approaching and the girls begin to wince. "Shall we go home, Daddy?" But no, I know another spot 10 minutes away. A rocky dry spot where I've already made some good hits. Let's head for this new spot.
Only, on arrival, I realize that the tide is not favorable. Too much water on the pebbles, the fish aren't coming up.
Plan B to save the session
The first drops begin to fall. The mood on the boat is tense. My daughter is already putting her cane away. "Another 10 minutes", I negotiate. I fall back on a sheltered cove where the current forms a nice eddy. Sea bass often congregate here when it's choppy offshore. I position the boat in the right spot and launch. My eldest daughter took up her soft lure, and I switched to a surface lure. And then, on the third cast, explosion! A beautiful sea bass gobbles up my popper. The domino effect kicks in. My daughter follows up with a nice 45 cm fish. In 30 minutes, we caught 8 bass in this little cove.
The apotheosis
The clouds are now overhead, but the fish are active. I decide to try my big zone, a rocky drop-off near the harbor entrance. "One last pass and we're back," I announce. My eldest daughter passes me her rod: "You, you're going to get us the fish of the day." I cast my lure close to the rocks and begin my animation. Suddenly, the surface explodes. A bass of at least 60 cm has just swallowed my popper! The fight lasts 5 minutes, with the girls filming on their phones. Finally, we put it in the net. Our best of the season! 65 centimetres of muscle and very black.
Satisfied return
It's pouring rain on the way back, but the mood is upbeat. We've saved a session that looked like it was going to be compromised, and brought back enough for a good meal. Sometimes, it's when everything looks like it's going to hell that the best surprises happen.
