Catching City Bass in the Winter: Cold Weather Urban Sea Bass Fishing
Winter has properly arrived and I felt it the second I stepped out the door. The first real frost of the year hit hard. Just a few days ago we were fishing in 16 to 18 degrees. Today the high is barely 2 and right now it is sitting around zero. Northerly winds rolled in, the temperature dropped like a stone, and the sea started to clear up. All of that usually means one thing. Time to chase some cold water sea bass.
I grabbed a coffee to warm up my hands, zipped up the layers, and headed out for a proper frosty city session.
Keeping it simple
I kept the gear minimal for this one. A couple of jig heads in 10 and 14 grams and a few soft plastics. With the tide already pushing 4 and a half meters, I went straight in with a 14 gram tungsten and a 4 inch smoking swimmer. Direct tie, 12 to 14 pound line. Quick and secure.
First few casts and I felt the lure flicking off bait fish. Always a good sign in winter. The water was a bit more coloured than expected, so I switched from a natural pattern to a bright green Molex RT Shad that has worked wonders for me in similar conditions.
First proper smash of the day
A few minutes later the rod thumped hard. Proper winter hit. The sea bass came in thick across the back and in beautiful condition. A lovely 50 fish for a freezing morning. Slid it back, watched it kick away strong, and fired the lure straight back out.
If you get one winter fish, the next few casts always matter. They move in little pockets along the coast and when you find them, you really have to stay switched on.
But after that fish, things went quiet again.
Moving to the posh side of town
With the tide hitting peak height and no more action, I decided to do what worked for me in a previous session. Jump on the bus, head to the posh side of town, and do a bit of groyne hopping. It is a great little stretch of urban coastline for winter sea bass fishing with several groynes only a few minutes apart. Perfect for covering water quickly in winter.
Last time I fished it, I had a bite on the first cast. This time it took a little longer, but sure enough, in that familiar white water right beside the groyne, the lure got picked up by another lovely winter bass.
Nothing huge, but proper good fun. Cast out, let it drop deep, jig jig, then tighten up and retrieve as close to the groyne as you dare. Those fish sit right in the boiling water created by the structure.
Final stop of the day
As the tide dropped I moved to the main groyne. It is a long one, about 3 or 4 meters wide and stretching well over a hundred meters out. The sort of place bait sometimes holds in winter.
It has become a bit of a sketchy mark over the years with metal spikes and rusty clasps sticking out, so you need to watch your footing. The signs say keep off the groyne, and to be fair they probably have a point. But if they just ground down the sharp metal a bit, it would be a lot safer for everyone who walks, swims or fishes from there.
A few casts and a couple of bumps that may or may not have been fish, the cold snap session came to a close.
Wrapping up
Three hours in the freezing urban sea and we managed two really nice winter bass and a few extra taps. The temperature actually climbed to a toasty 6 degrees by the time I packed up, which felt tropical compared to the morning.
