May 2026 Summary

May was a month of contrasts dedicated to the bass. Flat calms, crystal clear water and bright sunshine one trip; hail showers, 50mph squalls and static shocks off the rod the next. The bass didn't make things easy either.

A mix of surface lures and soft plastics, both big and small, all produced at different times, proving once again that there are no hard rules in bass fishing. One week they wanted big offerings worked over kelp and boulder fields, the next they were following surface lures to the rod tip before only committing to a much smaller paddle tail.

Despite the changing conditions, there were some cracking fish along the way: a 64cm fish, a pair of 63s, a couple of solid upper-50s, and a memorable 67cm night bass that fell to a new lure for me, the 6" Spindle in Ayu. Surface lures accounted for some spectacular takes, while carefully worked soft plastics picked fish from the edges of weed-covered structure.

There was even the odd bycatch, including a small sea trout ambitious enough to attack a 140mm Tide Minnow.

The common theme throughout the month was adaptation - changing lure size, presentation and tactics to suit the conditions and whatever mood the fish happened to be in that day. Some sessions required throwing half the lure box at them before finding the answer, but that's bass fishing. The puzzle is what keeps us coming back.