If you could think of a way of catching fish then a bass has probably been caught by it, and if you could think of the strangest baits then a bass has probably been caught on that as well. Dead rats, kippers, cheese and maggots have all taken fish but if you want to increase your chances leave these behind and for the big autumn fish look for big baits.

The mouth of a 10 lbs bass can easily accommodate a 1 lbs mackerel so don't be afraid to use an offering worthy of your opposition. This could be a mackerel fillet, whole squid, small cuttlefish or a dead pout but these large baits should be mounted on at least an 8/0, or a pennel rig a size smaller (6/0) with a snood of around 25 lbs b.s Make sure the hook point is well clear of the bait and not likely to be masked if the bait is washed around in the turbulence and don't look for mega- distance when casting.

Big bass, especially at night, come much closer to the shore than you would ever believe and if the water is deep enough then 5 or 10 yards is not too close in some conditions , such as a calm sea and high water. Don't dismiss some loose feed as ground bait either as this can often tempt a lunker to your bait. You can never have too much sent trail to attract the fish. I know in the sea it seems as if it will only be a "drop in the ocean" so to speak, but these fish only hunt with three senses, scent, sight and vibration and at night the main one is scent, so anything you can do to maximise this attractor must be beneficial .

Where to fish is always difficult for the newcomer to the bass scene and there are a multitude of factors that can affect your decision, but if you take the advice of one of our foremost bass experts, John Darling, look for "structure". This could be rocks, harbour arms, piers, reefs, in fact anything that one of these silver beauties can shelter behind to ambush food trundling down with the tide, but the open storm beach will also produce a lunker when the surf is up. Anchor a big bait hard to the bottom and be ready to strike in an instant, if necessary holding the rod for instant action, so if you usually only buy 30 lug for a session try a 1 lb box of calamari or half a dozen mackerel as well and go for that fish of a lifetime !