The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition

The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition

NOTE: Any books purchased between the 4th-20th August 2025 will not be posted until the 21st August as I I’ll be away on holiday.

It has been an absolute pleasure to re-write this book over the past five months, and I am incredibly proud to be able to present it to you alongside my two other publications: Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective Volumes 1 & 2.

‘The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition’ has been on my radar for a while it has to be said, not least because my overall approach to my fishing and guiding has altered quite dramatically since I wrote and released the original version of this book just over six-and-a-half years ago.

In conjunction with the above, over the past few years in particular I have been extremely conscious that the prototypical rendition (if you like!) was somewhat bias towards those more rugged, rocky, and reefy settings.

Therefore, in this incarnation, as well as elaborating on the open coastal aspect, there is an equal amount of emphasis on both lure fishing for bass in darkness, as well as within the estuaries throughout the entire book – the three primary environments essentially.

The Headlines…

Unequivocally, the narrative remains that of a ‘How To’ or ‘Instructional Manual’ designed to educate the reader from the basics, before building on the knowledge and information provided chapter upon chapter. It is essentially the ‘nuts and bolts’ and ‘how to screw them all together’ based on what is (at the time of writing) 35 years of how I taught myself to catch these wonderful predators on lures.

So, if you own the original and/or just want to read about ‘what is different’ or prefer the TL:DR approach, then the ‘headlines’ are:

• The Revised Edition now contains 101,000 words – which is 27,000 more than the original.
• This equates to an additional 104 pages than the previous version.
• 10,000 words containing the ‘short stories’ have been removed and replaced with instructional information.
• My 7 Years experience of operating as a Full-Time, Professional Bass Lure Fishing Guide has been weaved into the narrative.
• A Preface and an extended Introduction to the book has been incorporated that positively ‘sets the scene’ as to why I have re-written The Lure of The Bass.
• The majority of the photographs and imagery utilised are either new or have been updated.
• I introduce the ‘Four Pillars‘ to becoming a successful bass lure angler…
• I have expanded the ‘Introduction To Lures’ chapter and reveal precisely what make, model, size, and colour/pattern of lures I personally place into each of my respective lure boxes pertaining to the Open Coast, Darkness, and an Estuary.
• The ‘How To Locate Specific Bass Marks’ chapter has been enhanced significantly to include eighteen of my most successful types of venue, compartmentalised into the Open Coastal, Darkness, and Estuarine arenas.
• The tables pertaining to my personally fishing diaries and statistics have been replaced by a more visually appealing Graph Format, and are, again, segregated to encompass the Open Coast, Darkness, and Estuaries.
• Ten pages are dedicated exclusively to ‘How I Plan‘ for each fishing or guided session.
• For ease of understanding, I have devised six separate Flow Charts relating to my decision-making processes in relation to venue and lure choice.
• An entire chapter has been written and added in relation to ‘Rod, Reel, and Fish Handling‘.
• The book is 100% ‘Fact Based‘ and although it is my hope that you will need to refer to it as you progress, it is written in a manner that is easy to understand and digest.

“The definitive guide to catching European Bass on lures”

For those of you who would like more detail I have written a synopsis of what is contained within each chapter to what I can confidently proclaim to be ‘the definitive guide to catching European Bass on lures’.

Chapter One

The Equipment Required

In addition to being a professional Angling Guide, I have been fortunate enough to have worked with a number of lure fishing tackle companies (I am currently a paid consultant with Westin Fishing). Therefore, my enhanced knowledge and appreciation of what occurs behind the scenes and the processes that take place before an item comes to market has been incorporated into this refreshed chapter.

Describing how to minimise your expenditure and maximise your time in relation to purchasing the right equipment from the outset is the objective of this chapter. The components of the rod itself are broken down as are that of the reel. Plus, I provide detailed advice based on my first hand experiences of braided mainlines, fluorocarbon leaders, and all of the items associated to and/or required to enjoy this wonderful pursuit.

Chapter Two

An Introduction To Lures

This chapter connects to Chapter One and indeed to Chapter Six – How To Retrieve Each Lure Type Effectively to cement your understanding of the 1st Pillar: “Attaining the most suitable equipment and knowing how to use it”.

Chapter Two concentrates on ensuring that each lure type you purchase completes a specific job for you, as acquiring the ability to place something that is ‘looking like’ and ‘acting like’ what a
bass is looking for within a setting and a scenario in which they expect to find it is successful bass lure fishing encapsulated.

So in addition to describing what each lure type potentially represents in regard to small fish, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish), and crustaceans (crabs, prawns) I present for the first time what I consider to be the ‘Determinants’ in relation to ‘bass attracting’ and therefore the lure purchasing process.

Within this comprehensive and extended (from the original) chapter now containing 48 pages, my increased use of soft plastic lures (senkos, twitch baits, hybrids, paddle tails, creature baits) and the reasons for this are covered in great detail. Furthermore, the tables containing examples of which soft plastics, hard minnows, and surface lures to consider purchasing have been updated, as has the information pertaining to sinking lures and how to rig soft plastics correctly.

The major enhancement to the information in this chapter over the original however is that a number of pages are devoted to describing what each numbered lure within the respective tables represents, as well as an example of the specific model, colour, pattern, etc.

Moreover, I expand on this further as the chapter culminates in three pages dedicated to precisely which lures (an IMA Hound Sonic 100F in Shimomi Sparkle for example) I have personally purchased and that currently sit inside my separate Open Coastal, Darkness, and Estuary lure boxes.

Chapter Three

Movement and Behaviour

Chapter Three is basically part one of the 2nd Pillar which is: “learning how to identify potential bass marks, including the specific features, and how the current interacts with them”.

Understanding how bass traverse the coastline, inner shoreline, and intertidal reaches, plus how to identify potential patrolling routes and positioning points is vital to your chances of success. Plus, how do you take advantage of the fearsome, opportunistic and predatory instincts of a bass.

Additionally, within a chapter that is essentially a precursor to the ‘How To Locate Specific Bass Marks’ chapter immediately following it, I explain my theory relating to the ‘two types’ of bass that frequent the UK and EU coastlines and estuaries with, very importantly the ‘transitory’ and ‘territorial’ facet to their behaviour being brought into the equation.

Chapter Four

How To Locate Specific Bass Marks

Once you have attained the correct equipment and lures commensurate with the type of terrain you may be considering to lure fish for bass (based on the Movement and Behaviour Chapter also) the next logical step is to attempt to find or discover your own marks.

But what constitutes as a potential bass mark or likely venue, and the ability to ‘read’ the ground (when the tide has retreated or when you’re looking at a satellite image) isn’t easy until you know how – this is what this chapter is all about.

So within this fourth chapter that forms part two of the 2nd Pillar, The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition has has been extensively remodelled and rewritten to encompass the three major environments in which you will lure fish for bass – The Open Coast, in Darkness, and within the Estuaries.

There are 61 pages in this extremely detailed section of the book, all of which are crammed with vital information and tips, real-life photographs of actual venues with diagrams overlaid onto them, once again compartmentalised into the three settings or environments mentioned above.

Of significance to the reader, is that each respective type of environment contains six of my most successful types of venue or mark (based on its topography and how the current, wind, or waves interact with it/them) by describing the precise types of features to look for via various digital means. In addition to this, I also provide a plethora of supporting information pertaining to other prosperous types of venues, many of which are elaborated upon with my two other publications: Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective Volumes 1 & 2.

Chapter Five

How To Determine When and Where (or where and when!)

The 3d Pillar: “Knowing what and how to record the information pertinent to your marks and the sessions completed on them, plus how to decipher it”.

This chapter (that contains 66 pages) offers a suggestion as to which naturally occurring elements to record (tidal range, state of tide, water clarity, Moon phase, light levels, etc.) and how to collate them so that you can identify patterns in activity from your results.

Here, I offer a very detailed insight into my personal diary entries, the conclusions I have come to make and my overall experiences, as well as quantifying the catch rate within certain parameters. Ultimately, if you are armed with as much information as possible about deciding where and when to fish, you will be increasing the odds significantly in your favour.

There are a number of enhancements to the original book contained within Chapter Five to The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition. First and foremost, all of the statistics that I have painstakingly collated to provide me with that vital element that is ‘confidence’ are now found in a clearer and more visually descriptive and appealing Graph Format as you can see below:

Secondly, alongside the Open Coastal statistics that were prominent in the original version of this book (that I have elaborated upon where applicable), I have added what I consider to be the most relevant elements to record in relation to lure fishing for bass in darkness, and also within the estuaries.

Furthermore, as you can see in the image below, a further 10 pages have been written and are dedicated to precisely ‘How I Plan’ my personal and professional fishing and guiding endeavours culminating in two ‘Decision Making Flow Charts’ associated to which type of environment to consider fishing either within a Neap Tide and Spring Tide scenario.

Chapter Six

How To Retrieve Each Lure Type Effectively

This chapter encompasses the 4th and final Pillar: “Watercraft – Making use of the naturally occurring conditions and elements, to decide which lure type to use, and how to effectively use it”.

Deciding which lure to use over another when faced with the multitude of sea states and clarities, current velocity, and weather conditions you’re likely to face is something my clients (more than anything) want to learn. Moreover, you can be in the right place at the right time, but that lure still needs to look and act like something bass are looking for via the angler retrieving or ‘working it’ in the correct manner…

The lure types in question are those covered in Chapter Two – An Introduction To Lures (all of which includes my growing appreciation and highly successful use of creature baits for bass). So in addition to explaining not only ‘how’ to use each lure type effectively, I present how the dedicated angler can capitalise on, and indeed exploit the overhead and undersea conditions to your advantage – all in the pursuit of this wild and wily species of sporting sea fish.

To conclude a highly relevant chapter that contains 58 pages, I have conceived five further Decision Making Flow Charts relating to ‘Lure Choice‘ that draw all of the information and advice together within the following circumstances and scenarios:

1. The Open Coast in a Calm Sea.
2. The Open Coast during Rougher Seas.
3. Within Darkness.
4. Within an Estuary when and where no Current is present.
5. Within an Estuary when and where Current is present.

Chapter Seven

Rod, Reel, and Fish Handling

Within the initial incarnation of The Lure of The Bass there were numerous ‘snippets’ of information ranging from casting, controlling the line on the spool, landing bass, and then ultimately returning them. Therefore, in the course of planning ‘The Revised Edition’ I decided to collate all of this useful information and then expand on it extensively to create a whole new chapter titled: Rod, Reel, and Fish Handling.

The advice provided in this chapter is, as mentioned in the list of ‘headlines’ earlier in this post, based on over 35 years of chasing bass, as well as being a Pro-Guide for the past seven years – a period in which I have, on average spent upwards of 270-300 days per year either fishing myself or guiding my clients. Note that I do not fish when I am guiding, yet I consider that being in a position to observe and continually evaluate is equally beneficial from a learning perspective.

Of note to the reader, is that detailed, and exceptionally important advice and information that is normally only taught in the course of my guided sessions is found within this chapter that includes the following:

• How to hold the rod for optimum performance when casting and retrieving.
• The drag setting I prefer, and the explanation and thought processes behind it.
• How to cast effectively and efficiently in the dark.
• How to masterfully land a hooked bass within a variety of settings.
• How to unhook, and safely hold and ultimately release a bass.

Chapter Eight

Conservation and Safety

This chapter is linked to the final pages of the previous in terms of the conservation piece, and with bass remaining under so much commercial pressure, it is important to highlight their life cycle to the recreational angler pursuing (and returning them) so that they can play their part.

Furthermore, I provide advice (as per the original version of The Lure of The Bass) on how to stay as safe as possible whilst out on the coastline and the mudflats, alongside the risks and dangers associated with the sea. Plus, I highlight how the use of Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), Life Jackets, and Buoyant Throw Ropes could save your life or that of others.

Prices and Purchasing Information

The prices listed below include the postage and packaging to a UK Mainland/IOM/Northern Ireland/Channel Island address. If you would prefer to pay via BACS/Bank Transfer, then please complete the Contact Form at the bottom of the page and I will reply with my bank details. Alternatively, you can email me directly at: marccowlingblf@yahoo.com

*** This could be helpful! *** If you would like to purchase all three books at once, then it will be cheaper for you to either pay the amount directly to my PayPal account (rather than clicking on the separate buttons below) or by attaining my account details, both of which can be achieved by completing the Contact Form at the bottom of the page, or by emailing me directly at marccowlingblf@yahoo.com whereby I will provide the relevant details.

NOTE: If you are looking to purchase from a Republic of Ireland, EU, or Worldwide address then please contact me via the Contact Form at the bottom of the page as I will only send via TRACKED POSTAGE to destinations outside of the UK. Please also note that a further £10 will be required on top of the prices quoted below to cover this (which is why you need to contact me so that you can attain my PayPal address or bank account details).

Option 1. The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition – £25.99 

Option 2. Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 1) – £24.99 

Option 3.    Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 2) – £24.99 

To purchase Options 1 and 2 – £48.99

To purchase Options 1 and 3  – £48.99

To purchase Options 2 and 3 – £47.99

To purchase Options 1, 2 and 3 (all three books) – £69.99

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