‘Guided January Bass’ for my 2nd Guide Joe
NOTE: My 2nd Guide Joe’s Remaining 2025 Availability and Prices can be found at the bottom of this post.
Professionally Guided Fishing, for bass, on lures, in January… Who would have thought that was possible 30, 25, 20, 15 or 10 years ago… 5 years ago perhaps, especially once I started to regularly connect with some serious mid-winter bruisers up to 7lb such as the fish below:
That good numbers of bass are in residence along this wonderful coastline and its tidal inlets isn’t in question here. But is this down to Global Warming and their breeding and migratory routes shifting further north? Or is it a case that the bass have always over-wintered, not just here in south Devon, but around large swathes of the UK anyway, and us anglers, and more of them giving it a go all-year-round, have just adapted to learning how to catch them?
2025 is off to a great start!
So there’s bass about in January most certainly – with 2025 starting extremely well as you can read and listen to via my sister website here and the 3x 60cm fish below that top a list of catches primarily on the creature baits (the Megabass Sleeper Craw) below:
But do I foresee myself guiding during what can be a brutal month weather wise? No, not personally. The reason being that I enjoy a break for 16 weeks or so from what is an intensive occupation – not just being out with the clients, but actually running the business too. Furthermore, this time allows me to complete my associated duties if you like – that is my consultancy work with Westin Fishing, and of course writing books such as the Revised Edition to ‘The Lure of The Bass’ in the case of this winter. Look out for that one in April…
New Beginnings
But of course I now have Joe operating as my 2nd Guide! And one of the things that we discussed when we were planning his future role within South Devon Bass Guide Ltd was the opportunity for him to guide potentially for the entire 12 months of the year. Remember, he has landed a 60cm bass in mid-February, and my second largest lure-caught bass at 74cm was achieved in March (below):
So, as part of what are ‘new beginnings’ for the business, I offered up Joe’s services for January 2025 via a handful of weekend dates. Therefore, the images, captions, and something I have been experimenting with on my sister website (the use of Audio Clips to better get the description of these captures across) depict the catches he has achieved with his clients this month.
Creeping with the Creatures…
A regular client of ours, Dave (above) was exceptionally keen to break his ‘darkness duck’ with a creature bait in order to augment the knowledge he gained when I guided him in early-December (here). And although it took until well into darkness, and indeed the mid-point in the ebbing tide. But through Joe’s advice of precisely where to pitch the lure (a 3″ 17g Megabass Sleeper Craw) and how to extend both the distance Dave was retrieving it along the seabed and the length of the pauses, a number of ‘hits’ (from small bass presumably) were experienced, until eventually the lovely bass above chomped off more than it could chew!
The Paddle Tail strikes back!
Joe’s next mid-winter outing was with his client Adam – a gentleman who absolutely smashed it out the park with the creature baits in December, to the tune of four wonderful bass, with two measuring 58cm! So for this one, I’ll divert you to the Audio Clip below the image of the splendid fish he landed on a Savage Gear Slender Scoop Shad – a beauty in the 3lb bracket.
Joe’s Remaining 2025 Availability and Prices
Please find below Joe’s Prices, Information and Availability for 2025. Based on how good the bass lure fishing is here in south Devon during the months of November and December, added to the increased possibility of landing a real lunker, I am surprised these months aren’t already booked up! If the weather is too dangerous or unsuitable (which is very are as we can always seek shelter inside of the estuaries) then we will reschedule – no problem at all.
If you would like to enquire and/or to book a session, or for further information, please complete the Contact Form at the bottom of the page, or you can email me directly at: southdevonbassguide@yahoo.com
8 Hour Guided Sessions
1. 8 Hour Guided Sessions for between 1 and 3 anglers completed in January, March, April and December will be at a priced at £150 for 1 angler. If the person booking wants to add a 2nd angler the price is £250, with the total for a 3rd angler being £300.
(A deposit of £50 is required to secure each position).
2. 8 Hour Guided Sessions for between 1 and 3 anglers completed between May and November will be at priced at £175 for 1 angler. If the person booking wants to add a 2nd angler the price is £270, with the total for a 3rd angler being £300.
(A deposit of £50 is required to secure each position)
The dates that Joe has available on all of the above are as follows:
November – 19th, 20th
December – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 17th, 21st
3 Day Package Dates
The South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 3 Day Packages are for 3 people (you do not need to know one another, and you can come as a singleton to join the other two anglers). They incorporate 6x 4 hour guided sessions, over 3 days/nights of fishing, and includes 3 nights BB (Double en-suite room per person) at the excellent Chillington House – South Devon Bed and Breakfast Hotel).
The price is £529 per person
A deposit of £200 is required to secure each position.
All places are Fully Booked for 2025 however, please complete the Contact Form below to be kept informed of Joe’s 2026 Dates
Thanks for reading.
Marc Cowling
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 