“Mate, you’ll never guess what we’ve just landed”, Joe excitedly proclaimed down the phone as I wiped the sleep from my eyes following a very late night of guiding. “Go on…”, I answered. “A 74!!!, It had a massive head, but a really empty belly, so I don’t think it was a double though”, came his reply.
“Did she go back OK? I asked, “Yep, all good” he said, and as you can see below, she was indeed ‘all good’ – that spade-like tail swishing gently as she melted away from whence she came. Just stunning. What a fish, what a memory for its gleeful captor Brian, and what a moment for Joe in his first full season of guiding at South Devon Bass Guide – magical in fact, and richly deserved.
Very, very close…
Honestly, in that moment I was so, so happy for Joe. It may well have been ounces away from a double, or maybe it was? We’ll never know. But it doesn’t matter, because there is no doubting that, at 74cm, is it officially the largest bass that a client has landed at South Devon Bass Guide.
She was the 17th of 70cm or above for a client since I commenced business in late-2017, and was the 4th over this size for a client this season. I say ‘was’, because there is an 18th and a 5th respectively, caught very recently by one of my clients (Baz) that I will reveal next week.
Audio Clip
The 61 to boot
As I mentioned in the Audio Clip, this was the third time this season that a client has landed a 60cm+ and a 70cm+ bass within the same session, which bearing in mind had only occurred one in the previous eight years of guiding tells a intriguing story.
There are a number of questions I have asked myself in writing this post:
- Are there more and bigger bass around this year?
- As Professional Guides and Instructors, are we simply getting better and better at this?
- Are the lure types we’ve been using more effective for targeting the larger bass?
- Did the relatively benign winter, and the subsequent sunny and settled spring and summer have a bearing?
The answer is that it is most probably a combination of all of these factors. But what I will add is that whatever Joe and I learn about catching these most majestic of creatures, you can be sure that we transfer it straight into our guiding. So, here’s for learning more and more I say!
Joe’s Prices, Information, and Availability in 2026
Joe’s 8 Hour sessions in January, February, March, April and December are priced as follows:
- 1 angler – £150.
- 2 anglers – £250
- 3 anglers – £300.
NOTE: A deposit of £50 is required to secure each position.
Joe’s 8 Hour sessions between May and November are priced as follows:
- 1 angler – £180
- 2 anglers – £270
- 3 anglers – £300
NOTE: A deposit of £50 is required to secure each position.
Our popular 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 (and nights) of fishing. The price includes 3 nights BB (Double en-suite room per person) at the excellent Chillington House – Bed and Breakfast Hotel.
The price for Joe’s 3 Day Packages are as follows:
The price is £549 per person
NOTE: A deposit of £200 is required to secure each position.
8 Hour Sessions
- January – 4, 5, 6, 18, 19, 20
- February – 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17
- March – 1, 2, 3, 19, 20, 21
- April – 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30
- May – 6, 7, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29
- June – 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30
- July – 15, 16, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30
- August – 29, 31
- September – 21, 22, 28, 29, 30
- October – 2, 3, 22, 26, 27, 30, 31
- November – 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
- December – 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
3 Day Packages
MOTE: 3x places are available unless stated otherwise:
- 3 – 5 May
- 14 – 16 May – 1x place remaining
- 14 – 16 June – 2x places remaining
- 17 – 19 June
- 2 – 4 July
- 12 – 14 July
- 3 – 5 August
- 6 – 7 August
- 2 – 4 September
- 9 – 11 September
- 13 – 15 September
- 24 – 26 September – 2x places remaining
- 8 – 10 October
- 12 – 14 October – 1x place remaining
- 18 – 20 October
- 10 – 12 November
To Book a Session or 3 Day Package
To reserve a position or to enquire, please complete the Contact Form below and I will reply as quickly as I possibly can amongst my/our guiding commitments. Alternatively, we can be contacted via the following means:
Phone: 07787 844332
Email: southdevonbassguide@yahoo.com
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 