As I write this on the 1st November 2025, our South Devon Bass Guide clients have landed seven bass over 69cm this season, with five of them being over 70cm since my 2nd Joe and I commenced with our 2025 guiding back in April. Furthermore, with 26 bass over 60cm hooked, landed, and successfully released so far this season also, we have already surpassed the 21x 60cm+ bass brought to the net in 2024.
Insatiable
As mentioned on an earlier Audio Clip, I am always looking for the next way in which to catch these wonderful predators – the method, lure type, tactic, and/or type of venue is always at the forefront of my mind whenever I have a day to go fishing myself. I am insatiable in this respect, and as I mentioned in the previous post depicting the marvellous 74cm bass landed by one of Joe’s clients (here), anything we learn together is taken directly into the guiding.
I will go into much greater detail in regards to the unique type of location the bass in the featured image was hoodwinked, as well as the tactics employed within the Audio Clip further down the page. But prior to that, I want to yet again sing the praises of quite a remarkable lure – the Megabass Sleeper Craw.
Premonition
Whilst writing the revised edition to ‘The Lure of The Bass‘ last winter, alongside expanding a number of the chapters overall, it was a substantial section of the ‘Introduction to Lures ‘Retrieving Each Lure Type Effectively’ chapters respectively that saw me excitedly tapping away on my keyboard…
My ‘Creature Bait’ premonition from the ‘What The Future Holds’ chapter of my 3rd book ‘Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 2)‘ has become reality – in conclusive and quite spectacular fashion since late-November 2024. Moreover, I would go so far as to say that it is our blossoming utilisation of the Sleeper Craw in particular has undoubtedly assisted Joe and I to achieve the figures quoted at the start of the post.
The Kill Zone
Before I move onto the Audio Clip, I wanted to describe what is, for me, one of the standout contributors in regard to the Sleeper Craw… When using them either within a gentle trickle of current or when ‘dragging and pausing’ them centimetres outside of the main ‘crease’ of the current, because they can be left ‘static’ with a specified ‘kill zone’ is just one of the attributes that sets them apart from other lure types.
Essentially, in these scenarios you are waiting for the bass to ‘happen upon’ the lure by way of intercepting their presumed movement as they patrol through with the direction of the tide. What’s more, although we have discovered that there are a variety of ways in which a bass will signal its interest in a lure of this type, if they are very simply swimming through your region and they sense/see that lure, there is routinely only one outcome – what I like to call a ‘pinger’ of a bite, or a full-blown wallop!
Audio Clip
Books by Marc Cowling
(Including my LATEST RELEASE: The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition)
To learn ‘How to catch bass on lures’ within all of the environments, circumstances, and conditions in which you will encounter this spellbinding species, my three books will undoubtedly help and are available to purchase.
For stock levels, purchasing options (BACS or PayPal) and for more information in regard to the specific contents of each of my respective publications, you can follow the links to my sister website (Marc Cowling – Bass Lure Fishing) below:
The Lure of The Bass – The Revised Edition
Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 1)
Bass Lure Fishing – A Guide’s Perspective (Volume 2)
Remaining 2025, and 2026/27 Availability
(2nd Guide Joe and Marc Cowling)
The remaining 2025 Availability for my 2nd Guide Joe, and his recently released 2026 Dates, Prices, and Information can be found here.
To enquire about my remaining 2026 Dates and soon to be released 2027 Availability please either complete the Contact Form below or email us directly at: southdevonbassguide@yahoo.com
Thanks for reading and listening.
Marc Cowling
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 