As a Professional Guide about to enter my 10th full season, I don’t mind admitting that when I read the answer (via the Client Booking Form that I send out in the lead up to a guided session) to the question: “What’s your previous experience?” and it says “Beginner” that my 2nd Guide Joe and I become very excited…
There are many reasons for this. Firstly, you know that you effectively have a blank canvass in which to paint the perfect bass lure fishing picture – meaning a lifetime of bad habits aren’t there to be ironed out! Secondly, when people are just ‘getting into’ bass lure fishing, everything seems, well, very difficult… But by attaining the services of a pro-guide, you will essentially be shaving 2-3 years off of what is the very steep learning curve. And we like to help!
Thirdly, and most of all. We know, that as their instructor and mentor for the session or sessions, that the ‘Bass Bug’ is about to well and truly bite them! Indeed, although well over 90% of our clients will catch a bass during their session with either Joe or I. To over 95% of them, it really doesn’t matter as all they want to do is learn. We however, want you to catch and learn!
Mid-Winter Winner
“To find the right marks based on the conditions, and the right approach to fishing them – eg. what type of lures” was what Maeve and Ben (a couple who’d purchased one of our South Devon Bass Guide Gift Vouchers) had written under the ‘What specifically would you like to learn’ heading.
So with this in mind, a decision was made for Joe to guide them out on the open coast given that the waves, swell, water clarity, times of high and low tide, plus the overhead conditions (cloudy and dull) all pointed towards fishing a remote, rugged, and rock/sand beach.
If there was a legacy seaweed problem courtesy of Storm Goretti, then we had a backup plan that involved a nearby estuary system. However, having been out on the open coast ourselves the previous day, we were confident that we were giving Maeve and Ben the best possible chance of connecting with a few bass, albeit it certainly wouldn’t be easy considering it was the middle of January…
If They’re There…
If they’re there, then Joe and I will endeavour to overcome whatever challenges are in place in order to ‘extract’ a bass for want of a better phrase! Of course, and as mentioned, in conjunction with this quest, we will demonstrate and teach our clients as much as possible with the time frame about everything from casting correctly to working and retrieving specific lure types – all whilst explaining the watercraft element plus the reasons WHY we are asking you to complete each process.
The Donkey
So with the amount of ‘salad’ and ‘suspending seaweed’ becoming more problematic as the water level deceased to cover a platform of sand, Joe and Maeve had to continually cast and move in order to find the gaps as it were. Further, with a weedless and now weightless Savage Gear Gravity Stick in a more natural colour attached, it was within a section between two rocky outcrops fuether along the shoreline that Joe REALLY had his ‘Bass Eye’ fixed…
“If there’s one in here, it’ll be a donkey” were the words Joe spoke as he stood next to Maeve, and talked her through how to navigate the lure through the fierce undertow and foaming breakers hissing into this corner of the beach. A jolt. Then an “Oh, I think I’ve got one”, came only a few casts into reaching this zone (as is so often the case if they are indeed positioned in a section of fizzed up water like this) and then the rod hooped over!!! Yessssssss!!!
Maeve and Ben’s Words
Good morning Marc and Joe,
In mid January we went out with Guide Joe for an open coast session. The expertise, knowledge and amazing fishing skills of Joe led to a very successful winter bass lure fishing day. Thank you!!We both really enjoyed it and learned a lot.
You might be please to hear that the next day we went out on a mark we picked based on Joe’s tips, and we managed to catch a 40cm bass!!
Ben van Dijk
Hi Marc,
Thank you! It was such a great day – even without catching the bass it would have been! But obviously that was the icing on the cake! More people should be out there in January catching donkeys as Joe calls them!
Thanks again for offering such a wonderful opportunity.
Maeve Roberts
All-Year-Round Guiding Service
South Devon Bass Guide is the ONLY bass lure fishing/guiding service in the UK that operates for 12 months of the year due to the excellent fishing opportunities at our disposal. What’s more, alongside being exceptional diverse in regards to the terrain, south Devon is also noted for its outstanding natural beauty.
My 2nd Guide Joe’s 2026 winter dates can be found via the tab: 2026/27 Availability.
If you would like to enquire about my (Marc Cowling) 2027 Availability or if you would like to be added to my 2026 Reserve List or 2027 Mailing List respectively, then please complete the Contact Form below:
Thanks for reading.
Marc Cowling
Owner – South Devon Bass Guide Ltd
South Devon Bass Guide Ltd 