For myself, my favourite bass tackle from boat is a running leger, where the trace is quite long. I simply slide on a bead, a 2 oz weight – or heavier, depending on the state of the tide and the speed at which the boat is drifting – another bead, a short length of carp tubing, yet another bead, a swivel and a ten to fifteen foot long trace, tied in 20 lbs b.s., to a size 4/0 496 BB bass hook. The tackle is simple, but effective, with the weight sufficiently far enough away from the bait not to interfere with its attraction. The diagram below should make it clear. The only time I vary this is on marks with a short, quick drift, where I shorten the trace to nine feet and use a boom, which helps to prevent tangles. 2) The second step for catching big bass is to use first class bait. The bass is an active predator, so dead baits are unlikely to be as effective as live baits. My two favourites are live sandeels and live prawns, with the former probably the surer bet for connecting with a bigger fish. Other livebaits include joey mackerel and poor cod. (No, it’s not an expression of sympathy. It’s a species of fish which is, in some ways, quite similar to pout!) 3) Setting the drag. I’ve already mentioned this, but it is important that your drag is nice and smooth when playing bass. That’s one reason why I prefer to use multipliers, which are much more forgiving than fixed-spools in this respect.

(Above) Adam Woods plays his first ever bass from boat, with it putting up a spirited scrap on the light spinning rod he was using.

Simply loosen the drag until you can, without too much effort, pull line from the reel while turning the handle. Then, during the fight, you can always use your thumb to put additional pressure on the spool if you need to. The secret is to get control over the fish quickly and be prepared to reel quickly if he runs straight towards you.

(The size of the lead will obviously depend on the strength of current where you are fishing but, as a general rule, the lighter you go the more numerous - and confident - the bites will become.)