Norwegian record for sea bass
This was written by Artur Klavins after he set a Norwegian record for sea bass in August 2023.
Artur is a versatile and skilled fisherman who has been at the top of the “Havfisker'n” competition for several years.
He was a natural choice when we selected test fishermen.
“I have long been interested in getting the taste and smell of artificial baits. I have believed that there is a great advantage to having baits that not only look like food, but also smell and taste like food. Especially silicone jigs, they smell like rubber. And if we humans can smell the smell of rubber on jigs, the fish can definitely smell it.
I started seriously looking for scents for artificial baits after my first trip after sea bass in May. There were four follow-up fish during the fishing day and they barely tasted the jig. If it had smelled like food, maybe at least one of them would have taken it seriously. Luckily, Sturla had something to test and I happily agreed to test Gobble. The jigs were placed in food boxes and ziplock bags with Gobble. Both scents, at that time they were called BM2.5 and SV.
(Note: You don't need to leave the jigs in the Gobble sauce for long. It can also be applied when fishing starts and will also last a long time (many casts), but of course not as long as when you actually marinate the rubber).
It took a while before the next sea bass trip, which was in August. The jigs had been in scent for two months and smelled good for a long time.
I caught a 63 cm fish on the first trip and was very happy. Had 1 blanking after that without seeing or feeling any fish. On the third trip it really hit: a brutal fish of 76 cm and 5 kg. New pers by a good margin in a place where I have only caught smaller fish before.
At the end of August, the weather was forecast to be nice and my son and I took a slightly longer drive after sea bass. It was in a large area, sometimes difficult fishing, but the area is home to big fish. And what a trip it was! The trip yielded the fish of the year for me (perhaps the best catch of my life on a rod), and probably also one of the best fish of the year for my son.
We arrived on Friday evening, set up the tent. I got up early and was ready to fish at 7:00 while Junior was sleeping. Nothing exciting happened during this time. Just a little bit of rain. Junior woke up around 10:00, we had breakfast and were ready to fish. Junior had a real bite around 12:00 and after a short but fierce fight he landed his biggest sea bass at 65 cm and 2.8 kg. The trip was already saved.
We continued fishing, but nothing much happened. Fished a large area without a bite. Junior was done fishing, and just rested in the boat. And I understand that. Most people had given up, but I'm very stubborn as long as I know what I'm doing, and as long as I have faith. And I had faith. Fortunately, Junior knows that we don't go home early, and is used to it, and enjoys it very much. Around 7:00 PM I finally got a bite, the fish was calm but felt very heavy.
There were no long and explosive outbursts, but the match was calm and long.
And what a fish it was, it was gigantic. I knew right away that it would be a new record by a good margin, but only realized how huge it actually was when I put it on the measuring tape:
An incredible 92 cm and 6.48 kg. So a Norwegian record for a fish that many anglers and fly fishermen fish for. Hard to understand. Now it has been approved as a Norwegian record.
Since the day I tested Gobble I have never fished with jigs without smell. I am absolutely convinced that smell on baits has resulted in more and bigger fish.
I have also landed 3 smaller sea bass of 47 to 55 cm. And many small lyres. Lyres are a real nuisance when fishing for sea bass when the jigs have just been taken out of the box and smell strong.
Even 40 cm fish can swallow 17 cm long shads. This proves that lyres also like smells…
And in conclusion: Gobble undoubtedly has a positive effect on fishing with artificial baits, but you still have to fish correctly and in the right place. Then smell and taste can give more bites and hopefully more and bigger fish."
(And for those who might be wondering, all the fish here were allowed to swim on. The sea bass population is vulnerable and we believe the large specimens should be returned).
