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Imagine that you are a small creature, hiding in the sand, fearful of emerging from cover because of the many dangers that you face. For hours you have rested beneath the sand, given a brief respite from the many dangers of the sea, but now the tide has turned and you must, reluctantly, leave the sanctuary of its concealing embrace. The sand around you erupts as thousands of sandeels swiftly attempt to flee. You seek safety in numbers but your world is suddenly torn apart by the slashing attack of a vicious predator. The last thing that you see is the cavernous maw of a large bass and then…

Sandeels are one of the staple foodstuffs contained within the diet of the predatory bass, along with crabs, especially when they are soft-backed or peeling, prawns, marine worms, shellfish, small fish and cephalopods such as squid or even cuttlefish. All of these creatures reflect not only the varied diet of this wonderfully efficient hunter but also the fact that they are territorial, covering a variety of habitats in their relentless quest for food.

When bass are very young they too will seek the protective cover afforded by an estuary. However, unlike their smaller prey, the immature hunters will travel far up its welcoming mouth and into the stretches of river that are far distant from the sea. Here, safe from the majority of their natural enemies, they will feast upon ragworms and other small creatures that can be found in the mud of the river bottom or ruthlessly driven from cover. They will remain within this relatively safe environment for the first few months of their lives or, in some cases, even longer.

Not that they are completely safe even here. Otters travel down the river, searching for an easy meal amongst the clouds of bass that infest the lower reaches, while seals, upon occasion, will also venture six miles, perhaps more, into the estuary in search of a ready meal. Danger also passes swiftly overhead on the wings of avian predators such as cormorants, at home in the air or the water alike. Life is not always a bed of roses for these energetic young hunters but, fortunately, even now they are not completely helpless.

Small bass inside estuaries face less dangers than in the open sea but how would you like to come face to face with this hungry character?