UK sea fishing catch reports 24.11.09

By Sea Angler

Fish Catches

24 November 2009 11:00

Here's this week's selection of the best sea, pier and beach fishing catch reports from top marks around the English, Welsh and Scottish coastlines provided to the team at Sea Angler magazine from reputable sources within the world of sea fishing...

 

Montrose

The beach at Montrose is continuing to produce the goods with some good bass to over 4lb making an appearance in recent weeks. You don’t need anything complicated here and a simple pulley rig with lugworm hookbaits appears to be the way forward at the moment. Short casts are also advised if you want to find the flat ground. A car park is situated a short walk from this prolific area.
Montrose Gun & Tackle,

Newbiggin

Codling and bass are the main species at Church Point, where several fish to 5lb have been reported. Pulley rigs are working well, although a rotten-bottom should be used due to the snaggy seabed. Bites have been coming to a variety of baits, although peeler crabs and lugworms will take some beating, and sport is more consistent during the night with the most successful locals fishing two hours either side of low tide at the moment. There is a secure car park situated close by.

Blyth

Blyth beach has been in fine form of late with lots of codling to 6lb showing, along with the odd decent bass. Pennell rigs combined with lugworm hookbaits have been working well, with the majority of the fish being landed at low tide. You can catch during the day but if you are after the bigger bags then the hours of darkness are the time to be fishing. A large car park runs all the way along the beach, making access easy.

Tyne & Wear

Roker pier has been producing the goods of late with lots of codling to 7lb being taken on pulley rigs. These have been used in conjunction with size 3/0 hooks and lugworm or peeler crab hookbaits. The sea has been very rough in recent days, although whiting will begin to show once things calm down, and the biggest bags are being taken on a flood tide during the night.
A free car park is situated within a five-minute walk of the pier but it is locked at 10pm every night, although there is still access in and out with your vehicle via a small grass verge.

Seaham

Blast beach at Seaham is full of codling and whiting at the moment, with pulley rigs baited with ragworms doing the damage. Most anglers are catching two hours either side of high tide, although the time of day doesn’t seem to have an effect on catches due to the muddy nature of the water. Local anglers recommend that visitors travel light due to the walk involved in getting to this prolific hotspot. Anglers are able to park for free in the areas used by local factories, although these are situated a 20-minute walk away!

Hartlepool

The Heugh pier is producing plenty of fish at the moment, with good cod and bass regularly making an appearance. Pulley and flapper rigs are turning up the majority of the fish, with ragworms tipped off with squid working well.
Most anglers are catching on a big tide during the hours of darkness and there’s plenty of free parking located close to this prolific spot.

Whitby

Plenty of whiting are being landed from the West pier at Whitby, where a two-hook rig with small hooks is working well. Squid and mackerel have been the best baits of late, with most fish being landed at night time around high water. Some decent bass have been taken from Whitby beach on running leger rigs with fresh lugworms, and there’s lots of free parking on nearby streets available at this time of year.

Filey

The Filey Brigg rock mark is fishing well for cod to 5lb, with lugworm and mussel baits really starting to come into their own now. These are best presented on a standard pulley rig, and the bigger fish have generally been caught three hours either side of low tide, the hours of darkness proving more productive.
Free parking is located close to this popular mark.

Hilston

Several good mixed bags have been taken from the beach at Hilston, with an open match won with an 8lb thornback rays. Lots of other rays have also been taken by pleasure anglers, the majority on Pennell rigs with peeler crab and squid baits. Some decent cod to 7lb have also been taken on the same tactics, and locals recommend fishing on a 5.5m tide and advise that the time of day is irrelevant to catch rates. Small pockets of parking are available on the roadside by the beach.

Stallingborough

Courtaulds Straight has been throwing up lots of codling to 5lb on Pennell rigs with lugworm and squid baits, but if you are after plenty of bites then the whiting are worth targeting and these are currently being taken on the same baits but on a two-hook clipped-down rig instead. Anglers are catching throughout the day on virtually any tide, and you can literally fish out of your car boot here.

Ingoldmells

Rough weather hasn’t seen too many anglers out and about, but those that have had a cast or two have experienced great whiting sport. Moggs Eye is perhaps the best spot at present, producing plenty of bites to lugworms fished on three-hook flapper rigs at 50yds, although mackerel is a great change bait for the chance of a better fish. You can catch at any time of day but generally should aim to coincide your trip for a couple of hours before high tide, fishing it through until a few hours past high water. More and more cod are showing but they are scattered along the Lincolnshire coast, with a big bait such as peeler crabs blasted out the best option.

Cley to Weybourne

The Shingle Bank feature runs all the way from Cley to Weybourne on the
North Norfolk coast, and is in prime form for whiting, masses of dabs and a few school bass. There have even been a few Ray’s bream washed up in the area and one angler caught one of around 4lb from Cley beach on lugworm. For the more usual species, simple three-hook flapper rigs with lugworms cast to the gulley at around 50yds is as complicated as it needs to be, and you can catch all the way up the tide and at any time of day, although into dusk is still favoured. Dabs are showing particularly well at Cley.

Sheringham

Cod are showing in the Sheringham area, not big fish, with the typical stamp around 2lb, but there are quite a few of them. Short casts with lugworms or ragworms tipped with squid will catch, with locals favouring fishing into dark as the tide runs up to high water. A trio of bass were also taken in the middle of the day at Sheringham Lifeboat Station on short-range tactics with ragworms, while further east at Trimingham a few soles have been reported, and Overstrand remains in form for bass ¬ but you’ll need to reach the 100-yard mark to catch consistently.

Hopton

Hopton and Gorleston beaches are in brilliant form for cod, with fish to 12lb caught during night sessions. The stamp is probably nearer 4lb to 5lb but you will catch good numbers if you hit the beach at the right time. Evening sessions are unbeatable as the fish move in close to feed under the cover of darkness, and a 40-yard cast with lugworms tipped with squid, mackerel or black lugworms will catch. There are also masses of whiting and they’re of a good size, too, with many weighing between 1lb and 1lb 8oz. Plain lugworms are doing the job for them on a short cast, but watch out for the cod grabbing a hooked fish on the way in!

Dunwich

A deep-water beach, perhaps the deepest along this stretch of Suffolk coastline, Dunwich is producing stacks of whiting plus a few cod, and with a good depth at close range, anglers fishing at night only need to cast around 40yds to find the fish on lugworms tipped with fish or black lugworms on Pennell rigs on the flood tide. Elsewhere along the coast, whiting are showing strongly but you’ll need a longer cast on the shallower beaches, perhaps around 80yds, with nights again best. Dogfish have also put in a surprise appearance, along with a few soles at Southwold and the odd bass.

Orford

Whiting are proving a pain at Orford Island as there are hundreds of these bait-robbing fish around! Lugworms will catch them, but for the cod, a better bet is to fish big baits such as whole squid or peeler crabs on a Pennell rig, and most anglers are catching two or three fish approaching double figures per visit. A 60-yard cast will be ample as the tide runs strongly here in deep water, making 100yds the maximum fishable range, and you can fish four hours after low or high water, day or night, without it making much difference to the fishing.

Southend

The points of the pier are the places to head for, fishing into the tide, but you’ll need to fish on the big spring tides to enjoy the best sport. Daylight anglers are catching plenty of whiting to just over the 1lb mark on lugworms fished on one or two-hook flapper or Pennell rigs, while cod to 6lb have been taken on the same rigs but using bigger baits such as squid or peeler crabs. A trip after dark is a better bet for these bigger fish.

Clacton

There are several beaches around the town that are in good form at present, more so for cod than the usual whiting. Fish to 8lb have been taken, and there are a lot of 3lb codling showing as well to lugworms or, better still, fresh black lugworms tipped off with a piece of squid. The better casters are getting better results, but a 60-yard lob will still see you catching fish, with both day and night tides proving equally productive. The piers at Clacton are also fishing well to the same sort of tactics, with cod and whiting again the main quarry, but you will only need drop the rig over the side here to get bites.

Isle of Grain

This large point of land in Kent divides the Thames estuary in the north to the River Medway estuary in the south, and is in form for codling on the Medway side. Anglers have been catching fish to 7lb 8oz on lugworms tipped with squid, fishing three hours up to high tide and an hour-and-a-half down before the tide gets too strong. You’ll need to cast as far as possible to catch well, although in areas with jetties you can drop a bait inside these features and still find the cod. Simple Pennell rigs are working, with a flood tide best as the ebb brings in a lot of weed. On the northern Thames side there are more whiting than cod. An identical approach scores.

Deal

Chequers beach, situated between Deal and Sandwich Bay, near the golf course, is fishing well for small whiting and dogfish, which will give you plenty of bites but not much to take home with you! That leaves the cod as the main target and they run big here, fish to 10lb being recorded recently with plenty of smaller codling. You don’t need a big cast here, as anywhere over 40m will put you on the fish using Pennell rigs with lugworms tipped with squid or, better still, a whole squid for the big fish. It’s most productive to fish two hours before and three hours after high water. If the sea has colour then you can catch well in daylight, but fishing into dark is much preferred by those in the know.

Dungeness

One angler fished Dungeness beach last week to catch a 12lb cod and a bass approaching double figures in a session to remember, and both species are still showing strongly all along the beach and at nearby St Mary’s Bay. The bass average 4lb, while the cod are double that, both species taking Dungeness black lugworms tipped off with a piece of squid, but you’ll need to cast upwards of 100yds to find the cod. A shorter chuck will put you on the bass, fishing simple clipped-down rigs. Dungeness is a night beach, though, so you’ll need to dig the headtorch out and aim to fish on a big tide.

St Leonards

If you head to the popular New Church area of St Leonards beach in Sussex there are lots of whiting and codling to be caught. Big baits such as lugworms fished on a Pennell rig have been scoring well, although you’ll want to cast as far as possible. Try and fish the flood tide and one hour down after high tide. If the water is clear then the hours of darkness will be more productive, but the recent weather has coloured the water up nicely, making for good catches during the day. Parking is available opposite the beach.

Horeham

The fishing in the harbour has been far from easy with the recent rough conditions, and lots of seaweed is still floating around, but anglers are still catching a few codling, dogfish and whiting. Because the water is very coloured at the moment you can catch during the day as well as at night with lugworms, squid or mackerel fished on a two or three-hook rig. There’s pay and display parking close by.

Portsmouth

The strong winds have made fishing difficult, and the best chance of getting a bite or two is to fish the more sheltered water inside any of the harbours in the area. Anglers have been catching bass, silver eels and the odd flounder from Portsmouth harbour, with ragworms and peeler crabs the only two baits that you’re likely to get a bite on. A simple running leger rig is all you will need, fishing at low water or in the run-up to high tide.

Eastney

Eastney beach always fishes well after stormy weather, and you can expect some good soles to start showing in numbers. There’s also the chance of bass, codling and a few whiting. For the bass use big baits and single hooks, while for the other species a three-hook flapper rig baited with lugworms or ragworms should do the job. A decent cast of at least
80yds-90yds is required here to put you among the fish, and the better catches are predominantly coming during the hours of darkness, although you will still get the bass during the day. Parking is available on the promenade.

Isle of Wight

If you head round to Fort Victoria on the northern shore of the island, where the water is a little more sheltered, you can expect good mixed bags of dogfish, whiting, pouting and the odd codling. There’s no need to cast to the horizon here as you’ll find deep water with a moderate cast, and most locals are doing well with squid or mackerel on a pulley rig with a 5oz to 6oz grip lead.
A night flood tide is best, and there is free parking close by.

Swanage

The best place to head for in this area at the moment is Worbarrow Bay, where pollack, rays to 5lb and bass are being caught. Local anglers are catching well on sandeels, strips of mackerel and lugworms fished on Pennell, pulley and paternoster rigs. Ideally you want to fish a rising tide and a cast of around 80yds-100yds is required at this shingle beach. There is car parking available just a 10-minute walk away.

Weymouth

If you fancy catching a few squid, then take a trip during the hours of darkness to the Pleasure pier, where specimens to 5lb have been caught! There are also dogfish, pouting and bass being taken, and although you will catch during the day, the bigger fish have been coming at night. A short cast of 40yds is all you’ll need here and the venue fishes better during a flood tide. Rig-wise, a simple two-hook flapper is fine and there’s plenty of parking available near the pier.

Salcombe

There are good numbers of flounders being caught from the wall at Batson car park on the Salcombe estuary, as well as the odd school bass. The better catches have been taken during the day, with a flood tide being the most productive. You only need light tackle here with ragworms fished on a two-hook rig cast up to 50yds the productive method.

Cremyll

Anglers have been heading to the more sheltered water over the last week to get out of the wind and rain, and two of the best spots have been the River Tamar Estuary and Cremyll. At the latter you can expect mixed bags of whiting, pouting, bull huss, codling, pollack and thornback rays, and pretty much any bait will score here, but you won’t go far wrong with ragworms, lugworms or mackerel fished on a standard pulley rig. In the estuary there have been red gurnards and soles reported on ragworms fished on two-hook flapper rigs.

Falmouth

Anglers are still catching plenty of mackerel from the harbour, piers and jetties in the Falmouth area, although they probably won’t be around for much longer. The first thornback rays are also starting to show up from these marks at night. For the mackerel, floatfished frozen sandeels or strips of fish have been doing the business, and for the thornback rays you want to use big fish baits or peeler crabs fished on a pulley rig cast around 50yds. The bigger tides are usually better, but this is by no means critical as you can catch most of the time whatever the tide. Parking is free after 6pm, but it is pay-and-display before this time.

Trefusis

The Trefusis River is still the best place to head for, as good catches of thornback rays and the occasional bull huss are being reported. No matter what your casting ability is, you can get among the fish here as you’ll catch from 20yds-100yds and locals are doing well with mackerel or sandeels fished on pulley rigs. You can park in the Trefusis Estate, from where the river is a 10-minute walk away.

Ilfracombe

There’s a multitude of species on offer at Ilfracombe pier with bass, whiting and pouting, along with conger eels to over double figures and dogfish. If you stick to the right-hand side of the pier you’ll find the cleaner ground, where locals do well - hook paternoster rigs at this time of year. An incoming time always fishes best, and the hours of darkness are best for the conger eels and dogfish.

Lilstock

During a small tide you can fish the pebble beach here all day with the chance of catching codling, whiting, rays and conger eels to double figures. A cast of 60yds will usually be enough, but in high water you’ll need to chuck your rig around 80yds to get over the pebbles. Best baits are currently big lugworms, peeler crabs or squid fished on a Pennell pulley rig and, as the water is coloured, day or night isn’t making any difference to catches. There is a free car park available less than a five-minute walk from the beach.

Newport

Redwick and Magor are the number one spots to head to this week as the tides are perfect for these venues. Cod and whiting will be the main species to target, and your best chance of getting a few fish will be with lugworms tipped with a piece of squid on a two-hook Pennell pulley rig. Most fish have been taken during the hours of darkness, and you can park right by the sea wall.
Garry Evans Tackle, Newport,

Llanelli

There are good mixed bags of whiting, dabs, dogfish and codling being caught from the promenade, with 20-plus fish in a session possible. Fishing a big tide two hours up and two hours back down is recommended, and the best catches have come from the evening onwards. Baitwise, you want to use either mackerel or lugworms on a two or three-hook flapper rig, and you can fish next to your car.

Llansteffan

If it’s bags of flounders that you’re after then head to the Llansteffan estuary, as on a good day you can expect anywhere up to 20 fish in a session. Although you can catch from anywhere, the real hotspots are in front of the castle or the boat club. A short 30-yard cast with ragworms fished on a two or three-hook flapper rig will produce a few bites. If possible, try and fish at low tide and four hours up during the day.

Tenby

Tenby South beach is currently fishing well for bass and flounders, and one angler recently caught 15 bass to
3lb 8oz from the Esplanade steps using a two-hook pulley rig baited with ragworms. A night-time high tide is preferable at this venue and a cast of 60yds should put you amongst the fish. If you head a bit further along the coast, Saundersfoot beach has also been fishing well for flounders.

Aberystwyth

Most anglers have been heading for the sheltered water in the harbour where they’ve been catching small wrasse, pollack and bass in short sessions. In the last week the evenings have been more productive. If possible, try and fish around high water. Keep your rigs nice and simple with something like a two or three-hook rig with ragworms and mackerel strip, and cast no further than 30yds.

Anglesey

The recent weather should see some bigger codling move in to Holyhead breakwater as well as plenty of whiting, dogfish and dabs. There’s also the chance of a thornback ray or two, especially if you use mackerel or sandeel hookbaits fished on a Pennell rig. The best baits to use for the other species are ragworms or lugworms, and this venue is suitable for any angler, no matter what their experience, as you will catch anywhere between 30yds and 150yds out.

Old Colwyn

There’s a multitude of species being caught from the Arches at Old Colwyn with codling, bass, dogfish and decent whiting all showing in good numbers. The bigger tides of over 28ft are the most productive and the better catches have certainly been taken once the sun has gone down. A cast of 50yds into the surf will find the fish and local anglers do well with flapper rigs and lugworm hookbaits tipped with a piece of mackerel. You can virtually fish out of the back of your car here.

Merseyside

At Wallasey Town Steps, Wirral, you won’t be short of bites as small dabs and whiting are providing sport throughout the day on two-hook flapper rigs with black lugworms. Fishing at low water is best for a real mixed bag. There are some codling about, though, averaging 2lb, and these are being taken at high water on black lugworms tipped with squid. Evenings are best as the fish come close to around 60yds range.

Cleveleys

At Five Bar Gate in Cleveleys the name of the game here is mixed fishing with codling, bass, dogfish, flatfish and whiting all providing plenty of bites. Black lugworms fished on Pennell rigs cover the bait and tackle front but you’ll need to cast upwards of 100m to find the fish, which can run to 5lb. Night is by far the best time to fish and you can catch on both high and low tides.

Morecambe

Behind Heysham church is a reliable rock mark that will fish well on the coming week’s small tides, producing dogfish and codling to 2lb plus whiting and the odd dab and plaice. You’ll need a two-hook flapper or a pulley rig for extra distance and can catch anywhere between 30yds and 80yds (there’s a gulley at this range) on lugworms tipped with mackerel or squid. Please check the tide times before fishing as you can become cut off on the rocks. A reliable night mark is the nearby stone jetty which will produce cod and whiting on black lugworms.

Workington

Grasslot Beach in Cumbria is fishing well for codling to 5lb and dogfish all the way along. Low water is the best time, fishing a couple of hours either side with lugworms tipped with mussels, crabs or razorfish, or a lug and rag cocktail at around 40yds-50yds. Generally night is best, although you can still catch fish, mainly dogfish, in the day. For the dogs fish mackerel or sandeels.

Isle of Nan

Queen’s pier at Douglas Harbour has been the only place to fish in recent rough weather and it’s been in a productive mood with codling, dogfish and pouting being taken on lugworms, sandeels or mackerel strips fished on two-hook rigs at around 80yds. High water is best, as are evening sessions.

Kirkcudbright

Killantringan rocks are fishing well for a mixture of species including codling to 2lb, pollack to 3lb plus dogfish and dabs on the rising tide. A two-hook rig will do the job, baited with lugworms, mussels or mackerel fishing anything upwards of 30yds, as it’s a clean bottom in this area. Be sure to wear suitable footwear, check the tides and have a good headtorch or lamp with you.

Newton

The terrible weather of late has kept a lot of anglers off the beach but those that have ventured out have found bass and increasing numbers of codling. The bass run to 7lb and can be taken fishing lugworms or spinners just into the surf at night, with either side of high water the time to fish. The codling reach 3lb but need a longer cast with lugworm baits, again fishing into dark.

Loch Etive

The bottom end of the loch away from the Connell Bridge is the hot area at present for a real mixed bag including codling, whiting, thornback rays, pollack and spurdogs. The spurdogs have reached 10lb while the cod, thornbacks and pollack run to 7lb, with most of the whiting of a keepable size. It’s all boat fishing on an incoming tide using running leger or paternoster tackle. For bait try squid, giant launce or Blueys.

Oban

Donullie Point is a good local rock mark in Oban Bay for pollack, dogfish and spurdogs. It’s deep water here, upwards of 50ft so you don’t need to cast that far, around 30yds being ample, and a simple running leger rig with mussels or squid will catch well, fishing an hour either side of high tide. There are no favoured hot areas, with sport pretty even all the way round, but fishing at night isn’t advisable owing to the slippery and remote nature of the rocks.