5th September 2001
REPORT FOR THE HUMBER TO THE THAMES
By the time you read this autumn will be creeping in with more andmore whiting showing up. Some small eels, bass and flounders haveturned up on the Southend beaches, with the evening and night tidesbest for this using rag, lug and crab for baits.
The boats are finding some roker and smoothound, the best I heardwas a 23lb smoothound and a 13lb bass, but no more info. . Verypatchy but worth a try is the gut ways of the Foulness Sands for bassand smoothounds for the boat anglers but only at weekends as the armyshoots there during the week. Jason Amos also landed an excellentsmoothound of 19lb 7oz from his fathers boat the Dulcar, it wascaught on crab from the Foulness sands along with several others.
Outside of the Thames I have heard of the trawlers taking lemonand dover sole, plaice, turbot and brill, just goes to show whatactually does live there. Also the first whiting were taken from theSouth side of the river in the Medway as well as plenty of pinwhiting in the nets of Canvey and some small Pollack also showing inthe nets.
Southend pier has been fishing well for mackerel at the southstation, normally as autumn approaches it often gets better. Rumoursabound of several good-sized bass from the Grays area, up to 7lb 8ozon crab baits, also some flounders, eels and sole. Barry at StanfordTackle will know more on 01375 676739.
Most species are being caught but only in small numbers. Plenty ofmullet being seen close in by the sea walls. Also try some of theback creeks rumours of several bass coming out on ragworm. The riverCrouch shoreline is a bit quiet at the moment but a surprise bass canalways turn up on ragworm. Bad weather and tides slowed the riverCrouch boats last week, but things are improving with some bass,soles, eels and a few whiting showing.
Ray Pask of the Felixstowe Sea Anglers landed a 14lb smoothoundamongst others from Dave Godwin’s Predator the other day, the LadyLucy found some hounds to 10lb, bass to 6lb 8oz some small tope andplenty of mackerel over the last few weeks. The inshore marks atBradwell are producing more keeper-sized bass with some eels as well,not long now before the whiting start turning up in numbers. Pennsponsored John Rawle’s best day aboard the Kingfisher was 16smoothound to 16lb; other days have produced roker to 6lb and the oddbass to 7lb 8oz. The Vicky Emma landed a whiting of 2lb 8oz the otherday. Paul Gillian took a 7lb 8oz bass on fresh mackerel head fromWalton.
The beach next to the pier is proving one of the better markswhere Rob Tuck took 4 soles the other night on ragworm. Low tideupwards in the evening and night is the best. Lots of mackerel fromoffshore marks and a few whiting showing from the pier at night, formore news phone Richard Holgate on 01255 675680.
Try Wrabness for some bass, flounders and eels, the town beach atFelixstowe produced a few soles in a match the other night and patchynumbers of small bass on other days so Gerry at Castaways tells me on01394 278316.
Well he has made it, Lawrence at Castaways is now retired, we wishhim many happy fishing trips, he deserves them.
Dave Brown at Breakaways on 01473 741393, recommended East Lane tome for a chance of a big bass on mackerel head, I did tell him that Iwould keep it secret. Oops!
A report of a 16lb bass from the river at Southwould, which is arecord for here, Gorleston beach for some flounders and sole, or trythe river for bass to 5lb is Jason’s tip from Gorleston Angling on01493 662448.
Sam Hooks will point you towards Lowestoft pier and Pakefield forbass between 2-6lb, ring them for other top tips on 01502 565821.
Tackle and tide boss Doug on 01493 852221 tells me that the northbeach is fishing for soles, dabs, whiting and the odd bass. Cromerpier has to be the top spot for one angler who landed 5 bass between3lb 8oz and 11lb on crab bait. Cromer pier, Cley, Weybourne, Runton,Overstrand and Trimmingham have been fishing for flounders and bassto 6lb.
Tony Hirst at Mablethorpe Angling recommended Huttoff, Moggs Eyeand Sutton for bass, eels and flounders to me, phone him to see whathe can tell you on 01507 478444.
Barton and Killingholme flounders and eels, with thornies at OuterNewton. The next few weeks will see things changing quickly with morewhiting showing themselves at night, so look forward to some pleasantSeptember nights whiting fishing. Do not forget that there is alwaysthe chance of a big bass, happy fishing.
RESULTS
Very little to report as there is limited activity at this time ofthe year. The SAAS club held a beach match at Westcliff on the 14thAugust. The winner was Alan Gaskin with an eels of 1lb 6oz, in secondplace was Lewis Clark with a 1lb eel.
