30th October 2000.
I don’t suppose many of you will go fishing this weekend due to the weather, but I am sure there are a few brave souls out there.
NORTH KENT COAST
From the Sheppy coast the best fishing is at night, with plenty of whiting but many of these are small. The Medway stretch is producing better size fish even during the day due to the dirtier water.
THAMESMEAD, ERITH
Flounders with whiting at night.
DOVER
Due to the weather not much fishing being done. However when the weather allows the fishing is good. The best cod from the boats was 25lb last week and from the Admiralty a fish of 23lb was landed with several up to 18lb. Of course there are plenty of whiting.
SAMPHIRE HOE
No report this week.
FOLKESTONE
Basically lots of whiting from all the beaches even during the day with the dirty water bringing the fish close in. Plenty of dabs and pouting mixed in the catches. Only the odd codling being caught with the odd sole, bass and flounder.
SKIPPERS SPOTLIGHT
Colin Bond has been a skipper in Southend for over 26 years. For the last 11 years, he has been running the Skerry Belle, which has been in Southend for even longer. An ex-crabbing boat built in Megavissey, she is 42′ long. Fully licenced for up to 12 anglers, with women and children welcome and providing everyone with tea and coffee. Some of the best fish landed from the boat are bass to 16lb, roker to 26lb, cod to 30lb and a 62lb 8oz tope. To fish with Colin, you can ring him on 0850 384 774 or 01702 390842.
REPORT FOR THE HUMBER TO THE THAMES
Colin is also finding still the last of the summer fish with 15 roker, 2 bass, dogfish, as well as dabs and whiting. The best baits being squid, mackerel and herring. Most other boats concentrating on the whiting, with a few codling mixed in.
Reports on the larger than normal catches of roker for this time of year, increased with some still being caught towards the pier, by the trawlers.
The beaches are fishing well at night for whiting, best bait will be lug tipped with mackerel strip.
The whiting have definitely moved in on the Canvey beaches, Southfalls always very popular, best top of the tide down. One or two codling and a few flounders also to catch.
Tilbury and Grays are also producing plenty of whiting, the odd sole and some flounders. Flounders also at Stanford on maddies with some whiting at night.
Dave Godwin is full of the joy of autumn, with the river full of whiting, the odd roker to 9lb 8oz, codling to 4lb 8oz. There are more codling towards the mouth of the river. Jeff abbot had a 12lb bass from the Lady Lucy.
John Rawle is looking forward to a reasonable winter, with a prediction of codling to 1lb 8oz from the inshore marks and cod between 7 and 12lb from the offshore marks. His best day produced 13 roker, and 75 dogfish.
Some long liners fishing offshore marks are finding buckets of good sized cod. There are several new cod feeding on the plentiful whiting, and shortly they should change for the good of the rod and line angler. Terry Batt also was into the fish with over 100 dogfish at the weekend. Dave Weaving found some bass to 5lb and roker in amongst the whiting, dabs and dogfish. Visit Dave on his website for photos and reports on WWW.dweaving.freeserve.co.uk.
The beaches at Clacton and Walton are producing whiting, some nice sized codling and pouting. Still a chance of a big bass from the pier. Dave Brown has some nice sized ones or so he tells me, codling from the beaches that is, along with lots of whiting, small bass and a few late soles.
Lawerence at Cataways on 01394 278316 reports much the same with some codling to 3lb 8oz and lots of whiting.
The boats finding much the same with a few more codling. Jason at Gorleston informs me of lots of whiting, with a few codling to 4lb.
The best cod of the week was a 9lb 7oz fish from Gorleston beach. Doug at Tackle and Tide reports the same as everyone with lots of whiting, dabs and a few codling.
The match on Sunday was won with 8lb of whiting and codling.
Cromer Sports tip for the week is Bacton, but everywhere is producing whiting, codling, dabs and flounders.
East Halton and Killinholm are the two top tips from Ade Cooper at Lightwoods fro codling and whiting. With Doverstrand the top place for flounders in the shallows. For the latest news ring Ade on 01472 343536.
The Chapel beaches are producing whiting, bass and flounders. The boats are landing roker and whiting.
