Essex Sea Fishing Report

[Guest Elton]

Supplied by The Bait & Tackle Centre

 

Greatly improved boat fishing with lots more Smoothounds and bass now showing with the settled weather, they are a bit patchy but that should change as they thicken up.

SOUTHEND BOATS

Fishing has improved, but still patchy, with Colin Bond on the Skerry Belle reporting on Saturday, Smoothounds, Bass, Roker and Tope but on Sunday struggled to find many fish. Also a report of a 22lb Smoothounds from one of the gutways on the Maplins. Bob Wilkinson took his private boat out with good success with 20 Bass, most fish were around the 3lb mark. The private boat Polly Marie owned by Lee Shaw also found some fish with 10 Roker to 12lb and 4 Smoothounds to 10lb.

SOUTHEND PIER

Lots of undersize bass from the end with some garfish from most of the stem on mackerel strip. A few eels on rough days and flounders on crab baits.

SOUTHEND BEACHES

Daytime fishing still fishing the best, at the Thorpe bay end foe Flounders on crab baits. A few Eels coming on the night tides and lots of small undersize bass being a nuisance.

RIVER CROUCH

The river has slowed up a bit according to Dave Godwin, but the offshore fishing has steadily got better with Smoothounds, Bass Dogfish, Eels, Whiting and Roker all sizeable but not that big. Also of note is that the Mullet have arrived in the marinas with the warmer settled weather.

RIVER BLACKWATER

Much improved fishing with the Kingfisher taking Smoothounds to 5lb and Roker to 8lb. Terry Batt’s parties on his boat the Vicky Emma having more success, on Saturday 7 Roker to 13 1/2lb, 22 smoothounds to 6 1/2lband on Sunday 47 Smoothounds to 9 1/2lb,and a Bass of 4 1/2lb. Best baits are squid and crab, rag will produce some more Bass.

WEST MERSEY

Steady fishing without getting to excited with Roker, Bass, Dogfish and Pouting. Again the fish are not that big.

STANFORD

Several small undersize Bass moved in with Eels and Flounders.

CANVEY, TILBURY, GRAVESEND

The sea walls producing small Bass, Eels and Flounders with nothing special to report. Jarrard’s boat the Ocean Warrior found some Bass to 4lb, Smoothounds to 6lb at the weekend.

NORTH KENT COAST

Lots of Eels in amongst the numerous Pouting, with a few Flounders as well all falling to crab baits.

THAMESMEAD, ERITH

More Eels turning up on crab baits, with Flounders on all baits.

WALTON, FRINTON

The beaches are full of Pouting, small Eels and the odd Codling. At the Naze at Walton Andy Murray caught a 4lb Bass with several anglers getting up to 5 per session. The pier at Walton is producing Pouting, Eels Garfish and the odd Plaice. The boats are finding Smoothounds to 10lb, Roker, Bass and Codling.

RIVER ORWELL

From the river a few Bass to spinning tatics, Garfish, eels and Flounders on crab baits.

RESULTS and SHORT NEWS

Bob Grady easily won the Bait and tackle Centre evening match, with 2 Flounders and an Eel for a weight of 2lb 5oz which won him £92.50. In second place was Richard Bull with a 1lb Flounder. Their next match is on the 29th May at the Gasworks stretch of beach. Please phone 01702 617764 for details.

The next major open for anglers is the Leigh & Westcliff Pier Open on the 18th June. The fishing times are from 11am to 5pm and entry is £5 plus pools.

The TBAA fished a club match at Stanford at the weekend, they found fish hard to come by, with maddies catching most the fish. The winner was John Barr with 2lb 10oz.

 

 

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Elton Murphy

Anglers' Net

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk

[Guest Dave B]

That was last weekend's report 13th/14th.

Thiss weekend was a different story. No hounds, loads of thornies, half of which were undersize, a few small bass - Colin had an 8lb 8oz beauty on the Skerry