chamois

hi, anyone else think that the schoolies are a bit thin on the ground this year? i fished my usual place four sessions this year-not one bass-i have never blanked there before always got some bass even very small-but this year nil- i have noticed that the shrimps are a bit scarce i usually lob out a landing net with some squid to see whats around- two pin sized shrimps for quite a few hours netting any thoughts?

i tried weymouth a few years back-had some good fun on the pier with light tackle ,anyway i will report when i get back next week thanks for the input

hi mate you are fishing in the sea fishing quiet zone-the best times start in the summerthrough to dec sometimes jan but the fish feed inshore in the summer and right through to dec usually. there are some exceptions to this autumn can be a quiet time. basically the fish follow their food . but some estuarys in march and april can produce wait till it gets warmer and get some bass fishing going

hi all going to be staying right near mudeford /christchurch harbour at the weekend and wondered if any do's and don'ts re fishing-i know that a license is req inside the harbour, but im not really up for that. i will probably get two sessions in and i am only after some fun fishing- i am thinking crab baits and after dark any tips?

i am wondering about mersea also as i have booked a sun holiday weekend at coopers beach in july i usually summer fish the thames estuary and thinking the same tactics; rag or lug cast quite close to shore for a bit of schoolie fun any hints welcome

you ask several questions, my first thought is that if you cant afford a fiver or so for a score of worms then sea fishing may not be for you. it need not be expensive though, digging your own bait requires a sturdy fork and a bit of local knowledge. then again wormbait might not be best where you are thinking of fishing,(probably locally??!) you could catch mackerel on any lure/feather at times if the water is clear and they are feeding. bread is used mainly for mullet but this is a bit tricky mullet will swim all round your bait and not take it! best to ask at the local tackle shop they should put you right gl

fished at allhallows two sundays back used lug and rag got a nice two poud ish bass for the pot and three more which went back,going again soon when tide and weather is right. hermes i cant give you any advice but a few years back [dont ask how many] i used to swim in the gannel when tide is coming up remember seeing shoals of fish coming up with the tide,not mackies probably bass. i would love to be having a go myself watch out for loads of people in the water and if you go further inland you will need a permit this is all i remember from several childhood holidays,wish i was going have a nice one

thanks for replies will be trying the thames estuary this weekend, report of lunker to follow........

thinking of camping near the crouch later this year anyone got any advice, not the secret hotspots obviously but is the blackwater better, thaks

not as windy as i feared, not bad weather, just a lack of fish! lots of small pouting and whiting and a lot of weed.

hi just wondered if anything about on s.e.coast apart from pin whiting! i like to fish just up from deal pier, or if anyone catching at sheerness at the mo night give that a go.

this topic has certainly got some interest; i fished samphire about 4/5 sundays back as i came over the hill approaching dover to pick up my bait, i could see the people on the admiralty it seemed they were shoulder to shoulder. made up my mind a long time ago to avoid that place, in the summer anyway. i cant see samphire going the same way because it is a lot more difficult to fish you try feathering there with not much water and see what happens! will be going to samphire again end of the month bassing when the fry have thinned out a bit and those bass are hungry. gl all

spent the weekend with my mate at allhallows haven park. usually easy to dig lug down there hard work this time, local bloke said targeted by diggers lately. anyway got enough for us . fished the tide up caught lots of little bass on the saturday using light tackle so good fun . but nothing to take for the pot. on the sunday we walked round the other way towards a creek? anyway bit of a yomp but the bass were slightly bigger one pot size and a couple round the pound mark that went back. using a ledger rod with a 1 oz weight great fun. as we walked back to camp there was a bit of a feeding frenzy going on, bass or mullet i dont know, right in close to shore by the freshwater fishing lake, surface was bubbling. we had had enough by then back for some cold beers. probably try samphire soon for bigger bass hopefully anyway tight lines all

thanks for the input chaps i am going to make further enquiries, will know more in a week or so

i got a second hand report that someone is netting bass in the medway around the snodland/burham area. my source fishes the river in this area regularly, he has had one bass 6 1/2 pound about a month back but it has been an unusually poor year for the smaller schoolies that he mostly catches. he heard that two guys were gutting twenty or so "supermarket sized" bass on the bank a fortnight ago. sounds a plausable reason for the poor fishing anyone heard anything?? dont get too carried away as it is a second hand report, might be tosh.