Whiting have started to move inshore in large numbers over the last few days with lots of fish showing on daylight and night time tides as long as there is a bit of colour in the water. Most of the Region’s piers and beach marks have produced small cod, flounders, dabs, and plaice to bottom fished baits. The piers have also seen mackerel move back inshore taking lures and float fished baits, coalfish are also evident and pollack have been taken either lure or bottom fishing from the rock edges, or float fishing close down the pier sides. With Roker pier closed South Shields pier has been crowded at times but has produced bags of up to 60 mackerel a session to multiple lures, and cod to 2lb from the heavy ground on the seaward side. Some anglers fishing late evening and night time sessions from various marks along the north east shoreline have reported dogfish taking mackerel, sandeel, and ragworm baits.
The Wear and Tyne now have big flounders showing with many topping the 1½lb mark, and the lower Tyne has many species present with club matches now being won with double figure bags. Best plaice reported is one of 3lb 2oz taken by Lou Marsden, and those heading towards Eyemouth report pollack to 6lb outnumbering cod to 4lb, as well as wrasse and coalfish.
Chris Hossack won the Ryhope Tuesday evening sweepstake with a flounder of 1lb 2oz, followed by John Robson with 1lb 1oz, and Dave McCready with 1lb. The Fishermans Locker Open on Wednesday moved to South Shields pier only to be greeted by hordes of mackerel anglers. Nevertheless Joe Gibson found some room to land the heaviest fish, a coalie of 1lb 1oz, followed by Stu Carr with a cod of 1lb.
Paul Batey won a Longbenton club match in the lower Tyne with a mixed bag of whiting, plaice, dabs and flounder for a total weight of 16lb 6oz, Terry Brennan had a similar bag weighing 13lb 14oz, and John Jessop had the heaviest fish, a plaice of 1lb 6oz. Tony Anderson won a Tynemouth match in the Tyne with a mixed bag of 13 whiting, one flounder, one dab, one plaice and a turbot totalling 10lb 14oz. Stewart Ford had 10 whiting, and a single cod weighing 8lb 13oz, and Barrie Sanderson had the heaviest fish, a pollack of 2lb 3oz.
The Bedlington Station Summer Open saw 22 out of 80 weigh in 100lb of fish with cod coming from the rock edges and the inevitable flounders from the clean ground beaches. Winner W. Foster had four fish for a total of 10lb 15oz, Callan Stevens had two weighing 8lb 7oz, the best weighing 6¼lb, S. Atkinson had three for 8lb, and Jim Dobie had the best flatfish of 1lb 1oz.
The Whitby Summer Boat Festival running from June 21st until July 13th has started to produce some better fish for those trying to get a share of the £5000 prize money. Dave Lain is in the lead with a superb cod of 20lb 3oz, R. Deadman has the best ling so far at 18lb 13oz, followed by Garry Jones with one of 14lb 10oz.
Boats out of the Tyne have taken much bigger specimens however, with the best ling at 26lb falling to Micky Proctor followed by Jon Soulsby with one of 24lb. Keith Ryder had cod of 20lb and 17lb, and Peter Furbank one of 16½lb, all taken aboard the Sarah JFK. The Sapphire out of Sunderland had a good recent trip taking 50 cod to 17lb, Andrzy Pierzchala taking the best at 17lb 9oz, the trip also saw two shark circling the boat, and a minke whale jumping clear of the water.
