Skegness Pier Angling Club held their second match of 2026 at North Shore on Saturday. Twelve anglers fished under calm, misty conditions for the Healey Cup. Fishing was hampered at times by weed but everyone caught and no blanks where recorded. The recent spell of rough seas has flattened off the beach since their last match here in December and has moved the sand from the high water mark to form a bar around 100 yards out. The fish that where close in last match stayed outside the bar in deeper water today and casting over the bar was essential to catch anything sizeable. Fishing started slowly in daylight due to a small tide and shallow beach, but as night fell, more fish moved and catch rates increased. Species caught where dabs, flounders and whiting with many tiny dabs attacking and stripping baits as soon as they were cast out.
The match stretch looking north at North Shore
Today’s winner was Karl Nangle who fished three hook flappers with small black lug baits tipped with garfish strips and sandeel sections on size 4 Arno-hooks Aberdeens. Rather than aiming at full distance using streamlined clipped rigs, Karl adjusted his range to where he expected the fish to be. Using the extra wind resistance of the flapper rig itself and keeping his casting style the same, he dropped baits in around 120m. By high tide Karl had built up a lead on the rest of the field with single and double shot of dabs, whiting and a 31cm flounder. Keeping everything consistent he continued to locate the feeding fish on the far side of the sand bar and finished the match with 33 fish and a total length of 842cm.
Match winner Karl Nangle with a flounder and Dab double shot, part of a 842cm total length result.
In second place was Adie Cooper with 20 Fish for 528cm. Adie was pegged on the southern half of the match and started off slowly with bites increasing towards high water, unfortunately as the bites increased on the ebb the weed appeared on his end of the match stretch. He tried close to avoid it but then did not have a bite. So, he had to go back to distance casting with small baits to find the fish only to be met by loads of weed, ruining presentation, dropping his catch rate and losing fishing time.
Adie Cooper in second with a dab and whiting
In third place was Russ Parsons with 17 fish for 436cm Russ fished at long range with frozen blacks tipped with tiny pieces of mackerel, bites picking up on the ebb but baits being stripped by hordes of tiny dabs.
John Spalton fishing came in fourth with 13 fish for 357cm. John started off slowly catching some decent dabs and whiting amongst the small stuff but with only single shots. Using Frozen black lug tipped with razor fish or squid on a three hook clipped down rig cast over the far side of the bar John was getting plenty of bites but only landing single decent fish. John also picked up the longest round fish prize with a 37cm whiting.
The prize winners: John Spalton (longest round), Adie Cooper 2nd, Zac Short (Junior), Russ Parsons (3rd) and Karl Nangle (1st and longest flat)
The rest of the field all caught fish recording between 2-3m total length of fish, anyone fishing inside the bar were harassed with many missed bites from the small dabs present in the gulley. Junior angler Zac Short had a slow start so he altered rigs to smaller hook sizes and was soon catching finishing the match on 9 fish for 224cm. Tracey Cooper had a long wait for her first fish but started off in style after a with a triple shot of dabs, she found the fish but not in huge numbers and steadily caught for the last two hours of the match in 10th place with 174cm.
Many Thanks to Adie for pegging out the match and to Russ Parsons for running it on the day. Thank you to Chas, Tina and Tracey for the pictures and to all those travelling from as far as Grimsby, March and Sleaford to fish with the club today. The next match is planned for the 31st of January at Trunch lane.
