We really couldn’t ask for a warmer Summer, but with temperatures in the high 20’s it can be a struggle for beach anglers. However, with a bit of thought there are still fish to be caught, and the evening tides are always best and lighten up on your fishing gear. Light lines and smaller hooks are the way forward and you will get bites. There seems to be plenty of mullet cruising around the rocks down at Jaywick and small ragworm baits or bread will be the best baits to use. Bass are also here and there is always a chance of a very big fish.
The day time tides on the beach are almost impossible to fish, the hot weather has seen plenty of boats and jet skis and packed beaches, so evening is really the way forward.
Clacton Pier has seen more bass being caught this week along with the odd thornback ray, soles are showing here on the evening tides.
Ted Sargent with his bass caught from the charter boat Gloria B2
The Holland beaches are really only fishable during late evening when the crowds have gone home, once again bass, soles and eels will be the target here. The golf course beaches at Frinton are seeing plenty of small bass being caught, plus eels and soles. Weed has been a problem here, but on the slacker parts of the tide it is fishable.
Walton Pier seems to be the top venue for daytime fishing, plenty of fish around the pier piles, local anglers Matt Clark and Daniel Tulip fished here and caught bass, wrasse, and Daniel even caught a sand smelt.
My fishing trip was also to Walton Pier. I fished very close to the pier and had great sport from the garfish and bass. All my fish were caught on small Hokkai lures.
Walton Sea Angling Club held their latest club match on the Pier. The weather was great with just a light breeze blowing which looked good for a few fish to be caught. Unfortunately, the fish had other ideas! The sea was gin clear making for a difficult match.
Top angler on the night was Ken Peacock with two bass for 129 points. Second place went to Rob Tuck with a bass and two eels for 70 points and in third Chris Mills had a wrasse and a bass for 53 points. The biggest fish prize went to Ken Peacock with a 51cm bass.
Local angler Gary Hambleton looks pleased with this bass that he caught from his own boat
The boats have had a much better week with plenty of smoothhounds showing, the biggest reported this week was over 20lbs.
The Brightlingsea Charter boat Gloria B2 has been catching bass to 9lbs, Terry Brooker and Ted Sargent both landed big bass, plus smooth-hounds and thornback rays.
The Sophie Lee has also reported some good catches with hounds, rays and bass to be caught.
Gary Hambleton fished from his own boat with his father Vic Hambleton. While Gary was busy catching bass his dad hooked into a very large stingray not far off the Brightlingsea coast. It took Vic a full 45 minutes to land the stingray which weighed more than 50lbs and was returned very quickly to the sea.
The high tides for the weekend are Saturday 12.24pm and Sunday 1.05pm
