In Essex, over the last two weeks, the weather has been very settled and this has allowed us to get out and enjoy some excellent inshore fishing.
There has been a big influx of Thornback Rays to all areas of the Estuary, as they prepare themselves for the mating season! On odd occasions, as the fish are in ‘spawning mode’ it has been possible to hook a female and to land a male as well, who isn't even hooked!
Some of the larger Thornbacks are up to 18lb in weight and provide excellent sport when the tide isn't strong. The best baits are Squid and Herring, but all fish and crab baits will catch along with Lug and Ragworm.
My anglers from Bearfields.com had a cracking day last Sunday with Rachael landing her first Thornback of 10 lb followed by her friend Federica with her first Cod of 4 lb, you can see the pictures below.
There are still a few Cod along the North Coast up to Walton, some of these fish are around 4lb and provide excellent sport on light tackle! There are also huge numbers of tiny codling around 8-12 inch, these seem to be everywhere at the moment, and hopefully if they can avoid the commercial fishermen, they will return in the Autumn where they will be around 1-2 lb!
There are plenty of cracking Whiting around with some over 2 lb, we don't usually see a huge run of Whiting this size, so it’s great news, these fish will take pretty much anything, but Worm, Squid and Herring will all work.
We had our first Smoothound on Saturday so signs are promising for a good summer. These fish should appear a little earlier this year, as the sea temperatures relatively high, well certainly higher than they were last year, when the fish were a month or two late.
The first Bass are also starting to show, with the smaller Schoolies falling to Worm baits and the bigger solitary fish taking Mackerel or Squid.
Prospects are excellent with a really good mix of fish around, and the increasing numbers of Bass and Smoothound really emphasizes this fact.
To book a session on the Chinook II charter boat, which is based in Bradwell-On-Sea, Essex, contact Phil White on…
The place you need to come for a great day out fishing the Thames Estuary from Bradwell on Sea in Essex with one of the most experianced and friendly skippers on the East Coast. Whether you are a novice or experianced angler, they cater for both.
Chinook II is an offshore 105 with two 180hp turbo diesel engines giving a comfortable 15 knot cruise. She is a big spacious boat with a large deck space for all the anglers and a heated cabin big enough for everyone to shelter when the weather turns. She is a very stable fishing platform and features all the latest electronics, flush toilet, full cooker and oven. She is licensed for 8 anglers up to 60 miles from safe haven.