The Famous Tacklebox Brighton

Afternoon world, yep its afternoon as i type being as today has been assigned as lazy barsteward day.. That on top of a late night/early morning watching WWE on Netflix without the chill bit. Oddly enough that isnt the Sunday shocker, that tbh was yesterday but being as it is Sunday I felt it wouldn’t be right too post Saturday shocker on a Sunday … get it ? yep ? good. If you aint half confused and you dont know me yet you aint reading my rambles enough too realise my aim in life is too confuse and confound the sane until their head state is as warped as mine.

Well John (he knows who he is) my spell checker is working, its also having a melt down with the way my brain types very differently too the way my fingers hit the keys ! 😂😂 be warned folks I’m in the mood for a ramble … allthough I am a tad pressed for time today.. things to do little time too do it …

ok, so what was the shocker you shout. well if you was out yesterday afternoon the weather made my post yesterday of looking lush out there into a bit of a fabrication.. of which I found out as soon as I took the quad out onto the seafront. OMG that frikin wind , what the hell! weather man never said anything about that level of blow, ffs I had a T-shirt on and my knuckles were going white.
Phone grab, weather app opened … 8-15mph west too south west later swinging too the nort west and erm dropping by 1-2 mph …. boy oh by wast the weather man having a laugh … by time i got onto the east arm those erm light breezes couldnt make their minds up if they were westerly, southerly or easterly. I was blowing almost in circles and while the sun was out the chill factor was more like sitting my butt in the freezer at home…no it doesnt happen… well not often but ya get the picture. that wind was a game changer from mid day onwards.

I for sure wasnt the only one caught out and quite a few were saying as I went past chatting too the world that things had gone quiet, they were cold and the flipping wind was killing the joy of being out fishing.

And so, something about a catch report at this point of the ramble I guess would be a good thing. well not unless you actually come here too read what new shh 1 t my oddly functioning brain can come up with on the fly 🙂
As we have established well erm I have, 🎼🎼the wind they called Mariah 🎼🎼😂😂😂😂there ya go , one for the oldies to work out 😉
So, bitter wind, sunshine, funny coloured water on the east side(yea it got stirred up) and me rolling up the wall as becky had been in touch and was fishing with a couple of friends up on 53. A bit of a chinwag told me that as the wind built things had died but one of them had a very tidy looking dover sole that I will hunt out and get the piccy posted. (piccy posted at bottom of page )The fishing was slow up there and they figured that it was probably time too go. the wind was unpleasant and the fishing for them wasnt up too par I’m not sure if Becky reads here but will add thankyou for the fresh worm, a few got too benefit from them on the west an hour or two later 👍👍
It turns out John H had been fishing higher up around bay 60 but had left b4 I got up there but again a sluggish morning was the topic with the now usual Plaice caught a flounder also made a change of species and bass all too fresh lug. Another regular who I missed mid wall on the east was Neil who very obligingly puts plenty of catch report up onto the book of face. As with all posters over there it does help me gather further info on top of what I can learn as I visit the walls. (daily if my body is up too it now that im an old fart officially :))

Being as Im referencing Neil’s post I will simply copy/paste here his text
Fished Bay 45ish of the east arm today. Bites throughout with a small lull near high tide then it started off again on the drop. Quite a few small plaice plus dogs, smups and dab. Coloured water with a bit of weed. No signs of may rot atm nor crab activity. Saw pretty much the same coming up elsewhere plus a slab of a sole. Nice day on the shore. Cheers folk

One of the decent things for me is that many regulars are happy too chat & tell me what they have had and also add what they may have seen re catches, all of which mean this page benefits as do some reading if they can wade through all of the padding too make it all look soooooo busy and tons of fish 😂😂😂😂😂

On a more serious note though, yes I ramble, yes I pad reports with ramble but if the fishing is cack or not up too par I will say so. While many loved EDDIE in the shop boy did he lay down some bull if anyone rang or asked him for a catch report . I do dress the reports sometime but I try too paint an accurate picture. When I was on the wall in green I always said, if ya want a true report ask me I wont bullshine it so if things are crap id say so…. pointless a warden saying fishing is wonderful if its not, ppl would stop asking me very fast if I kept talking fibs!

So more fish anyone ?
Down around the 30’s another regular was battling the wind as the tide dropped so a short stop with Chris H who is a decent angler and patient. one day he may shock me with saying he blanked but that is not going too happen much. Again plaice was the mainstay of the morning tides with doggies and some smooth hound pups lurking and attacking any baits they could. Sadly he mentioned some dude close too him had caught a hound pup and then proptly lobbed it out on a hook as live bait. Now Im not even sure they make decent bait, yet alone live bait but had I been there id likely as not asked him too unhook and let it swim off.. maybe not that politely either but hey, i wasnt so wont stress it.

Overall the general picture from the east was that the morning pre high was the better of the fishing, quite a few feathering but when I got there the bulk had baits out and most of the featherers had given up, perhaps left or like a few had packed up and were heading over too the west wall as Noah & his dad were doing (more of them on the west )

Did I mention this one was a ramble.?
There was some talk of conger on the east but the picture was hazy so just a mention although a decent one was had on the east on Friday along with a nice bass.

And so, a few more chats as I do and I was heading off the wall too be greeted by the 2 cafe dogs. Pepsi as she often does now chose the jump on my lap method of trying too sniff out the pocket with the treats in…
Yes I carry dog biscuits in my pocket and yes I always ask the owners if its ok too bribe their hounds first 🙂

From the cafe I pointed the quad towards the west wall, I did have a distant look at the wall as I was initially entering the marina earlier and there had been 5 or 6 fishing the extension. . . YUS it is up and running and actually open . It had also been booked by someone who was going too fish it through the night. No i dont have any catch info for there as yet, yes you can book it for groups by contacting mark..
Onto the west I slowly made my way up the wall of which only one person was fishing below bay 10. That was a surprise as by time I hot over there the end had emptied and there was a load of water being spouted up the “Vs” all along both parts of the wall crating a game of wave dodge for some of the juniors up there.

Fairly tough going for most in challenging conditions but the wall was producing some fish every now and then despite very lumpy conditions close too the low tide but there was the occasional plaice too be had amongst the smaller bits n bobs found down the side. I stayed on the wall just past 8pm and mark about 7.30 hit the east wall too close it down for the night so I wandered around having a chat here & there.
Noah & his dad were set up near 15 and were busy part fishing part petting the dog of a newcomer too the marina but not too fishing in general who had got some advice from Lee in the shop then had someone else totally miss direct him in a roundabouts way to get from the carpark onto the west wall. You wouldnt think it was that hard but Hugh had ben sent on a right journey.
Now at this moment I cant stress strongly enough why on the facebook group I bang on about chatting with your neighbours while fishing. Its a great Icebreaker for all and often like yesterday there may be a new visitor who may not be used too the ways of fishing on the marina or in the sea in general and those chats can be hugely beneficial and also massively influential. A simple example of how it works.. a chat with Hugh told me exactly how he found the marina too be super helpful, anglers willing too chat and show or teach new things that some may be unsure of or like Hugh fairly new too. He was full of praise for those he had (so far) met and it really does make a difference for a new visitor too be given that little bit of insight or help. so keep it up folks , as grannie beatie said some years ago “its good too talk“
How, I do get the impression that as the light went things picked up on the mini shark font and the dogfish and baby hounds came out too play in force and there was also a fair bbit of conger activity while the plaice ticked over through the night. I dont have a clear picture but if I hear more I will post it up at a later point.

For now I have things too do prior too rolling down manor hill, and so I will close with, until the next one…. I will bid you all ADIEU
F
ps, ya been warned , mackerel have arrived …
P.P.S. That promised pic 2 days late

I know this pic speaks for itself but as most will ask for details.
worm baits aaannnnddd it went 1.8 lb and 44.5cm

As I type it’s already looking lush out there with the sun up and hardly a breeze stirring the air.
Today the open/close time moved too the latter time of 6am to 8pm and will adjust as we get more into the summer. Over on the west it will also stay at a 6am opening with an 8pm close when it is not open all night.
Tonight 18th is the first all night opening of the year and any further late ones will get posted here and listed on the home page.

The tacklebox is open until 6pm today for evening arrivals and will re open at 6am Sunday morning. The shop does have fresh bait but I strongly advise ring them if you want some reserving as it is in high demand. frozen is also available and prices can be got on phone request.

Please note I maintain the website and blogs(frank) and as such also maintain where possible their online prescience and also try to oversee some of the search engine info that people search for. Some such as google allow users too send in edits and as such means that they can be unreliable for genuine and accurate info and this includes some of the reviews sent in by fake/clone and quite simply peed off “reviewers”. yes the shop gets complaints , Im not that delusional too think otherwise but malicious posters are not just excusive too social media.
As a result of only partial control of the likes of google and other search engines they are not always up to date, nor always accurate. I do try and reset shop times that get edited online but cant lock out others editing some of the info on them. If you want accurate shop times, check here, email the site(all emails come too me) or simply phone the shop before mid day. like any other business in the world they cant be open 24/7 and life events, customer flows among other things all can impact when they are open.
For this reason the shop doesn’t take online orders but if you call them & they expect too have bait it can be put aside for collection.
I do try and post shop current open times but they can be seasonal and quite fluid and as a result I can only post up changes when they inform me. what I can say though is that info on the home page is the most accurate and updated by myself ONLY outside influences have access too the search engine’s info and thus cant always be relied upon too be accurate.

So what’s going on / hmmmmmm can you now here Marvin singing ? if not, you AINT old enough for Motown :)…. do I start with some boat info and make it all look wonderful and sparkly n smelling of roses or shall I post the roses freshly composted 🙂 how about a bit of both.

If I’m gonna be truthful with a little bit of dressing up (we are in Brighton after all ! ) it has been quite hard this week too give a decent picture of the fishing.. there are signs too say should be good, but, truthfully last weekend through too yesterday morning the walls have been fairly quiet with more people feathering than bait fishing. Thus im adding in some info from the boats that post sometimes on the marina fishing group & in general too facebook.

For the numbers of ppl with bait in the water the fishing has been slow but varied. not yet the explosion of different species but enough too tease that summer is almost upon us.
Now I swear the dude doesnt give me any commission and so in fairness today I wont post his website as I did the last time I name dropped but in my defence Robin Howard is not only a very busy skipper and damned good at showing his skill sets but he tends too fish very local too the marina and thus is an excellent weather vein/indicator of what is happening just off shore and under them waves, plus his blogs are informative, a good read and an efficient way too attract new customers who’s customers stay. Big words backed up, trust me.
Anyhow, enough of massaging his ego the proof of the pudding is returning customers and his blog posts that tell me, you and anyone else wanting too know that offshore Bream are in good numbers, black and guiltheads Bass(a big focus of his) cod, yes I said inshore cod and arriving with the cod there are also pollack too be had Cuttle have been confirmed and squid are starting too arrive and tease baits with those sly & gentle downwards and backward little tugs on your lines too think you missed a fish bite…. think about that last line ….

In on the walls the east has started too pick up, some bays in particular stand out but will let you all work it out where but. Conger have been a thing for a few weeks as well as some silver eels, very random sizes at the moment but I have a feeling we are due too see some biggies coming up real soon. Plaice are sorta hit n miss. Glenn landed a lump yesterday higher up (yea everyone gonna charge up at 6 am tomorrow. the dogfish plague is still here , a bit like the coloured water yesterday (more on conditions after this ramble) there have been some red mullet off the wall and off the local boats as was the post from birthday boy Simon Grist today with a nicely colourful red mullet (aka goat fish) juvenile. pouting are about as well as some of the smaller pests such as scorpion(aka bullheads) fish and blennies.

The lower bays are also starting too see a few people crabbing so a quick reminder of please check the size & catch rules on crabs, some have restrictions and the marina is in the beachyhead marine controlled zone(MCZ) and the walls do get patrolled by IFCA officers on a regular basis so if a warden pulls you up…. please dont get arsey with them, they have a job too do and are answerable too people higher up. they dont check catches just too be an arsehole too your fun of catching undersized stuff .
take a look at the webpage here SIZE REGS

ALSO ON THE WALL(EAST) we have seen some small rays , mostly undulates & thornies and tbh as local angler DEV has had, the best of the sizes atm are after dark & sardine baits are doing well for them. Both walls have seen as said, plaice, also sole, bass and bream. while the bream have mostly been small im expecting that too change fast.
yes there have been herring , most on the bigger tides so sabikis need packing and while we have (so far) only seen 3 mackies on the east plenty of boats this week have reported them off shore, some being charter boast and others the likes of local private owners warming up engines for the 1st time this year.

Other species ? want more / hmm lets think, some small smooth hounds this week on the east, add some dogfish, spider crabs are starting too arrive and squid expected off the walls real soon. Am not aware of any Mullet but am aware a couple of regulars are giving it a serious hunt already. Sprats have been mixed in with the herring so we could see a grand mix of mackerel, sprat, herring and potentially gars as well. one or two wrasse have als been reported so while fishy numbers dont seem high it could simply be due too a lack of anglers .

Some people spend their time waiting and reading social media too then follow fish reports on where too go. If this is you…. well folks you are likely missing out. catch reports from the wall I suspect would be higher if ppl just gave it a go and as one post put it on marina group yesterday as a reply .. … “whoever is telling you these things, block them on all social media”… get out there n get fishing and just enjoy being out there.

And so, EAST shuts at 8 from tonight and subject too ok conditions will continue too be open 6am til 8pm
The WEST is open tonight for a night session and scheduled like the east too be open 6am til 8pm fif a night session hasnt been posted.

CURRENT CONDITIONS as I saw yesterday. There was an easterly breeze causing quite a lot of colour in what normally now is a decent emerald green. Heavily silted was the order of the day and at times was a bit lumpy with some splash ups , hardly a shock when we have a 6.6m or more tide.

The west wall was much cleaner as sheltered from the cross wall tides and currents with a decent near glow of emerald green. I can see the water clearing rapidly with a little bit of a calm spell.
Things looking good through too mid week when we get some easterly breezes and then another swing too coming from the North/north east at least upto next Sunday(25th) so no further shut downs other than standard wall times for 7+ days

As said, its looking gorgeous out there. Tides today
Low was 6.26 and 0.5m
High 12.29 & 6.8m then low this eve at 18.45 with a high after midnight at 00.48 of 6.9m
Sun
HT 00.48 & 13.10
LT 07.08 & 19.28
I will be down on the wall late afternoon for those that miss the shop, I may even have a dabble with a rod.. or 2 if I have any energy left
Stay safe folks and enjoy the summery spring weather. Thats it, and so, until the next one, I will bid you all ADIEU
F

Nope, not miss spelt, just my way of saying its the day after yesterday ! … carpet tongue set in
ok gonna cheat as someone asked me for a whats going on and rather than re type 95% of the reply its mostly here below also….
“ctrl + C” boom…
FROM SAT 6am til 8pm oops clear last action and re copys… boom…

Hard to call the fishing Punter numbers been low as temps up n.down n last 2 weeks wind hampered (Bit like my insides) More of the few out there on tinsel than baits. Bait anglers trying to hit bass bays n getting conger but erratic numbers.

Water should be clearer sat.
Going down about 3ish for usual mooch. Yesterday close to east was an ok green water state 40m off the straight was coloured a lot with silt in the cross wall flows. West deep green emerald so clearing faster. 5 days of south n easterly strong wind shifts look to settle today Middle east 30-50 hardly anyone fished in 10 days. Flatties still slow n mixed sizes.
Rays coming up in ok numbers 95% at night on oily fish baits Signs of squid n cuttle 200m from wall on boats. Only 3 mac been confirmed in one hit bay 35. Herring were about on last bigger tides Usual times of 30ish b4 n post flood. In out n gone..
Tiny gar 2 week ago…..Only few bream so far, most sub 10oz with Guilts on the increase Nests locals mean 58 up or 74 east best and bream bays on west. Ext expected open & Bass hits a bit random atm.
Conger seem bigger tides n rockier bays Lacking anglers make updates tricky atm Much of this may copy too blog .. trying to catch up n i think my arse just ran past me….. oops slipped again….

Ok thats it for today, well, almost.
Evening fishing on both walls will be extended to 8pm close on both walls from this Saturday. Thats it, and so, until the next one… I bid you all ADIEU
F

I don’t have a catch report for today but can post up the first night that the west will stay open for a night session. This SATURDAY 18th April the west wall will remain open for the night. Further nights will be announced soon, especially if the squid start too play at night.

Have a great week folks Hopefully summer is about too arrive. Thats it, so, until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU
F

..After the wifes birthday ! Urgh! oh so so groggy ! Out with Family and friends last night so at my age (amost 102 the wife says) the body is somewhat feeling it today. Thankfully not going out as both walls are closed of which may not be a bad thing being as brighton are yet again hosting a marathon and fekin access too roads all over the city including the sea front and around the marina so no doubt there are plenty of officious arseholes about trying too say no mate u cant go through there as its closed. Especially as last year they still haddnt learnt that ya cant block access too the west wall or the paths down from the upper roads.! but hey thats another story of its own.

On the fishing front the walls were open , well the east was on Fri & sat but in all honesty there have only been a few hardy souls out & about on the walls while the April weather tries its best too emulate the middle of December ! Wearing shorts out yesterday was feeling like a big mistake come 8pm!

Thus the fish or catch report is somewhat thin on the ground with so few fishing actual catch info is very thin on the ground and reads more like mid feb than mid April with dogfish and whiting dominant over a few hounds rays and plaice. hopefully the next week things will pick up.
Both walls are back open tomorrow and so I will until the next one as per usual bid you all ADIEU
F

Today….. No nothing stupid just the weather forecast for too day, its dry out there but one of those sort of hazy days with white cloud cover making it “not so bright” as the past two near summery days. needless too say on a quick phone gab with Mark it is a bit quieter this morning BUT… coz there is always a but ! the high tide is later today at 16.08 or in English for us oldies almost 10 past 4 🙂

Catch wise yesterday things were somewhat hit & miss for many although IMO for April and how poor the fishing was last year for many Id say that things weren’t too bad and that, (believe it or not) Is not a case of me dressing up the reports too look good, further proof required, take a look at robin howards blog and pay attention too the species mix
Take a look for yourselves, Rob puts a lot of work into what he does
https://www.brightoninshorefishing.co.uk/

And so, wtf is going on that is so good that I am crowing about catches and biging up someone else’s business ? Well tbh over the winter while awaiting the decisions on the bass fishing this year and the doom and gloom about how the sardine industry had collapsed followed by bad new on mackerel being limited in france too 5 per person I was starting tho think that this year on the walls could turn into a real bummer of a summer season.

Thankfully at the moment the signs are sorta pointing too the opposite. We are not yet 10 days into April and the local boats are already reporting good bream numbers, potentially early arrivals of cod and Pollack, squid have been caught and noticed for the last few day and while that is all happening for the boats , given time it is also reflected too some degree on the marina walls.

While the Easter weekend was fairly pants on the weather front hampering the fishing I can list of quite a few species that have been caught in the last week, some I have confirmed myself and others from reliable sources so here goes for the doubtful….
Caught in the last week on the marina
Plaice, yea we all know that as well as them dogfish and whiting. Herring, Sole, Thornback Ray, Black bream & gilthead bream, Undulate ray, congers, silver eels, Flounders, Pollack (i kid you not) Scorpion fish and blennies, Red Mullet, Gurnard, Gar fish , yea I know it was tiny but still counts. sand eels (genuinely) Spider crab, masked crab, Bass, heard talk of mullet but cant confirm as yet. Add too this with reports from local boat anglers such as Robin , showboat and other skippers out & about things are indicating the potential of a decent summer. bream were noted on the walls more than a month ago, black bream used too be the first too show but the last 3 years it has been guiltheads caught first. Ive hear whispers that wrasse have been caught and they certainly are active on the inshore boats.
Thursday Friday are looking fishable from the walls but I am expecting BOTH WALLS TO BE CLOSED ON SATURDAY and with current forecasts it may be a case of a full close on SUNDAY but mark is hoping he can get the rirst part of the east open for the die hard loonies 🙂

Anyone jus realising I havn’t mentioned yesterdays catches ? , nope ? hmmmm best I do a bit about that then eh.
Thursday, I had a call from Mark a bit earlier than usual letting me know not only were the walls quite busy but a couple of groups had asked if I was coming down and could I bring them erm a little something for the afternoon😉
And so I packed the quad and stuck the small trailer on the back and pootled my way down too the marina and over too the East as requested heading too the higher bays first tooting the scooter horn as I went ( I do enjoy drawing attention too myself 😂)

Anyhoo, I turned the wheels around at 60 and worked my way back along the top of the wall chatting too many of the regulars and a fair few new faces. The usual stuff, hi, how ya doing , giving updates too people and generally chin wagging as I went. As most will know I do see myself as a sort of friendly face too those fishing and also a familiar point of contact for many if any issues arrive and also gives me a better feel for what is being caught in general while Im down there.

Now my reports are not always accurate of the day but are factual and some days I may not get much info of the day or indeed mornings catch so from time too time I get updated days after some things have been caught. Its not precise but is a decent guide for many.
It seems that things started slow on the East on the lower bays but better on the upper half(somewhat) splitting the wall into a sort of half n half. As I arrived at the top end they had just started too catch a few flat fish and it was a similar story as I came down along the wall until about bay 40 where the reverse seemed in effect , the lower straight bit had had a few catches but as it neared the higher tide things had stopped.

Predominantly plaice and dogfish were being caught but also scattered were assorted bits n bobs including the first masked crab id seen this year for Chris. There was a bass caught by some regulars who took a few pics with their young uns and returned the fish. Ironically some had mistaken its return and let us know that an under sized bass had been retained so Mark popped along too check on things and as said the Bass had actually been returned as the catches knew their stuff.

Now, if you happen too be an angler that is approached by a warden too check a catch report , please bear with us. We dont always get accurate reports but do our best too check out and ensure sizes of fish are up too standard. yes misunderstandings happen but Im sure most angers would rather see reports followed up on than wardens not bother. in this case those that reported an undersized fish kept had it wrong but that doesnt mean people should not let us know it the see an issue than can be sorted by a few words from a duty warden. I trust that the warden manner when checking fish doesnt piss people off but tbh it does happen occasionally. Wardens cant respond too a situation if they are not aware so please bear with us if we ask too check a catch 🙂

As I hit the bend of the east many were saying caught earlier dead now and the number of anglers fishing the lower 20 bays rapidly thinned too zero. Thus I rolled off the east wall and trundled over too the west tooting the scooter horn as I rolled up and turned at the toilet block.

the west was again ticking over like the previous two days and there were some plaice scattered along the wall with a few still coming out as I rolled towards bay one and the exit gate. High bays had a couple of eels earlier with quite a few people feathering. I did suggest too some too have a go for herring with smaller hooked rigs and I did see one or two swap sizes down onto sabikis.

Last part I guess of todays round up is that as I left the wall about 4 is there were quite a few still arriving on both walls and I dont have any info as too if any catches happened. There were a few arriving on both walls having a go for squid being as one of the private boat owner had posted a piccy of a decent squid he had caught & with the tie in as mentioned earlier there are decent signs that squid are due too be caught on the walls very soon.
Best ya all stock on squid jigs if ya havnt already stocked up…. or give me a shout for em 😂
And on that final note I will sign off for today and if you are down there I may see ya on the wall… and so, until the next one .. I will bid you all ADIEU
F

So wind from the east and the fishing is least or summat like that , I’d look it up and see what the folklore actually say but, tbh I’m still not sure what too believe. What I do know was that by time I got down onto the marina I had watched the trees outside my place, called mark and been told the east wall was virtually empty of anglers but there was a decent number on the west for a Tuesday.

And so it was that I put a cool bag on the scooter with some ice blocks along with some bits n pieces and headed towards the west wall on the quad. As Mark had said for early April there were a few out enjoying the sun so I took my time drifting up the wall having a chat with most who were out enjoying the day.
First too say hi was Edward who with a nice bass mentioned that he had posted too the facebook group of which I will add a few words here.
The group some years ago was set up too give visitors nd anglers an idea of what was going on catch & gossip wise on the marina walls. It rapidly grew and like many specialised groups that grew fast had quite a few teething problems that would take too long to go into here but, needless too sy it took a while too remove the more troublesome elements and took longer for some members too realise that crap manners too others wouldnt be tolerated.
Sheesh how hard do you think it could be for someone too post a reply too someone such as “nice fish m8” or similar , sadly for a while fish pics seemed too attract the “expert” fish police who all swore they knew how big a 16-20 cm fish truly was from a pic of a bream in a builders bucket that was 50cm wide !, anyhoo, hopefully those with a grip on a specific post will now message privately any concerns rather than disrupt a group mostly there for fish pics from the walls or close by.
Now the benefit of anglers sharing catches on the marina group and facebook n general does mean that I can get a better picture of what may be getting caught and thus I can post more accurate reports here for the benefit of all. And thus Edwards fb post amongst a few other this weekend have helped me not only waffle here longer but also put up a better idea of what is happening fish wise on the marina in general. win win in my book for everyone.
This morning I relooked at the fb group and Edwards post also confirmed something id suspected in that the spider crabs are starting too arrive and based on the over fist sized one he had id say we are about too get a lot of lines being cut. Moving on along the wall the next fish up (also posted too the fb group was a lovely plump daytime caught sole which should taste great once its had a day in a fridge too bring out the flavour and firm the flesh up.
Now while the fishing wasnt great or summer standards there was a fair few catches going on and a decent variety for the west in early April. There are still plenty of dogfish about, despite their reputation they are not bad eating, I suspect the real issue for most is that people find them a pain in the butt too skin and prepare! there was also plaice on the wall and a few micro species also starting too show up in the way of scorpion fish and gobies. The last couple of days have definitely been hinting that summer is only just around the corner.

Now, even though i was told the east was quiet I thought id go have a quick look see and give the 2 dogs at the cafe a biccy or two ;). Yes I know they have a sign on them saying “please dont feed” but too be fair I do ask the owner first
On getting up onto the upper level of the East it was clear that the 4 anglers Id past were probable the last of the hardy souls leaving the wall. That east wind was somewhat over forecasted and on the lower 10-20 bays water was banging up and churned, quite unpleasant too fish in. needless too say, it didnt take long too check the wall as it was very empty. On the way off the wall one brave soul was about too go up on the wall, a quick chat and he followed my suggestion of either fih the west side or if not the wall perhaps the 1st beach infront of the west.
Water state on the east yesterday was quite churned and very silted with the west looking a decent green with heavy silted water very visible off the end of the extension.
it is now 10.30 am as I type and the weather is finally playing ball and it is looking glorious out there. It looks like a bass anglers dream coming this sat/sun with SW blow showing on the weather maps so please keep an eye on the home page for potential shutting of walls. other than that, have a great day folks and until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU
F

🎼🎼 Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ Rawhide….🎼🎼 or in other words, lets have a weekend round up(fess up , who has rawhide stuck in the head now ? 😉
and so back too Easter weekend.
Fri sat was defo tough going on the fishing especially as both walls on friday were shut due too high winds with only the east wall open Sat & Sun again due too strong winds I didnt thing there would be too much going on that could be reported and was the main reason for my ramble yesterday.
But..
It seems that things wern’t a total bust as after typing up I realised that a wall regular (Neil) had posted too the FB group that despite very poor and splashy conditions he ventured out among some of the crazies launching tinsel rigs at the cloudy & stirred up waters on Sunday. And thus combining his and warden marks info I can report that Saturday was a bit better than I had initially realised.! go figure !
Thus, (without doing an Eddie) I can report that there were plenty of dogfish(oh the joy) as the high tide hit , along with whiting and plaice, Mark said that he haddnt seen any bass that day and surprisingly no congers despite quite a few fishing (sorta) the bays that had recently been producing them.
Now as most know yesterday was Easter Monday, but, being as most days for me tend too blur into what feels like 3 days in a week sometimes by this mornings start of typing up I had lost track of what day of the week it was and the title started as “Monday write up” yep, I fully loose whole days in my head often.
I can say that Monday was the best day of the weekend, not only for those fishing but also for the weather and so, I will begin todays yarn or as Glenn has been known too put it … WAFFLE 😂😂

Ok, here we go, are ya ready ? are ya steady ? well lets gooooooo,
Silliness aside(bar the waffle) I couldn’t make up my mind as too running the quad down early or later about 4.30ish but in the end the weather made up my mind and after a quick check with mark I got the wheels out and hitched up a small trailer too the scooter, packed some frozen baits (just in case) and pointed the quad down Manor hill and headed too the west wall where most of the anglers were on the mid wall too toilet block area.

Oh how nice, not only too be out in some decent sunshine but also having a drop in what too me seemed like a bit of a bitter wind all weekend. it was almost, almost summery. Now, having been around the marina now for a couple of decades it’s fairly safe too say that on going too the marina the chances are I will see some familiar faces out fishing and yesterday true too form there were plenty of them out & about.
Now, while many only see the straight faced stern face (the wife says its a grumpy face) it is always nice too stop and chat with people fishing, be it older faces(regulars) or helping/guiding the many new people fishing the walls. The benefit of not doing tickets as a warden is that I get more time too stop and chat, catch up with people and ask about how the fishing is going. While I have no accurate info for the west yesterday there were quite a few that I could stop and have a few words. If you are making your first or millionth visit and have questions/concerns etc please dont hesitate too stop me and ask/rise your concerns, im not only there too flog stuff too you or get a catch report, if there are issues please let me know if there is an issue. many problems can be dealt with at the time of talking but Im not overly hard too find either on the walls or facebook, even a quick email through the website reaches me. Likewise wardens are there not only too drain you of cash but any issues please let someone know.
having established that Ive no Idea about catches on the west wall I turned the quad around by the toilet block and rolled back down the wall and headed over too the east wall where the cafe owned was just packing up for the day and was promptly approached by his 2 dogs who immediately went sniffing my pockets for any treats I might be carrying.
Having mentioned dogs I guess a quick comment or 2 about safety with dogs. im aware that there are many counties where people are very cautious about dogs so much so that some are quite scared of the dog even those that look super friendly so for dog owners here reading. yes dogs are welcome on the wall but please even the most timid/placid of dogs should be on a lead. My second comment is for those that do like too approach/stroke a dog. while it may seem obvious too most please make a point of asking the dog owner if it is ok too approach. no one wants too be bitten, especially from a simple miss understanding or lack of communication and bites from a dog owner can often be quite nasty too treat 😉
back too the fishy bit.

So, up onto the wall, yup I chose the upper level due too various bays on the east fenced off so through access on the lower level is a case of picking the right set of steps onto the lower level and it was quite remarkable (IMO) that despite 3+ days of windy conditions the water colour on the east side was fairly good and far better than I would have expected. Come the weekend the sea may even be clear.
It was obvious even at gone 3pm that there had been good numbers out fishing in the sunshine and it seemed that most had had a decent day on the wall even those that were lacking in fish😊

The lower bays yesterday when I arrived were near empty but had been fished earlier in the day. Once past bay 12 steps and rods started too be seen with many rigged up with feathers and flying onto the breezes(and water 😉 ) but alass I suspect the effort would be all in vain due a too lack of mackerel. Onto the bend and baited set ups were visible and again like the west plenty of familiar faces out enjoying the decent weather and for many making their first visit of the year.
Mid wall above bay 30 were some areas sectioned off awaiting repairs and posts that need re wiring but once past 33 there were plenty of rods out with a couple of familiar families out having a dabble. One regular just back from a visit too India mentioned that (so far) they had blanked but how nice the day was. Yes he had seen some fish caught , no not by him but, all in all he was just happy too be out & back at fishing the marina.
While chatting at 40ish Rod came past me on his kiddy bike, shouted something as he passed but Ive no idea what the heck he said but I guess the pub was calling too him or at least whispering in his ear ” you want me, come get me” or summat of that sort 😉
Further up on the wall just past 50 was another wall regular too stop and chat with. John H it seemed had been hunting conger but was surprised that non were found but he Rhos and a couple of others had had a fairly decent day catching plaice with a few keepers too take home, the best of which is pictured below.
Catch of the day Im told was an estimated 5lb thornback ray caught by a youngster. The fish was returned before mark could get a piccy or that would also have been uploaded here too a gallery.
Overall, plaice scattered along the sandy bays of the wall. Dogfish, whiting, Thornback, guilthead bream among the days catche with numbers of plaice slowly on the increase.
its looking glorious out there atm as I type but no idea how many are on the walls.
Aaaannnnndddd with that Im gonna bugger off the pc and do something constructive, well I might 😉 &so, until the next one I will again bid you all ADIEU
F

Well what can I say? short version, crap weather, crap fishing , crap report ! there done …..
And yet… there is good news for those that prefer the EAST wall.

Well I did take the wheels out yesterday for a look see on the East, as most will guess that know, we have had the west wall shut all weekend due too strong westerlies and something that some called a storm but I think its fairly safe too say that the “storm” was other parts of the UK as overall it was crappy but not over serious in strength around the Marina.
Saturday as I understand was fairly quiet and I dont have any catch info for then. Strangely enough a similar story Sunday with quite a few hardy souls below bay 20 plugging away constantly with feathers, above 20 was fairly unfishable as you got past the bend and well into the wind and waves. I only saw 2 people actually fishing with bait ! go figure.
No catch reports so too speak but on the up side on Sunday was the water colour of which was remarkably a still decent green despite thee 3 days of winds.

And so to Monday & the better news. it seems the westerly winds have dropped, the sun is out and its actually looking a bit warmer and yes both walls are back open for day time fishing (no nights yet) aaaannnnnnnnndddddddd wait 4 it, wait 4 it………………………………
The EAST WALL is FULLY OPEN bar a couple of bays at 32/33. To reach the higher bays continue past the steps down at 29 and use the steps at 46, please dont climb the rails as some are unstable and we really dont want accidents from people climbing over rails that may rotae as weight is put on them.
Weather looks decent all week although there does seem too be some rain on the weekend horizon.

And with that I will sign off having written half an essay about nothing ! kinda reminds me of a song… 🎼🎼 Sittin on the dock of the bay …. 🎼🎼, na I wont inflict Otis on you all.. too much… and sooooo, until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU
F

Due too high winds this weekend both walls will be closed today (FRI)as things stand it is expected that the west wall will remain closed all weekend with Monday TBA
The EAST is expected too be open in some capacity Sat and Sun but conditions wont be the best.

I did take a trip down onto the walls yesterday afternoon when the sun came out there was even some spring warmth in the air. On the west there were only perhaps half dozen fishing the wall and up on the higher bays I stopped an had a chat with Nick and his partner who were down for their first visit this year both chucking lures about as somehow he had forgotten bait and erm , well the shop was shut when he got into the marina.

from the west I took the quad over too the EAST wall first stopping too make a fuss of the cafe owners 2 dogs of which Pepsi(the black one) promptly climbed onto the scooter and made a decent effort too sit on my lap as I slowly rolled up too the cafe for a chat prior too clawing myself away from the 2 dogs and rolled up onto the wall upper level for a looksee.

A few familiar faces and a few quick chats soon told me that there wasnt much happening as the tide dropped too almost fully low, hardly a surprise as there was a constant easterly breeze that was cooling the air quite a bit. I gather there were some catches in the morning among the some plaice caught earlier was Rhos, a regular over the last few years who managed some plaice keepers too take home.

Overall the last couple of days have been a bit hit & miss with the better of the fishing over high water and the better of the sunshine in the afternoons over the low tides. Hopefully things are starting too pick up as we are getting more days that are somewhat warmer if you ignore the Easter winds this year. The water quality does look a bit greener, that or perhaps Im just expecting it too be obvious too the eye if I visit more than 4 times a week ! I recon if we get some calmer weather , possibly next week (fingers crossed) the sea state will properly show signs of clearing and start producing some of the mid too late April fishing that my brain seems too think really did happen over the last few years. There are signs, and yes I know I seem too say this almost yearly now of warming waters and summer fish arriving.

Heck, Nick yesterday on the west managed it seems too catch his 1st fish of the year, a gar fish no less, granted it was only about 4 inches long but a baby gar is a decent sign when you add too it that there have been black and guilt head bream caught on the walls this year, not many but its a start. add in that there are some nice sized rays coming off the beaches and bass sizes are seemingly consistent this year it sorta adds up too perhaps this year will be an improve on last years shit show !

Thats it today from me and a lazy day looks too be looming. I may go and sort out my stock of weights, that or hunt the tv listings for a film. Somewhere someone must be showing Zulu, Waterloo or one of the 5 versions of The Four Feathers 😉 not sure the Mrs will appreciate it but hey, sometimes ya just gotta go with your gut and dive in (so too speak 🙂 )

And so we get too the end of todays verbal ramble(in my head) and will part as per usually with…. until next time… yup I will bid you all ADIEU
F