Of July that is. By Friday we will be into August and seemingly half of the summer gone. It does feel a bit strange, we have no access to the WEST wall as yet and fishing overall has been poor locally, and we have been feeling that trend on the East also. Is it the wall ? something in the marina or a case of a general shoreline malaise?
At first I suspected that it was the marina missing out as the better fish are being drawn to the wind farm. Boat crews again this year reporting that it seems at times like fish soup out there but on reflection the wind farm I feel is only a small part of the apparent lack or low numbers of catches.
Social media takes a chunk of the blame as people chase fish reports and monitor other posting catches. The result is often posts suggesting an area is pointless fishing, the result is that larger venues see a drop in visitors while people wait for an increase in reports. It is very noticeable on the marina and Im told a similar story to Shoreham walls and places like Newhaven and even Seaford.

That said the wind farm and soc media are not the complete answer and are just a portion of lower visitor numbers. Catch reports increase as the visitors increase but, if there are still holes in the catch reports one must assume that the catches are down also, thus come the conundrum of fishing reports vs social media vs dropping visitors due to low catches. It could easily end up as an ever decreasing spiral if visitors entirely pick their choice of venue simply based on a few reports… dangerous stuff.
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that if people are going to travel 2 hrs or more to a venue they want and often expect decent catches for their time/money and even expectations of a venue. When those familiar venues have a lack of reports then comes the conundrum, are the reports reliable & a true picture of those venues.
On that I can only speak as accurately as I can regarding the marina walls. yes I do keep an eye on other reports from anglers in other FB group, I also try to keep tabs at least a little regarding the boats leaving the marina too fish. Most of these reports are often snippets of posts and info spread as I say mostly across the dreaded book of FACE.
What I cant do is give a 100% reliability of catch rates and I think most if not all readers here realise or come to realise that over a long period of time I try too post as much as I can without bigging up or inflating reports. if my typing is vague saying a few or scattered say plaice it often implies , yea some were caught but only here n there. the info I get is limited and I try to show that, as a result it would be easy too think that the marina is dead as a dodo atm and not worth the trip to “go fishing”

“not worth” a funny statement in a way especially coming from me when posting about the marina
“cough cough” Am I not meant to be promoting the fishing and the tacklebox ?
well yes & no, Im trying to give people a reasonable guide & info as to what is going on but it will always be a limited time period of 2-3 hrs where I try to talk to whoever is around to broaden my info for the day. If there are only 10 anglers when I arrive on a low tide the info I gain will be very limited and likely too only a small time frame from the later arrivals. Thus it looks quiet, thus the report is sketchy and I have to at times surf/drag through facebook for snippets and clues as to how the day performed.

Often that info fails to find me and as a result I will either skip putting up a blog or find some other relevant topic too fill/pad a report out such as bass size, wind farm comments or even the beach down the road.
Todays post is a deliberate waffle and ramble pare due to a chat yesterday about soc media pro’s and cons for fishing venues and it got me thinking about asking the obvious(for me) questions for readers to mull over.

Why do you visit the marina too fish ?
do you travel a long distance too get here?
If you are coming from say London or similar distances do you entirely go because of reports.
If reports are low or poor would you still visit, go somewhere else or scrap the trip.
( I often here that ppl travel from London expecting fish as they follow reports)

I consider myself very lucky that I have a venue too fish close to my home ( I dont drive) many who visit come from miles away so may have a different mind set to myself.
I go fishing because I enjoy it and because I can. I see it as a way too chill out and relax, no 2 days are the same , likewise the people I meet make fishing also a social thing and lastly to me catching fish is a bonus to the fact that Im fishing. I dont stress if I blank because Ive already achieved my aim, and that is simply to go fish. Any catch then becomes a bonus and the bigger fish if im lucky come home to be eaten 🙂

Do you visit the marina to get fish, or is it a visit to chill ? some see me as odd as I regard catching as an extra titbit . Many I know say they only come for the fish and its a bad day if they go home fishless. I deliberately didnt mention mackerel as many visit simply for the catching of them, each to their own 🙂

Anyhoo yes I did take the quad to the marina, it was very quiet as very near low tide and the v few reports I got was. Opening time it was super quite and yet by lunchtime the wall was packed. by 5pm many were packing and headding home but fishwise I heard of a gar low on the bay numbers , bream scattered along the wall throughout the day for the lucky few that were catching (numbers lowish & sporadic all states of tide) there were also quite a few red mullet , One dude had 4 quite high on the wall but had left by time I got there. Other catches included a wrasse or 2 and 2 or 3 small plaice A couple of bass were confirmed. a few micro species had and a low issue with crabs taking baits. Overal very few people too talk to and only one guy stayed until closing (if you are reading this I very much enjoyed the chat and true to form have forgotten your name 🙂
Thats it for today as my lunch is ready

I will be on the wall in a while so maybe see you soon and thus, until next time I will bid you all ADIEU
F