Well here we are again,(long post warning) at it on the “BONK” holiday again. It turns out there is another reader here! who would of thought it , 3 confirmed, heady numbers so other than John the resident and Mac the newish angler I present to you the third reader as James, not only an angler but a fellow Albion fan with 2 youngsters who will be new season ticket holders next season. Not sure if the juniors are also anglers yet, but, if not, I suspect soon will be.

Over to the catch report and on the walls things are showing signs that things are starting to pick up (at last eh) but prior to grabbing your gear and rushing down there , take a breath and do some research and please don’t ever only go on my reports here or on the facebook group. I is very easy to dress up a report. A word here & there can leave info so vague that it could be good , bad and Ugly ! Now you are cussing me for ear worming a film into your head.

Look at that, 2 paragraphs and you are ready to give up reading coz ya think i’m gonna ramble as Ive nowt to do this afternoon 🙂 🙂 🙂 so I best get on with it eh.
WEST WALL first today and first of visitor numbers are currently low so most times there is plenty of space on both walls so don’t go by the moaners that always say ” I don’t fish the marina coz its full of rude people always feathering so its rowdy and too packed to get a place at the weekend … that folks is absolute bull and a swift check on the facebook group will tell you that, if you don’t use facebook drop me an email using home page link , I check my emails fairly often every day, info is key and not what the old whining dogs impressions !.

Now we have 3 paragraphs and no fish reports you say, not so, I just told you don’t believe ppl when they moan its always busy, so there (imagine i’m blowing a raspberry).
Are there any fish you shout , well yes some …. 🙂 🙂 , we have had plaice (small ish) at scattered places along the main wall part not just below bay 6 like my guide info on website indicated (you not just below bay 6) as the weather & blows can open or close sand patches quite randomly but many of those patches stay the same year in year out and can be found mostly by luck but also by testing the bays more often rather than just rushing around to the sandier bays on the east, the best of these patches are out at distance from 18,19 & 20 region and a couple of bays on the extension that can be very random. There you have it , 4 paragraphs and info on only 1 species so best I get on with it eh !

(P4 😉 ) Still on the WEST bass catches are picking up , usual bay regions, Bream still tough going but if you can afford a trip and cant wait for their wall arrival the charter boats are doing VEY WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH was what I got told on asking.
Which boats do I suggest ? I’ve been asked by the boss not to push any one boat over another as some skippers get tetchy and complain of me picking favourites even if I give a fair assessment of who I would go for and that is not always my fav skippers so there, I try to avoid picking a boat but purely based on boat reports I will say if you know your stuff on a boat Brigand Brighton is running some excellent bream trips and they have a helpful crew also and many think for its trip types are a top top boat. For the less experienced I would sugest pick a boat with a crew and not just the skipper as then there will be more help available on board. While the boat named will take whole crews of “newbies” they do suggest experience preferred for their “individuals” chartering and their best shows for new to sea fishing by booking the whole boat. I hope that makes sense in that Im trying to say , if you are new to boat fishing get a group of people together and book the whole boat… if you are 2 or 3 and know your stuff Brigand is shit hot 🙂

On with the blog (ok its p5!) Did I mention bass ?, oh yea I did, other species on the west ( nope Ive not used the M word YET) below bay 6 or 7 there are a few fatties here n there, mostly flounder and am still awaiting someone to post that a sole has been caught down there but then they are a sorta night time v early morning activity species so hard to call as the west isnt open on a regular basis at night yet. The mullet shoals are starting to get more active so don’t be shocked if I pop news up of mullet high on the WEST or over on the other side very soon , Like bream I expect them there by now and probably are, its just so few fishing the west on a regular basis at the moment… which really is the down side of social media , its so easy to go online now and get all the gossip of facebook and similar that many people sit at home muttering its not worth going out coz naff all is being caught which is a false picture and it seems the whole world is getting lazy and simply follow the crowd or follow the reports then wonder why they dont catch similar to the 10 LB fish that was caught yesterday .. news flash that was yesterday, dont chase the report but go nearby a few beaches up, treat the catch report of a guide on what to expect there so move away from where “THAT FISH” was caught but try the general area. Make your own reports and add to the regions info… in other words , get out there and fish somewhere, do a bit of research if you can, chat to the local angling shop staff and fellow anglers there and MAKE YOUR OWN MIND UP< go fish , catch (or blank) then put up a report somewhere to add to the collective info. MOAN over back to the fish and P6! 🙂

WEST still, there are a few cuttle about and hopefully the season is late and the numbers increase as people complain of funny bites that seem to pull a little then vanish, likely or not its cuttle or them SQUID that we are all waiting on ( I say all but not strictly true) but being as I’ve not seen reports of squid eggs on the beaches yet I will hedge my bets and say we MAY be at the start of the squid/cuttle arrival on the coast for their annual jiggy giggy sessions. If you are waiting for me to use the M word and put up a report , I will get to it , not yet though, so you will have to either keep reading or skip down and try and find it :).
So a swift round up, maybe squid & cuttlefish, Bass on the increase, plaice and other flatfish finding the sand patches, Bream thin on the ground still but coming, and then the stuff most dont want, dogfish pups , hound pups rockling and whiting are still there in the murky waters so hope for clear water when you get here, scorpion fish, blennies and other micro species are starting to now rummage and steal them bream baits down the sides but no garfish as yet… things are picking up and the may rot is showing signs at least of thinning out but also of breaking up so in the words of that song (ear worm alert)…. Things are getting better, better every time…..

Over to the EAST WALL , thank F** you say but wait , you got to the end and no mention of the M word … nope not yet it aint the end …. yet.
The east is fishing, but as yet not great, there are a few bream being caught , even on the straight section which isnt that common, a few wrasse mostly high on the wall and there are plaice from about bay 8 to bay 74 but the sizes are somewhat marginal and I suggest take something that you can measure your catches (p.s. you should be measuring catches unless you are that good an angler that your catches are well within size requirements , don’t know your species sizes ? check the website there is a page with a ton of species with suggested sizes for boat and shore/piers. There really is no excuse for keeping undersized fish other than the fact that you don’t give a damn about sizes and dont give a crap about fish reaching a size that they are able to reproduce before hitting someone’s table plate. If you dont stick to the sizes and get caught , fisheries fines are quite high and higher still when you get to pay 5k on court costs so please take something to measure your fish by.

So plaice bream and wrasse mentioned, Bass are now starting to drift the length of the wall but rockier rough ground best for catching, add to this gurnards and at least one topknot has been caught this year, flounder and dab are still around, Lobsters are very much due so please dont take females with eggs (called berried) and again check the size of the main shell length is acceptable. No sign of garfish although there was a little flurry a few weeks ago of which I recon most have been lost !. Mullet are now quite active within the harbour(please remember its NO FISHING anywhere inside the marina(you dont want banning im sure) and often found high on the east 52-60 in the summer as well as the lower 10 bays, fav bait for them is bread. There have been a few small rays caught on the east and on local beaches but the better sized ones a more active at night.

Micro species like blennies and scorpion fish are starting as said on the west to rummage close in now so there is something usually down the side to get the juniors interested and light rods are preferable but the V’s are suitable for hand lines and drop nets(hand lines are charged for usually by the wardens)

Both walls (are you still counting >? its P 10 !) are starting to see crab activity but thankfully not in plague proportions (YET). Currently the east is closing officially at 6pm but the warden has the option to allow an hour or so if they feel there is need. The WEST closing week days or when no night fishing is again officially 6pm but it can Varey and the info sometimes is too late to post here but always worth keeping an eye on the home pages as there can be lots of changes as we drift towards summertime.
NIGHT FISHING currently is still very quiet, only 4 last night and if there is no increase on numbers the sessions open will be few as a warden has to be paid to work nights even if only 1 shows up. Night sessions will get posted on the home pages as soon as I hav the info so again please check prior to travel either with the website, email or even a warden if you have the number of one.

AS LAST YEAR blue lights only on the WEST at night, headlamps, underwater lights and rod tips if they need a battery or other power source, tilly lamps or similar are ok on the wall. Chemical glow lights and rod tips any colour can be used providing its not powered. If you dont have a blue light, get a blue marker as a temp solution for the glass on your headlamps.

A reminder that the marina is a residential marina, people even sleep on some of the boats so early mornings and at night please keep the noise to a minimum. One of the reasons shopping trollies are not to be used other than them belonging to a supermarket is the noise they make on the cobbles and pathways.

And thus we come to the moment I use the Mword. About time too eh?
are there any mackerel ? yes a few
Which wall ? Both
what times best? Usually near high tide or 1st light/last light, dusk & dawn.
will I catch some? Ive no idea on your ability so .. PASS
Are they shoaling ,? not really
Are the walls busy? no
Are loads being caught ? no , 5-10 per wall maybe
is there a catch limit? at the moment we ask anglers to use common sense and try not to act like greedy and selfish anglers, show up with 2 buckets each you may be turned away.

Well thats my essay for the day, did you notice the long read warning at the top?
Are you gonna go look to see if i’m fibbing ?
did you go look b4 reading the last 3 lines ?
oh dear 🙂 🙂 🙂 TTFN
F