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South East Southend 2020-11-08 late afternoon

W

Wattsy

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High tide at 17:13, 5.01 metres with a very faint SE breeze. Water was very calm and pretty clear. I fished the gas works from 15:50 to 20:00. Bites started around 18:30 which was a similar point in the tide as the day before - I had thought they'd come a bit sooner on account of high tide being in darkness rather than at sunset but apparently not.

Bait was squid and herring. Plenty of whiting coming in, more than the day before but not as many as I've had on later, bigger tides. I did lose one better fish on squid - it had a decent weight and put a couple of good kicks in before it got off. I guess it was a bass but could have been a dogfish. We will never really know.

I tried smaller hooks towards the end of the tide but didn't see any flatties.
 
Shame about the lost fish.
It could as you say be crabs not flatties, but always worth one more try!
 
You're certainly putting in the hours and fully deserve a decent bass or two. Have you ever tried the beach (West Beach) in front of Uncle Toms. A short cast to the rough ground in the gutter is all that's needed. Fishes best on the flood with top 2 hours of the tide the hot time.
 
Good to see a few fish "abart at saafffend"!
 
Bass&Chips said:
You're certainly putting in the hours and fully deserve a decent bass or two. Have you ever tried the beach (West Beach) in front of Uncle Toms. A short cast to the rough ground in the gutter is all that's needed. Fishes best on the flood with top 2 hours of the tide the hot time.
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I haven't really tried that far up but might give it a go. I'll take a look at low water some time to get an idea of the layout. Cheers for the tip.
 
Back in the day we used to catch loads of codling, mainly 2-3lbers but a few up to 7lb in the top hour before HT. Seemed to be a month later than the boats or pier so whiting in late October/November rather than September and codling in December and January. An underarm cast with a 3oz bomb and single lug was all that was needed. Very easy to over cast and miss the rough ground. Grip leads in stormy weather were needed but the fish were still very close in. I recall missing bites to find your codling washed up on the beach! Wouldn't it be great if those days could return.
 
It would be amazing. I had a few cod off the pier twenty odd years ago (when I only used to fish the pier really) and I'd settle for one keeper per tide off the beach.

So much has changed over the last decade or two. Some for the better like hounds and bream off the beach but then there's the missing flat fish (or at least rare compared to the past). I'd always heard you could catch dab off the shore but never did and don't hold out much hope now. And as for plaice - cod seem more likely!

Over fishing clearly causes most of it but I feel those invading oysters smothering the mussels can't help.

I'd like to think it will get better but I can't see it - there's not enough will to do anything.

I'm depressing myself writing this as I'd like to get my nephew into sea angling but I think I'd be wasting his time.
 
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