• Becoming a member is completely free!

    • Join the community and start contributing to a large source of sea angling information.
    • Become an active member and you can enter member exclusive competitions.

    REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

Where to fish off the shore

Beach

Beach

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 27, 2020
Messages
8,155
Reaction score
11,495
Points
113
Location
West Sussex
Favourite Fishing
Shore
Thinking of going shore fishing in the spring within 2hrs drive, any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Shirleycodlin said:
West Sussex to Dungeness is in your drive window
Spring will see bass, emaciated plaice, thornback rays, pin whiting and of course, dogfish.
Click to expand...
Thanks Shirl, last time I was down that area was about 20+ years ago. Caught all sorts off the beach, good shout (y)
 
Beach said:
Thanks Shirl, last time I was down that area was about 20+ years ago. Caught all sorts off the beach, good shout (y)
Click to expand...
Maybe Chesil area is another option?
 
I drive 3 an half hours each way on my annual pilgrimage to Abbotsbury every autumn
 
Shirleycodlin said:
Well they are.
They hit the beaches after spawning in spring and are skinny little things.
Click to expand...
They are indeed, that was meant to come across as ironic lol.

Tbh I don’t really see the point of fishing for see through plaice in February, but each to their own
 
Beach said:
Thinking of going shore fishing in the spring within 2hrs drive, any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Anywhere between Hayling Island and Pevensey Bay is your best bet for a few plaice. I would, however focus on the area between Shoreham and Eastbourne as your best chance. Emaciated or not, it’s so good to see your rod tip rattling on a nice spring morning. Some of these skinny plaice can run to 3lbs or so, so can still put a nice little bend in the tip. With careful unhooking, most can go back in the briny none the worse for wear. I don’t keep plaice at this time of the year, only the odd one that I can’t return due to very deep hooking. It’s difficult to find anything else to fish for at this time of year on this stretch of coast, so whilst I agree with some of the sentiments expressed on the merits of fishing for ‘see through plaice’, if you want to get out on the beach, you’ve got to fish for whatever’s there.

Make sure you pick a rising spring tide, ideally coinciding with a calm, settled spell of weather, use fresh lug, either black or blow, with or without a small squid strip to tip the lug off. Use any rig of your choice and size 1 hooks. Use plain leads if circumstances allow (ie if neighbouring anglers not too close by) and fish at the maximum distance you can comfortably manage. Having said that about plain leads, I often use a grip lead and clipped-down two hook rig with longish snoods and find I get a better bite to hook-up ratio due to the increased resistance of the lead. Fish generally seem to come just after low or as soon as there is a trickle of tide, or towards high and down for a couple of hours and for as long as the tide continues to run. There are of course the odd red letter days when the fish just don’t know the rules, and on those rare days, the fish will feed throughout the session. The general stamp of fish will be in the size range of 25-33 cm, but I’ve had a number over the years above 55 cms but not I might add, for the last two years. Just to wet your appetite, here’s one from a few years ago, 4lbs plus, caught in March, but not in Brighton.

3ADE337D-B4D0-448C-8BEE-5F1DFB99E7BC.jpeg


Don’t necessarily aim for the well known hotspots, as it can be shoulder to shoulder and the fish don’t always seem to know where these alleged hotspots are. I’m thinking mainly of the Banjo at Brighton when writing this, as whilst it can be good on it’s day it’s popularity far exceeds it’s productivity. Wherever you decide to go, I wish you good luck. All the best, Bob.
 
Old’nGoldie said:
Anywhere between Hayling Island and Pevensey Bay is your best bet for a few plaice. I would, however focus on the area between Shoreham and Eastbourne as your best chance. Emaciated or not, it’s so good to see your rod tip rattling on a nice spring morning. Some of these skinny plaice can run to 3lbs or so, so can still put a nice little bend in the tip. With careful unhooking, most can go back in the briny none the worse for wear. I don’t keep plaice at this time of the year, only the odd one that I can’t return due to very deep hooking. It’s difficult to find anything else to fish for at this time of year on this stretch of coast, so whilst I agree with some of the sentiments expressed on the merits of fishing for ‘see through plaice’, if you want to get out on the beach, you’ve got to fish for whatever’s there.

Make sure you pick a rising spring tide, ideally coinciding with a calm, settled spell of weather, use fresh lug, either black or blow, with or without a small squid strip to tip the lug off. Use any rig of your choice and size 1 hooks. Use plain leads if circumstances allow (ie if neighbouring anglers not too close by) and fish at the maximum distance you can comfortably manage. Having said that about plain leads, I often use a grip lead and clipped-down two hook rig with longish snoods and find I get a better bite to hook-up ratio due to the increased resistance of the lead. Fish generally seem to come just after low or as soon as there is a trickle of tide, or towards high and down for a couple of hours and for as long as the tide continues to run. There are of course the odd red letter days when the fish just don’t know the rules, and on those rare days, the fish will feed throughout the session. The general stamp of fish will be in the size range of 25-33 cm, but I’ve had a number over the years above 55 cms but not I might add, for the last two years. Just to wet your appetite, here’s one from a few years ago, 4lbs plus, caught in March, but not in Brighton.

View attachment 59317


Don’t necessarily aim for the well known hotspots, as it can be shoulder to shoulder and the fish don’t always seem to know where these alleged hotspots are. I’m thinking mainly of the Banjo at Brighton when writing this, as whilst it can be good on it’s day it’s popularity far exceeds it’s productivity. Wherever you decide to go, I wish you good luck. All the best, Bob.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info Bob, much appreciated (y)
 
Old’nGoldie said:
Anywhere between Hayling Island and Pevensey Bay is your best bet for a few plaice. I would, however focus on the area between Shoreham and Eastbourne as your best chance. Emaciated or not, it’s so good to see your rod tip rattling on a nice spring morning. Some of these skinny plaice can run to 3lbs or so, so can still put a nice little bend in the tip. With careful unhooking, most can go back in the briny none the worse for wear. I don’t keep plaice at this time of the year, only the odd one that I can’t return due to very deep hooking. It’s difficult to find anything else to fish for at this time of year on this stretch of coast, so whilst I agree with some of the sentiments expressed on the merits of fishing for ‘see through plaice’, if you want to get out on the beach, you’ve got to fish for whatever’s there.

Make sure you pick a rising spring tide, ideally coinciding with a calm, settled spell of weather, use fresh lug, either black or blow, with or without a small squid strip to tip the lug off. Use any rig of your choice and size 1 hooks. Use plain leads if circumstances allow (ie if neighbouring anglers not too close by) and fish at the maximum distance you can comfortably manage. Having said that about plain leads, I often use a grip lead and clipped-down two hook rig with longish snoods and find I get a better bite to hook-up ratio due to the increased resistance of the lead. Fish generally seem to come just after low or as soon as there is a trickle of tide, or towards high and down for a couple of hours and for as long as the tide continues to run. There are of course the odd red letter days when the fish just don’t know the rules, and on those rare days, the fish will feed throughout the session. The general stamp of fish will be in the size range of 25-33 cm, but I’ve had a number over the years above 55 cms but not I might add, for the last two years. Just to wet your appetite, here’s one from a few years ago, 4lbs plus, caught in March, but not in Brighton.

View attachment 59317


Don’t necessarily aim for the well known hotspots, as it can be shoulder to shoulder and the fish don’t always seem to know where these alleged hotspots are. I’m thinking mainly of the Banjo at Brighton when writing this, as whilst it can be good on it’s day it’s popularity far exceeds it’s productivity. Wherever you decide to go, I wish you good luck. All the best, Bob.
Click to expand...
Brilliant concise information.
You are of course correct, we can only catch what is there😃😉👍
 
I see the Thornbacks are making an appearance in a few numbers again along the mentioned coast so after dark will be my mainstay fishing now apart from the odd daylight session at least until early May.
 
This last week the dogs have been plentiful off the beach Aldwick Bay ( Bognor ) Barn Rocks , some good sizes On light tackle 50 to 75 yds out.
Top of tide and hour into ebb.
Tight lines
 
Back
Top