SEA REPORT by GRAHAM BARRATT

SOUTH Essex anglers are mourning Steve Woodbine following his sudden death at the weekend.

The Shoebury fisherman was only in his 30s and was a regular at Barge Pier.

Steve was well known locally and did his work experience at Jetty Anglers and did bait digging after school in his teens.

He was a good friend and will be sadly missed by the local angling community.

A date for Steve's funeral has yet to be set.

l Southend Pier: Bass, garfish, mullet and horse mackerel have been caught, with flounders and mullet on the inside.

l Westcliff to West Beach: There is the chance of school bass, flounders and eels.

l Chalkwell: Bass and mullet have been landed.

l Barge Pier: Bass, flounders and mullet are showing at the Shoebury venue.

l East Beach: Mullet have been tempted by bread bait at the boom end of the Shoebury beach.

l Thamesmead: Eddie Sharp reports flounders still being caught in numbers.

l Erith: Flounders, eels and the occasional bass are being landed at Morrison's Jetty.

l Medway Industrial Estate: Bass to 1.5lb are being caught on small rag worm or crab bait at the sea wall.

l Gravesend: Graham, from Dolphin Angling, reports soles, flounders, eels and bass to 4lb being taken.

l Greenhithe: Bass, soles and eels are providing sport.

l River Crouch: Roker, bass and the occasional flounder and eel have been landed.

l River Roach: Flounders and eels are being caught and there is the chance of a bass.

l Walton Pier: Soles and bass have been caught, with wrasse and pollock being landed under the pier. Lots of flounders are being caught from the beach.

l The Naze: Soles and bass have been caught at Hipkins Beach and The Steps.

l Boats: Anglers aboard Misty Lady, out of Walton, have landed skate and smoothhound to 6lb on squid or crab.

 

Loaf is needed for tench fishing

A loaf of bread, a float rod and an interesting swim with some features is the way to find some of the better size tench at Doggetts the moment.

The roach bream and perch can be found in most swims but it certainly is not the year to rely on just a tin of corn for your day’s bait.

Maggots are essential but bread, pellets and small cubes of luncheon meat can boost the final catch.

Good-size roach and rudd are being landed later in the day if it is hot, and can often found up to a foot from the bottom.

The carp anglers are still having to work hard for their sport. Fish can be seen cruising everywhere.

Big fish are showing well in the margins and some are still definitely spawning, but not all.

Anglers for the first time at Doggetts are persevering with zig rigs but not trying them at night. Could small worms and maggots provide the solution?

Craig Sexton fished with friends to celebrate his birthday and was rewarded with a mid-double mirror.

Bill Dalby, also in Sexton’s party, landed a double common from the back pool whilst Chris Whittaker managed an 18lb mirror from the road bank while stalking.

Martin Parks fishing mainline baits tipped with corn from the road bank to land six tench and a stunning mid-double 18lb common which looked as though it had never been hooked.