A GROUP of friends enjoyed a successful day sea fishing over the Bank Holiday.

Phil Browning and four companions sailed from Essex Marina on Browning’s boat "Braveheart ", an eight-meter starfish.

Although August usually brings fine settled weather, traditionally the fishing is usually quite challenging, especially with extended periods of high pressure.

After a fairly late start we settled on a local mark where Browning had had a couple of good bass a few weeks prior but the weed was horrendous and after one small bass the group moved to another area.

And, at slack water ready for the ebb tide, they found a few reasonable sized smooth hounds to double figures and some school bass.

But as the tide got going it was apparent that we were in for more of the same with the weed making fishing impossible.

A 30 minute trip to deeper water and the weed was gone, and within the first 10 minutes the group had boated two smooth hounds, a couple of skate, and a small bass.

All-in-all the sport was consistent, mainly with skate and smooth hounds with the occasional dogfish, when Bob Katona's rod signalled a bite.

Although the bite wasn’t particularly strong, it became apparent that Katona’s was into a good fish as it started to strip line from his reel and it was assumed, by the way it was taking line, that it was a good smooth hound, but upon breaking the surface we saw it was a very nice bass.

Upon seeing the boat the fish made another dive for the bottom but was soon in a landing net and on board, where the specimen fish was quickly weighed at 10lb, photographed and returned.

It was a lifetime personal best for Katona despite landing numerous good bass in the past.

All in all, it was a good day with around 45 fish landed between five anglers.