Latest Fishing Reports: Galloper
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09/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Sep 2015 by Scott Belbin
September has come and gone very quickly for me. This may have been aided by a short break away but mostly as I was busy as ever. We started off with roker making up the majority of our catches. These varied from little maids (as is common this time of year) up to double figures. As well as these we had several smooth-hounds and the odd bass mixed in. we also saw several codling showing which is no surprise given the smattering of them we have seen throughout the summer. As the month went on the numbers smooth-hounds and bass decreased quickly which signals the end of summer for us. Luckily the weather is still very much like summer at the moment and despite this the numbers of cod have been picking up nicely. the stamp of fish is great at the moment with many fish in the 3-7lbs range and this is likely to increase as the season goes on. Fish are still pretty spread out but if you are lucky enough to get on them 10-20 a day is common. This makes for some good fishing along with the roker and hordes of whiting and dogfish that are about. Its likely that as these monster tides back off we will see some better numbers of cod and these will build over the coming month and as we get further into the season. As you will gather from most of the reports we expect to see some decent fish this year so watch this space. For more information, available dates and a weekly update please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528
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08/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Aug 2015 by Scott Belbin
August has been a good month to us although it may have been wet and windy at times we have managed to get out and as ever the fishing has been great. Our inshore trips have produced a nice variety of fish with many winter species such as cod and whiting showing already which is a good sign for the coming season. We have had a few tub gurnard mixed in which have been showing more frequently over the last 12 months than they have for several years. The smooth-hounds have been here all along and we had another run of big fish as is traditional around this time of year for us. We had several good trips and saw plenty of double figure fish. However one evening trip stands out as the best trip for them. As we had a couple of late arrivals and due to tides and having to steam a fair distance we could only manage just over 3.5hrs fishing as it was just a 7 hour trip but luckily it was a busy 3.5 hours. Things started slowly with one or two hounds coming aboard or being lost. As the tide started running it went with two or three big hounds coming in at a time. These fish fight well enough anyway but in the shallow waters around here I would say they are unbeatable very often jumping, rolling on the surface and dragging our anglers on a lap of the boat. The best fish of the evening fell to hiroshi just as darkness fell. It was clearly a decent fish with a lot of weight behind it and after the obligatory lap of honour around the boat she gave me a shot with the net. Once in the boat and photographed we weighed her in at 23.5lbs which was not only a PB for Hiroshi but for the boat too. needless to say we were all pleased for him. We had several more fish before heading home for the night. I couldn’t tell you an exact number of what we had but I stopped marking them down at over 40 and I know we had several more after that so with at least 50 decent hounds for the night along with the odd small bass and whiting it had been good.
On the offshore trips we’ve been concentrating on bass which haven’t been bad although maybe not as good as previous years. We have always found a few fish and some nice ones too. these too fight very well in the shallow clear water where they can be caught on nice light gear too. sizes vary from trip to trip but most have been 2-5lbs so far.
As I mentioned earlier there have been the odd codling showing for a while now and they are pushing closer in shore too. they could well show up in numbers on one of the next sets of tides as they move in for the autumn run along with the rays.
Over the next month we should see a mixed bag as the summer species and winter species overlap for a while. Anything could be on the cards and most will show on squid bait although worm can help for some species. For more information, available dates and weekly updates please visit my website www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
07/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Jul 2015 by Scott Belbin
July has been another good month even if they weather was a little questionable at times. We have had the odd bass trip and tope trip offshore but have spent most of our time in pursuit of the smooth-hounds. these have been around in good numbers so far this year and with some decent fish showing too. this month has seen mainly small ones with a few bigger fish mixed in at times in the 8-10lbs range along with several double figure fish. these fish will be our main target on our general trips over the next month or so. We have seen a few bass on our general trips too and did our first bass trip last week and had a few nice fish for our efforts. the biggest was only around 4lbs but Fred took my advise and bought a spinning rod along which made a lot more enjoyable. Some times bass can be a little underwhelming on an uptide rod in coloured water or dragging a load of weight behind them. The bonus to this fishing is we can get away with really light gear an appreciate the fish so much more. If the weather permits we should be able to do several more of these trips over the next couple of months. There have still been one or two rays showing on most trips. These add a bit of variety to the mix of fish we’re catching and the males are great eating fish. these are likely to build in numbers over the next month or so although they can be a bit smaller at this time of year. We have seen plenty of other bits and bobs too with whiting, pouting and dogfish often showing in with our main catches. We found a few stray codling the other day which were nice to see. we had several sizable fish with the biggest going around 4.8lbs. After a good winter season like last year there are often a few fish hanging around in certain places or if you like turning up early for the coming season. This could be more likely as several are turning up on the general ground fishing. This should be a good sign and with conditions as they have been the codling could well turn up early this season with any luck. With a bit of settled weather the water went clear last week which resulted in a fair spread of mackerel showing. Ive no doubt the wind over the past few days will have broken them up and ruined water clarity but hopefully if we get another settled spell they will get back on the feed over the coming weeks.
For more information, weekly reports and available dates please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
06/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Jun 2015 by Scott Belbin
June as ever has been a busy month aboard the ‘GALLOPER’. Its one of my favourite months as the fishing can be so varied. There are lots of species available to us at this time of year depending on conditions and we started with a few big hounds.
Last month had finished with the arrival of these big fish and the fishing continued into this month with a few days of great fishing. We saw lots of double figure fish and in my opinion these are hard to beat for fight. We often catch them in just a few feet of water where they fight like fury. They can’t go down so they have no choice but to tear off in all directions as well as swimming straight back at the boat and often lapping the boat before we get them in. as you can see from the picture we were busy at times with these three big girls coming aboard at the same time. all three were returned alive shortly after this shot as are all smooth-hounds aboard the 'GALLOPER'.
its not all big fish though and we have spent several days catching good numbers of the smaller hounds which are just as much fun on light tackle. These have been about in good numbers with our best day so far at well over 60 of them.
There have still been a few thorn-backs about too which are nice to catch along with the odd male being kept for the pot. The numbers of rays aren’t the same as in the spring but we can still get a good few mixed in with the other fish. With days of 20 plus not uncommon in places though they tend to move further off.
We haven’t had any days specifically on the bass yet but we have seen a few numbers of smaller fish at times along with several better fish mixed in with our other trips. Please remember that the size limit for bass has now gone up to 42cm along with the bag limit of 3 fish kept per angler although you can catch and release as many as you like. This applies to all recreational anglers unless they have a commercial licence to sell fish.
The unsettled weather at the start of the month has kept the water fairly coloured with several east to north easterlies stirring the water up. This has made mackerel hard to find so far. This has hampered our efforts for tope fishing. There are still several whiting about in places so they have been substituted along with some frozen mackerel. We have had a few goes along with picking one or two up on general trips. There’s been no monsters aboard the ‘GALLOPER’ yet this year but we have been bust up by one or two better fish and seen several smaller pack tope too. we will be having another go next month and hopefully this settled weather will help us with fresh bait. If the weather allows we will also have a go for bass too. general trips over the coming weeks could see anything but our main targets will be rays, hounds and bass. For more information, available dates and weekly updates please visit www.essex seafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
05/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
May 2015 by Scott Belbin
May was yet another busy month aboard the ‘Galloper’. The weather wasn’t always fantastic but we managed to get all of our trips in making the most of the shelter the area around west Mersea has to offer. Even on the days when the weather was a disappointment the sport made up for it with the varied and productive fishing we have to offer at this time of year. Our main target species through out may were the thornback rays. these are around in great numbers due to successful management over the past few years which is great to see. They average 4-8lbs with double figure fish common place now a days and with average days of 20-40 on the boat they are great to have around. Our best trip last month was 68 to toms party who were a group of hire rods who were very pleased with their day. these fish are often over looked in favour of cod or bass but on light gear, in our shallow waters without too much tide they can put up a great scrap along with the odd male being kept for a tasty feed. We have seen a few bass mixed in on trips and a couple of trips with a few more numbers of them. These fish will show through out the summer in various numbers and never fail to put a smile on an anglers face. There are still the odd cod showing here and there as the last stragglers often hang around after a good season. Many of these are nice fish too with lots of trips picking up one or two fish around the 3-4lbs mark still. The smooth-hounds have been around for a while now but have come on the feed a bit more over the last couple of weeks. we’ve seen some lovely fish coming out with several doubles mixed in. these handsome sport fish are all returned but put up a fantastic fight particularly when hooked in very shallow water. It was nice to see one of our regulars beat his PB the other day and catch a new record for the ‘Galloper’. Joe has fished with us since a very young age and smashed his old PB of 16lbs with a lovely fish of 21lbs! this was a big fish too as she had no pubs in her at the time I would have loved to have seen her come aboard in full pup. We had an early try for tope the other day with no joy but things are a little behind what we have become accustomed to over the last few years. We will have a go again at the first chance we get and I’m sure we’ll find something with a few mackerel starting to show to provide us with fresh bait.
I keep my website up to date with weekly reports, availability and prices. So for more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528
I have spaces on various trips over the coming weeks including a few this Sunday with the weather looking nice too so please contact me if you want to get out. Or check my calendar and last minute bookings. -
05/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
May 2015 by Scott Belbin
April started well with good numbers of codling which were well on the feed before their migration. The numbers of thorn-backs increased as the month moved on making for some busy days. Some days we spent split the day in two and spent half targeting codling and half targeting the rays. As the month went on codling numbers declined and we are now seeing one or two mixed in but most have gone. T
he rays are here in great numbers though with good numbers on average even in the estuary so we can get out and have quality fish, in comfort in most conditions. There have been plenty of double figure fish mixed in and lots of males should you wish to keep any for the pot. Our best trip so far is 76 rays to 13lbs with 8 hire rods aboard. Luckily the lads had a bit of experience although I was still kept busy.
There are one or two bass showing now with some decent ones amongst them. Les king had the first of the year a couple of weeks ago at a respectable 7.3lbs. the first smooth-hound of the year came aboard the boat last weekend and we should be seeing several more of them as the month goes on. For now we will be continuing to concentrate on the rays as there’s still some great sport to be had. if we get a chance we’ll have a go for bass and as usual there’s always the chance of them mixed in with the rays.
I keep my website up to date with weekly reports and available dates and there’s loads more on there too. for more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
03/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Mar 2015 by Scott Belbin
I’m sure you don’t need reminding but march has been a windy month on the whole for us. Thankfully we have been blessed with some great sheltered fishing. The river has been fishing really well at times with some of the best fishing I’ve ever seen in there in march. We’ve save several days in there with good numbers of codling, plenty of whiting and even the odd thornback ray. Our best trip in the river was 50 codling for the day along with plenty of other odds and sods. In fact that particular day was fine enough to get much further down but the lads chose to stop in the river which was the right choice on the day. further down has been producing even higher numbers at times with fish of 2-4lbs average its great sport on light tackle. We should see these fish and perhaps one or two larger fish for a while yet but the numbers will start to peter out over the coming weeks. Thankfully the rays are starting to show in numbers now which is a sure sign that spring is on its way. The other day on another windy trip we managed to find a few rays to keep us busy. The action was good throughout the day and there were several fish around double figures with the biggest falling to Arthur at 12lbs. we totalled 47 for the day along with lots of whiting and a couple of codling. The rays should be around in good numbers from now until sometime in June. Looking ahead spring is on its way and we should see a fair variety over the next month. We should start with a mix of rays and codling before seeing a few bass mixed in as the month goes on and maybe even the odd smooth-hound too. for more information, weekly reports and availability please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528
pictured is Saunders with a tagged roker we had the other day. we have had 4 or 5 over the years with various tags. the details were passed on to cefas and she was returned alive -
03/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Mar 2015 by Scott Belbin
February was another busy month aboard the ‘Galloper’. Unfortunately we have lost a couple of trips the last week or so which is unusual for us. Thankfully the weather in the early part of the month more than made up for it with some cracking days giving us a glimpse of early spring. the effect of the cold weather from last month has been lower numbers of thornbacks than we have seen at this time over the last few years. Although the slight rise in temperature has already got them moving again and I’m sure they will be back on track in the next few weeks. With the better weather we were able to push a little further than usual at this time of year and found a nice stamp of fish on our general trips. The average numbers were 20-40 codling a trip with several in the 3-4lbs range. There were a few whiting and the odd ray thrown in to make up the numbers. We did manage one offshore trip in search of some better cod. The cold weather had even had an effect here which resulted in far fewer dogfish than is normally the case. This was by no means a bad thing meaning our baits were left alone until something decent found them. We didn’t set the world on fire but found some nice fish. Arthur had the biggest ray of around 12lbs and Wayne had the biggest cod at 9.15lbs. to be honest the had the lions share of the days catch between them. As I mentioned the dogfish were thin on the ground with a dozen of them thrown in. I half expected to see a spurdog but we didn’t get any to the boat that day. Hopefully they will show on our next venture off there.
Over the coming weeks we should see the numbers of roker pick up as the temperature rises and these will undoubtedly be joined by the dogfish. The codling should be on the feed too before they move off next month. On our last trip they seemed to be feeding harder, with far more fish deep hooked. I update my site very regularly so for more information, available dates and reports please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
02/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Feb 2015 by Scott Belbin
After a belting start to January things proceeded to slow a little as we got into the month. The cause of this a mixture of the cold weather and sprats distracting the cod from out baits. We were hampered by weather occasionally but on the whole it was a good January. When we have got out there has still been some good fishing to be had. even though bites may be a little slower and finicky as the fish are already stuffed with sprat we have seen some reasonable numbers. Several days have seen 20-35 codling coming out along with a few roker too. the last few years January and February have produced some decent roker and whiting. This year has proved to be much the same with some decent fish coming out. Our biggest whiting was just shy of 2lbs for luke on his first trip. One of our regulars Barry Woods had a stonking roker of 18.12lbs which is a new PB for him and the ‘Galloper’. The big fish was a female so as with all females was returned after a few pictures. Barry had a good day with another roker and quite a few codling too. the sprats should move on anytime now which should help our catches of cod. The good thing is the fish pile on the weight while theyre eating them so when they go the stamp should be lovely. If and when things start to warm up we should see a few more roker getting about and it would be nice to see a few more fish like Barry’s grace the deck.
There’s loads more info on my site along with weekly reports and available dates. I have a few spaces in February and several into march, I keep my calendar as up to date as possible. So for more info please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528 -
01/2015
Fishing Report by Scott Belbin
Jan 2015 by Scott Belbin
The new year is well underway already and Christmas almost seems a distant memory. We were lucky enough to get out several times over the Christmas period and with some great results too. we took advantage of the blackwater estuaries shelter on several occasions and the river is still producing well with numbers of codling coming out along with whiting and some nice roker too. we managed an offshore trip too with the odd nice fish knocking about. The dogfish were a pain at times as is often the case but there were one or two better fish about as well. Les king did the best by far starting with a nice cod of 14.15lbs followed by a couple of smaller ones soon after. This is a good fish compared to the general stamp in our area this year and a decent fish by anybody’s standards I’m sure. I wouldn’t expect one this size every time but its nice to know they’re out there. Inshore the fishing has been great with general numbers around 30-50 a day. This is mostly codling in the 16-18 inch bracket with a few smaller and the odd bigger one. Some days have fished very well indeed when everything goes right. One trip last week was with just 4 lads fishing 6 rods and we totalled around 80 codling, a few whiting and 4 roker for the day. The stamp was great with just one or two under 16 inches and the majority 3lbs or more! One lucky angler had getting on for 50 himself. Thankfully the lads are fishing in a really responsible manour keeping the odd one or two for the table and letting most go. We had another trip with even better numbers coming out although there were a few smaller ones mixed in too that day. The numbers crept up steadily and before we knew it we were staying a little later to try and make the hundred. Unfortunately the tide died along with the fishing but we had 97 for the day and my best numbers for a few years now. These fish may not be monsters but they truly are great fun on light up tide gear. I wouldn’t expect these numbers every trip although its hard not to get spoiled when its fishing that well. i don’t know how long these fish will hang around for. If we are lucky then they could be here until April but who knows and when they go we should see the roker move in anyway.
I have updated my available dates for this year along with all of my offshore trips. If you are after specific tides such as offshore trips may require I would advise you book well in advance as booking are on a ‘first come first served’ basis. I update my website and facebook pages regularly with reports and pictures. For updates, available dates and more information please vist my website www.essexseafishing.co.uk or call 07956411528
