Latest Fishing Reports: Galloper

Back to Main Charter Page
  • 11/04/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    11 Apr 2023 by Scott Belbin

    With fine weather and plenty of fish around I have too much to include in a single report so I will post a few short reports over the coming days.
    Of course not wanting to break a great British tradition bank holiday Monday was wet and windy. Not wanting to miss out on all the fish around we made the most of the working a big catamaran from the blackwater estuary. to be honest part of me enjoys the extra challenge of finding some decent fish in these conditions as well as having the place to myself.
    With the group largely made up of regular individuals pushed a fair way out in the hope of a mixed bag. Unfortunately as the anchor went down the rain set in and stayed with us for several hours. There were no shortage of bites from those pesky dogfish but several smooth-hounds amongst them. as the tide got going we saw some rays mixed in too and then our first bass for Alex. It was a nice little table sized fish which was followed soon after by another for Kevin. By now we were all soaked and the driest thing on the boat was Marks sarcastic comments about how the weather was improving! Thankfully the net was getting wet regardless of the rain. As I was making another cup of tea Barry called for the net telling me Mark was into something very lively. I put the tea on hold and we waited with baited breath to see what came out of the murky depths. to our delight a big bar of silver broke the surface and was guided expertly into my net by Mark. We quickly photographed and weighed her before returning her to the sea. We settled on a weight of 9.10lbs which certainly brightened up a rainy day for us. soon after the clouds cleared to reveal a bright but breezy afternoon. By the time we had started to dry out it was time to head home with some great fish for our efforts, obviously Marks bass was fish of the day and just goes to show you have to be in it to win it, we certainly wouldn’t have caught it from the sofa!
    SPACES THIS SUNDAY PLEASE SEE AVAILABLE DATES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS REPORT.
    In general there are plenty of fish out there at the moment. Depending on where we fish there are hoards of dogfish and whiting around at the moment. These do keep us busy but can become a nuisance when they mask the hook which potentially prevents a better fish taking the bait. It is therefore worth checking baits very regularly at the moment.
    When we can find our way past these fish there are good numbers of thorn-back rays to be had. These may not be the same quantities as the recent past but we have enjoyed several days with 20-30 rays per day on board over the last few trips.
    The numbers of smooth-hounds are improving each week. these early fish make a very welcome addition to our catches. They are showing on most trips and we have seen several days with 10-20 mixed in with the rest of the fish. as the shore crabs start to peel in the next few weeks the numbers of bigger hounds should arrive.
    Its been nice to see a few bass coming out too. One or two table sized fish here and there with better numbers in some places than others. These too will increase in numbers over the coming weeks.
    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species including the occasional codling off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    14/04-offshore trip 4 spaces @ £100pp
    16/04- 8 spaces @ £60pp
    20/04-1 space @ £60pp
    22/04-1 space @ £60pp
    29/04-offshore trip 5 spaces @ £100pp
    30/04-individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 03/04/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    3 Apr 2023 by Scott Belbin

    At last It really feels as though spring is in the air now. the daylight hours are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky and temperatures are gradually creeping up. The fish notice these changes too and as the last set of spring tides came and went there has been a marked change in the species we are catching.
    The main bulk of the codling have gone now although we may see one or two mixed in over the coming months in places.
    The dogfish and whiting are very plentiful and ravenous too, these keep us busy in between the increasing numbers of thorn-back rays we are seeing.
    Although numbers may be down on the peak of the stocks we are seeing respectful numbers at the moment and should do for the next few weeks as they move inshore to breed and feed.
    There are a few more bass starting to show closer in too which is great to see and hopefully a good sign for the rest of the season.
    It is nice to see a few more smooth-hounds showing on our general trips too. Some have been very close in which is great to see and certainly livens the day up. We can catch these fish in numbers 12 months of the year aboard the Galloper nowadays if we fish the right places but never tire of seeing them. I am sure I’m not alone when I say I look forwards to some great sport from these fish in the coming months.
    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species including the occasional codling off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.
    We had some good numbers of rays the other day although we had to work hard to find them. Barrie Senior and myself were neck and neck for top numbers throughout the afternoon although he managed to catch a couple of additional smooth-hounds which I think pipped it for Barrie. Most of the other lads had 2-3 rays each as well as vast amounts of whiting and dogfish and a pouting to boot.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    10/04-3 spaces £60pp
    14/04-offshore trip 4 spaces @ £100pp
    16/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    20/04-3 spaces @ £60pp
    22/04-1 space @ £60pp
    29/04-offshore trip 5 spaces @ £100pp
    30/04-individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 27/03/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    27 Mar 2023 by Scott Belbin

    Although I cant be sure how much longer the codling will hang around in numbers we have still been finding a few on our general trips.
    Ian had the boat booked for a match the other day. 9 lads with 1 rod each and 2 hooks permitted. Unfortunately we had to leave late and return early that day so our time was limited that day and the pressure was on. Luckily there were no shortage of fish to be caught with whiting and dogfish from the first cast. Often two at a time on all manor of rigs and baits. Mark fished slightly bigger baits and picked out the first codling of the day with another soon after before the tide died. We had a move over slack water and the lads glanced at the score sheets to get an idea of tactics for the rest of the day. by the time we arrived at our next mark the tide was well under way and the same direction as the wind now thankfully as it did freshen later in the day. I definitely saw some bigger baits going out for as the day went on and the lads were soon bringing in some high scoring double shots of dogfish as well as some rays. Steve had the biggest ray of the day but it wasn’t enough to wipe out all those dogfish the others had clocked up. Just as the tide notched off Ian and Graham came into their own with a nice run of codling each. I think Graham had one a cast four casts in a row. For a little variety there were even a few pouting too. It was a shame we had to head in relatively early but the lads still managed 13 codling 3 rays and stacks of other fish too.
    Our general trips have continued to produce numbers of codling and thorn-backs with lots of whiting and dogfish keeping us busy as well as a few other bonus species.
    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species including the occasional codling off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    01/04- 6 spaces £60pp
    02/04- 8 spaces £60pp
    09/04-4 spaces @ £60pp
    10/04-6 spaces £60pp
    14/04-offshore trip 6 spaces @ £100pp
    16/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    20/04-7 spaces @ £60pp

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 20/03/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    20 Mar 2023 by Scott Belbin


    In between the codling and rays there have been one or two bass showing. Some schoolies and some lovely chunky fish. after Andy lost one on our first trip back in the water at the start of February some even better fish made it to the net. Barry has the biggest so far with a nice 6lber but not to be left out his good friend Charlie had a decent bass a couple of trips later. If you know these lads there is always a healthy rivalry between them as well as plenty of banter. I don’t think Charlie was too disappointed that his was a tad smaller as it was still a cracking early season fish.
    Our general trips have continued to produce numbers of codling and thorn-backs with lots of whiting and dogfish keeping us busy as well as a few other bonus species.

    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species including the occasional codling off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    26/03-spaces
    29/03-offshore trip 7 spaces @ £100pp
    30/03- offshore trip 8 spaces @ £100pp
    31/03- offshore trip 8 spaces @ £100pp
    01/04- 9 spaces £60pp
    02/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    09/04-4 spaces @ £60pp
    10/04-01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    14/04-offshore trip 6 spaces @ £100pp
    16/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 13/03/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    13 Mar 2023 by Scott Belbin

    Still plenty of nice codling and rays coming in at the moment along with whiting, dogfish and other species too. The weather has been all over the place of late but those codling seem to be drawing the lads out there despite this.
    The lads from Suffolk police were faced with some unsavoury conditions for their trip last week. Given the option of a very early or very late start the lads opted for the later. I must admit as I drove down to the boat through the rain I was questioning our sanity. However the lads were keen as ever to get out on their first trip of the year. I was also relieved to hear that they had chosen not to have their usual match as they wanted to try for codling and these don’t score very well so it made sense. So armed with over 900 lugworm and a cool box of squid we made our way out into a strong east to south-easterly wind. I wasn’t sure how far we would get as there were sizeable white horses rolling in the entrance to the moorings but the conditions suited Galloper well and it was far more comfortable than expected as we punched down to our chosen mark. The late start meant we didn’t get any baits in the water until 10am so we would have as long with the wind and tide together as I would have liked. Thankfully we dropped straight onto the fish and in the first couple of casts a couple of codling came aboard for Tony and Adam. The obligatory dogfish and whiting soon followed along with more codling and one or two rays. Condition deteriorated as the day progressed with sleet and snow flurries but the lads effort didn’t. by high water we had exceeded my expectations but still hoped for more so had a move over slack tide. to my surprise the next tide fished well too with a couple more codling coming aboard shortly followed by more rays. The lads had endured enough by now so we called it a day at 4pm and headed for home. It may not have been the biggest catch of the week but it was a rewarding one in challenging conditions. I was really pleased to see 12 codling and 8 rays among the dogfish and whiting on a day like that. As many of you know I don’t like to say nice things too often, particularly about serving and former police officers. However full credit to the lads for putting in the effort in those conditions, I think they enjoyed it as much as they endured it. there were times when I looked out at the snow settling one their backs and shoulders. which made me consider turning the wheelhouse heating off in solidarity but I thought better of it as they kept dragging me out to net fish.
    For any cod police or wannabe grettle thunderbirds please scroll on past. Some codling were harmed in the making of this report. The fish that were kept were over 100mm the 35cn minimum landing size for cod. They were caught in the most sustainable way and many were returned. If you want to harass or troll somebody please find one of the many local commercial boats targeting these same fish, keeping them far small and keeping many times more. If you wish to make a real difference then your time would be better spent lobbying for a larger size limit and commercial restrictions. I feel I have to put this as several people seem to feel the need to pick on fellow anglers and charter boats that are far from the real problem with fish stocks and I am fed up with it.
    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species. There is of course a good chance of seeing a cod off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.

    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    19/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    02/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    09/04-6 spaces @ £60pp
    10/04-01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    14/04-offshore trip 6 spaces @ £100pp
    16/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 06/03/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    6 Mar 2023 by Scott Belbin

    It is nice to see how the sight of a certain species can cause such a stir. Of course the word on many peoples lips at the moment is cod. To be more accurate they are codling and a very welcome sight too. They have been sorely missed so the current run of fish has got all manor of people dusting off their uptiders and scrabbling to get hold of some lugworm.
    The other day I counted 22 boats fishing 1 square mile of water all for the promise of these fish.
    As I often mention we benefit from lots of sheltered fishing here in the blackwater estuary and with a few codling and rays showing we took full advantage of that last week. Even strong easterly winds wouldn’t deter the lads with promise of a codling or two.
    Numbers of codling have varied from day to day but we have seen numbers that exceeded my expectations several times. Along with the codling there have been plenty of whiting and dogfish and the occasional bass.
    Jon Bish had a nice surprise the other day. in between the rays and a very good day on codling he pulled up an early lobster. Not a small one either and always a novelty to see on any trip. The lads had a great day with plenty of codling coming to the net along with a few rays in between.

    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays, bass and other species. There is of course a good chance of seeing a cod off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.

    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows

    12/03- 7 spaces £60pp
    18/03-offshore trip 1 space @ £100pp
    19/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    02/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    09/04-6 spaces @ £60pp
    10/04-01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490


    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 27/02/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    27 Feb 2023 by Scott Belbin

    As I am sure you have heard by now there are a few cod showing at the moment. This is of course a very welcome sight after a few lean years. only time will tell if this spring run is a sign of things to come or not. One thing is for certain and that is they are here now and they wont catch themselves. With the wind stuck in the east for a few days we have been able to take full advantage of the shelter offered by the blackwater estuary and surrounding waters with a big comfortable catamaran to fish from. Catches have included the usual dogfish and whiting (although in small numbers) one or two pouting and even a bass. Thorn-backs are in varying numbers from day to day with a good day seeing 10-12 rays and the biggest pushing 12lbs. numbers of codling have been the best for several years and a nice stamp too.
    Our best day so far is 25 codling between 8 rods, I have seen people travel many miles around the country for far less in recent years. of course with the afore mentioned other species making the day up we have enjoyed some great sport often while other boats are stuck in port. Who knows how long this fishing will last so I would suggest getting out there and enjoying it while its there folks. Its hard to beat a good days uptiding for codling on a winters day.
    Further afield we are chasing spurdogs, hounds, rays and other species. There is of course a good chance of seeing a cod off there too and with any luck a proper one at that.

    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming weeks and months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    04/03-4 spaces @ £60pp
    05/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    12/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    19/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    25/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    26/03-offshore trip 2 spaces @ £100pp
    01/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    02/04- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 20/02/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    20 Feb 2023 by Scott Belbin

    There is plenty of life about both inshore as well as offshore. The dogfish are feeding well and there are several whiting about too. I do believe there are probably more whiting around but there is still plenty of feed midwater to distract them. there are one or two codling showing but these are occasional fish so please don’t come down expecting to fill the freezer though. it is always nice to see them and Reg had our first one of the year. the thorn-backs are moving inshore now with some respectable numbers showing if we can beat the netting boats to them. we have also seen several smooth-hounds and even lost our first bass of the year the other day.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows

    26/02- 1 space offshore @ £100pp
    04/03-4 spaces @ £60pp
    05/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    12/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    19/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    25/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    26/03-offshore trip 5 spaces @ £100pp

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 15/02/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    15 Feb 2023 by Scott Belbin

    I thought I should get around to writing a round up of last years fishing aboard the Galloper before we get to far into 2023!
    The year started slowly, as seems to be the case nowadays. When we did get out, our inshore trips saw a mixture of flatties, whiting Rays and dogfish at first. Then as the sprats moved off and the water started to warm up more rays moved inshore, the dogfish came on the feed and everything came to life.
    Further offshore our main target are spurdog at the start of the year. Although when fishing is slow inshore it is nice to see anything decent put a bend in the rod. We catch smooth-hounds 12 months of the year off here nowadays and they always put a bend in the rod. Although at times we have to fight our way through the dogfish we can see a nice variety off there to start the year and 2022 was no different. In our first few trips we saw varying numbers of spurdogs and smooth-hounds, thorn-back rays, bass and even a blonde ray for Barry wood of 14.8lbs. of course there were countless dogfish in between along with several whiting and pouting too.
    As spring progressed our inshore trips continued to improve. The numbers of rays picked up although they were well down on previous years. I believe this is undoubtably linked to increased commercial pressure over the last few years which is of real concern to us. thankfully we still found enough to keep us busy though we had to work a bit harder for them. as we would expect there were plenty of whiting and dogfish mixed in with the rays and some of those whiting were an impressive size. It was also nice to see a few little codling showing in places too. These were only small (6-8inches) but perfectly formed and gave us a glimmer of hope that they aren’t totally extinct! Barry woods pulled another rarity out of the bag on a general trip too. We were fishing very close to shore when I hooked a very lively fish which at first I thought to be a bass. Imagine our surprise when a coalfish popped up from just a few feet of murky water!
    Nowadays we may expect to see hounds and bass offshore 12 months of the year but they do leave the inshore waters for a few months. The water temperature fluctuates far more in the shallower coastal waters. That said both arrived early in the year inshore too and numbers increased as we went into April. By the end of the month we had already seen our first double figure hound of the year. May saw the main influx of smooth-hounds move inshore to coincide with the first malt of the crabs. These are great fun to catch, particularly on our shallow water marks where action can be hectic and their fights are explosive. Grayson had what was probably the biggest hound of the year on his first trip for them. it was a fine fish in well in excess of 15lbs which he caught early on in the trip and released before I could weigh it such was his confidence of an even bigger one! The bass numbers picked up at the same time too which meant our general trips saw some nice variety.
    On our offshore trips our thoughts were turning towards early tope but not before one last decent hit of spurs. It turned out to be one of our best hits of spurs of the year. There were a lot of high doubles and several around and over 20lbs on weight. It all happened at once as a pack passed through. we had numerous multiple hook ups and to be honest I couldn’t keep up with the net so we ended up casually hand balling several double figure spurdogs aboard as if they were dogfish!
    We had to drag ourselves away from these fish as it was well past home time by now but we headed back the next day. experience prevented me from telling the lads about the previous days fishing and I was very glad of that as the pack had moved away overnight! We didn’t see one single spur the next day although we did catch other fish and it certainly wasn’t through lack of effort.
    Towards the end of the spurdog season they seem to spread out and move inshore. this is often when I see reports of other boats catching them. we also had a few mixed in with our general trips as well one or two unsuspecting anglers being bitten off by them.
    By mid-summer the general fishing was well under way, there can be some great mixed fishing at this time of year although the thorn-back rays do eventually thin out. The warmer weather brings the stingrays to the Thames estuary and after a couple of heat waves it was no surprise we had some aboard Galloper. Stephen Charles had has second ever sting ray from the same mark as his first came from the year before! These fish are always great to see this area was famed for producing some very big specimens and they love our shallow inshore waters.
    Further offshore our attention had turned to tope fishing by now, they seemed to be on the drag a little compared to recent years but we got off to a nice start with the first decent one being a male of 43lbs. I must admit we missed my favourite set of tides as I was away on holiday but thankfully we found a few when I returned. We had a couple of days where we had over 10 tope to the boat. Our best was 14 with some cracking fish amongst them. we saw several over 40lbs and the biggest going 49.8lb for Rolf Marschalek. Rolf caught the fish on a Tubertini match rod while he was retackling his uptider!
    Tope fishing often produces some big bass as bi-catch and 2022 was no different. There were several fine fish caught and one of the biggest fell to Honey Gage. Honey has a knack of catching decent fish and I think her secret could be her snazzy hat! I am seriously considering investing in one myself!
    Ian Hewett had one or two decent bass too, he certainly put enough time in for the tope last year. We had a really enjoyable day when he hired the boat on his own for a tope trip. I helped him keep 6 rods fishing on a day which started out slowly. Ian’s tackle had a thorough test when he hooked into what turned out to be a tangled mess of rope and metal from some sort of commercial boat. It must have been rolling around on the seabed for ages accumulating more rubbish along the way. This made it pretty heavy and it filled most of a 7stn fish box so is a testament to Ian’s knots and gear in general that it reached the boat. We pulled it out of the bag at the end of the day with a couple of 30’s a couple of 40’s and some dropped fish in the afternoon.
    Back inshore the general fishing was mostly made up of hounds and bass. There were a couple more runs of decent hounds and although none seemed as big as Grayson’s early season fish there were still some big fish amongst them. young Ernie looked very pleased with his first double figure hound. As did john with one of 15.8lbs.
    The heatwaves did seem to slow some of the fishing down a little but the settled weather meant the mackerel shoaled up so we had a few plays with those. The bass also used this settle weather to shoal up the whitebait and so our offshore trips changed focus to bass for the rest of the summer and autumn. A lot of the summer was spent chasing bass with lures when conditions suited and when they didn’t suit lures we caught them on bait in stead.
    One of our first offshore bass trips of the summer was with Jon Bish and the lads. After a prolonged settle spell the bass had shoaled up all over the place as far as the eye could see. We were spoiled for choice on where to fish and they were competing some much for our lures it wasn’t hard work catching them. we caught vast amounts of bass that day and had some great sport on light gear. It was one of those days when there were more bass than we could shake a shiny thing at! In fact we ended up steaming away from them to try for some mackerel as the lads were completely based out!
    We had a lot of very good bass trips throughout the summer and autumn and far too many to mention but I am sure everybody enjoyed them selves. hopefully we get to do it all again this year too. I also enjoyed seeing some slightly different lures and methods used to great effect when the fish weren’t feeding as hard. I look forward to learning more about those methods this year.
    We only managed a couple of days in the land of no fish last year. Either the weather didn’t play ball or I was already booked which prevented us heading off there. When we did go we managed some different species such as pollock, blonde ray, great weaver and black bream to name a few. I always look forwards to these trips and cant wait to try some new things this year if we get the opportunity.
    As we moved into autumn the rays moved back inshore and we even had one or two codling showing. Those fish we saw at 6-8 inches in the spring were now 14-18 inches long and always a welcome sight these days. The smooth-hounds stayed inshore very late in the year and the dabs turned up early! Everything seems different to what we used to expect nowadays.
    10 years ago I would be hoping for the first one or two double figure cod by late October. Instead last year I was catching big numbers of bass until the end of November and have no doubt they were still there until the end of the year.
    I mentioned Jon Bish’s party earlier and how they enjoyed some fantastic bass fishing on lures on their first trip of the summer. We spent the next trip bait fishing as those autumn fish got their heads down and scoffed our worm. We had some cracking chunky autumn fish on our baits. They had another trip after this fishing lures again but this time in the deep water where the lads got amongst more bass using another different method in another area. We even had a nice pollock to boot!
    We had a couple more trips here to finish off the offshore bass fishing for 2022, the last of which was in late November and you can read about that in this months sea angler magazine.
    As the year came to an end there were still a few codling and thorn-backs to be caught inshore as well as the usual whiting and dogfish plus a dab or pouting here and there. Further offshore the hounds were still showing as they did in every month of the year.
    Moving into this year things are already under way. Those codling that we saw in the autumn have been gorging them selves on sprats for the last couple of months which fattens them up for the spring. There are a few thorn-backs showing already and we have started targeting spur dogs on our offshore trips.
    I have individual spaces and possibility of full boat bookings over the coming months if you want to get out.
    Please be advised that a steady trickle of dates are filling up for 2023 so please get in touch asap if you require a specific date.
    It has been a very busy week with some cracking weather, the phone is ringing a bit more with every week that passes so please get in touch if you require specific dates for later in the year. The forecast looks good for a little while yet so don’t miss out. I have a few spaces in the next week aboard Galloper. I will try and find time to give you something more to read next week.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    18/02- 1 space £60pp
    19/02- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    25/02- 9 spaces @ £60pp or 7 spaces offshore @ £100pp
    26/02- 8 spaces @ £60pp or 6 spaces offshore @ £100pp
    05/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    12/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

  • 08/02/2023 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    8 Feb 2023 by Scott Belbin

    It has been a very busy week with some cracking weather and getting the Galloper back in the water. there are early signs of spring everywhere as the daffodils poke their heads up which usually means the spring run of thorn-backs isn't far away. last trip we had a few rays and expect their numbers to increase over the coming weeks as well as hoping for a little showing of codling too.
    the phone is ringing a bit more with every week that passes so please get in touch if you require specific dates for later in the year. The forecast looks good for a little while yet so don’t miss out. I have a few spaces in the next week aboard Galloper. I will try and find time to give you something more to read next week.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Spaces as follows
    12/02 (this Sunday)- offshore trip 1 space @ £100pp
    15/02- offshore trip 2 spaces @ £100pp
    18/02- 8 spaces £60pp
    19/02- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490
    25/02- 9 spaces @ £60pp or 7 spaces offshore @ £100pp
    26/02- 8 spaces @ £60pp or 6 spaces offshore @ £100pp
    05/03- individual spaces £60pp or full boat bookings from £490

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528

Previous 1 2 …7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 …25 26 Next
Add a Fishing Report