Angling Charter Captain
Bradwell on Sea, Essex
Mobile 07860 920 964
Tel 01621 776445 Mobile 07860 920 964
bellropes@btinternet.com
January, February, March & April 2011
Most of January was like most of December - messed up by terrible weather. With freezing temperatures, ice and snow it pretty much screwed the fishing up.
Early February things started to change and the weather and the fishing started to improve. By mid month the fishing was back to being good. There was a lot of codling in the 3 to 6 pound bracket back inshore. Thirty to fifty fish days were common with a few thornbacks mixed in with them. This trend continued all through March with some excellent spring codling fishing. The fish were in lovely condition averaging 4 to 5 pounds.
Through March the thornback numbers increased as well. Offshore some of the bigger cod returned with fish in the 10 to 16 pound range out there in good numbers if the weather permitted you to get there.
The fishing stayed the same through to mid April when the codling numbers started to decrease and the thornback numbers increased. Some days we were getting 40 plus fish between 5 and 15 pounds a day. This big increase in the thornback fishing is purely down to less commercial pressure.
Towards the end of April and early May good numbers of bass showed up with catches of up to 40 fish in the 2 to 6 pound range with the odd bigger fish mixed in.
May, June & July 2011
May is always the best month for big inshore thornbacks and this year it was better than usual. The weather was excellent and the fishing very consistent. Twenty, 30 or 40 a day was common with lots of fish over 10 pounds.
Offshore the bass fishing continued to be good, the first smoothounds arrived plus a few small to medium tope and towards the end of the month plenty of mackerel. June is always a good month for everything, the only disappointment was that the tope fishing was not very good. Whether this is just a cycle or something to do with the wind farm that they are building on out tope grounds I don't know only time will tell.
What there was on the tope ground was some excellent big bass fishing with numbers between 6 and 14 pounds.
The thornback, smoothound and bass fishing in the usual areas was again better than usual and this continued right through July where towards the end of the month the smoothound fishing got really good with 50 fish catches - many in double figures common.
August, September & October 2011
August and September were better than usual for bass and thornbacks. There were a lot of bass in the 3 to 5 pound range and a few bigger ones up to 11 lbs.
The smoothounds also hung on in decent numbers. There weren't many fish over 20 pound this year but there were more than usual in the 10 to 14 pound range.
This year the mackerel hung on longer than usual.
Towards the end of September a few whiting and codling moved inshore but not in any great numbers because of the exceptionally warm weather.
The weather in October was very mild which seemed to hold the cod back a little. A few came in but not in good numbers but the thornbacks stayed around to make up for it especially inshore. There were also plenty of whiting and dogfish.
November & December 2011
As the weather eventually cooled down the codling came inshore in good numbers and the thornbacks also stayed. In fact, the fishing through November and early December was good. Plenty of codling in the 2 to 4 pound range and plenty of thornbacks up to 30 a day some days mixed in with the codling which gave us excellent fishing.
A few larger cod moved in offshore, not in great numbers because the water was still too warm, but several fish in double figures with one or two over 20 pounds made life interesting.
Forecast for January, February & March 2012
The cod fishing in January is dependant of weather and sprats. There will be plenty of fish but you have to have the weather to get to them and hope there are not too many sprats about which can pre-occupy their feeding.
The sprats will be gone by the end of the month and the spring run which is traditionally the best time of year for small to medium cod will start about the middle of February. This year should be good because the Spring run of fish move in and join what is already there and this year there was a lot of codling already. We were catching upwards of 50 fish a day before Christmas and when the Spring run comes in on top of this lot it should be good.
The thornbacks will move back in as soon as the water temperature starts to increase, again usually mid February. This Spring fishing will continue right through to the second week of April.
Don't forget to get your bookings in early to get the best tides for the coming year. For advice on best tides and times of year please give me a call.
Bradwell on Sea, Essex
