West Sussex Catch Report - 11th January 2026

Good evening, the fishing has certainly been challenging lately mainly due to the weather which in turn has affected the numbers of anglers venturing out trying their luck and therefore reports of fish are lower than usual. With the winds back to south westerlies, coloured water and small tides there could be a return of some of the bigger species which tend to show plus general numbers of fish caught should increase so why not get the rods out and give it a try. 

Here are Worthing high tides times for the week ahead:

• Monday 12th January: 05:38 (4.8m), 18:09 (4.4m)
• Tuesday 13th January: 06:44 (4.6m), 19:24 (4.3m)
• Wednesday 14th January: 07:51 (4.6m) 20:27 (4.5m)
• Thursday 15th January: 08:47 (4.8m), 21:20 (4.8m)
• Friday 16th January:  09:36 (5.0m), 22:06 (5.1m)
• Saturday 17th January: 10:18 (5.3m), 22:46 (5.4m)

After a long spell of cold weather with brisk winds from the north resulting in calm and clear seas the weather finally turned towards the end of last week with yet another named storm bringing strong onshore winds and plenty of rain. The sea at present is choppy and coloured. Due to the recent storms the sand has again shifted locally so the seabed has altered vastly compared to a few weeks ago exposing rocks and in some cases, sand has been dumped at spots which was previously bedrock so worth considering checking at low tide if possible if you plan to fish from the beach. 

Whiting of a decent size have been caught recently although they do seem localised with lots of fish at some venues and yet hardly any at others. Whilst the water is coloured they should be caught both in daylight and darkness to most baits and they themselves can make good baits either dead or alive when targeting Congers. 

It is the time of year when Dabs can be worth targeting and beaches in East Sussex such as Eastbourne and Pevensey can be worth a trip using baits such as black lug. The Dabs can show locally but, in less numbers, and not a guarantee but Shoreham, Hove, Brighton and Seaford produce a few fish. 

Flounders will be caught in the right conditions with fish in reasonable numbers showing from the River Adur whilst the beaches have seen a few fish caught to worm baits in settled seas. 

Within the next few weeks, it is possible the Plaice will arrive inshore at the usual venues such as Shoreham, Hove, Brighton, Seaford and Eastbourne. A few small fish along with the odd just sizable ones have already been caught but late January into February is when it should kick off if conditions are ideal, such as calm and clear seas. 

Although the odd fish is certainly a possibility the Conger fishing tends to slow down this time of year as the water temperature drops but conditions are good for a few fish to be caught with Worthing Pier worth ago. 

Dogfish should again be caught at most venues and to most baits both during the day and at night. The odd small Bull Huss could show in amongst the Dog shoals. 

Bass could be caught when the sea is choppy and coloured both at high or low tide depending on the venue and although Bass numbers do drop this time of year, they remain a realistic target and certainly worth trying for. The local rivers have produced a few fish in the lower stretches with crab baits picking out the better fish. 

Rays seem scarce but Bognor, Aldwick or Pagham could be worth trying for Thornbacks or Undulates whilst Eastbourne, Hove and Seaford could produce a few Thornbacks. 

Other species likely to feature in catches include Rocklings, the odd Silver Eel, and some Jumbo Pouts can randomly show up. If the water does clear within the next few weeks Herring are likely to return. 

Prime Angling usual opening times are 8am till 5pm Monday to Saturday and 8am till 4pm Sundays. We are located at 26 Marine Parade, Worthing, BN11 3PT, just to the east of Worthing Pier with limited customer parking available at the front of the shop. For bait availability it is advisable to phone us on 01903 821594. We also stock a large variety of frozen sea baits as well as a wide range of freshwater baits and tackle. 

Visit our online website at primeangling.co.uk with plenty of new stock regularly added so keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates. 

Please send us pictures of your recent local catches via our Facebook page messenger or email and we will aim to publish them for you in the weekly report. Please note we DO NOT claim ANY FISH used and mentioned in our reports are caught on our baits or tackle, it is a report to show what has and is likely to be caught locally.