West Sussex Catch Report - 1st December 2024
Report by David Lewis
Good evening, after last weekend's storm hopes were high of some really good fishing locally, although catches have improved slightly it is still not yet producing results we would usually expect for the time of year but some good news is Worthing Pier is expected to open next week on Wednesday 4th December after being closed for repairs from structural damage so why not get the rods out and give it a try.
Here are Worthing high tides times for the week ahead:
- Monday 2nd December: 11:34 (5.7m)
- Tuesday 3rd December: 00:00 (5.8m), 12:08 (5.7m)
- Wednesday 4th December: 00:36 (5.7m), 12:45 (5.7m)
- Thursday 5th December: 01:16 (5.6m), 13:27 (5.6m)
- Friday 6th December: 02:03 (5.6m), 14:14 (5.5m)
- Saturday 7th December: 02:56 (5.5m), 15:11 (5.3m)
After the strong winds last weekend they eased although some days remained rather breezy, and the sea remains choppy and coloured. Winds on small tides resulted in some beaches being stripped of sand so worth checking low tide for beaches you plan to fish as the seabed may have altered.
This past week has seen an increase in the number of Schoolies along with some reasonable sized Bass which have been caught throughout the region and a nice fish of 65cm was caught at Widewater Friday evening during a club match to lug worm baits. Bass should remain whilst the weather stays mild and can still be worth targeting from the lower stretches of the local rivers and from the Harbour and Marina.
The Flounder fishing is improving with the Adur seeing fish showing to worm baits and this type of fishing is handy when the beaches are unfishable due to bad weather. A few Flounders are also appearing from the beaches with some caught from East Preston and Shoreham last week. The occasional Sole is still being caught along with a few small Plaice and Dabs.
Whiting seems present at most venues but not in the numbers which can be caught at this time of year. Shoreham, Hove and East Preston have produced fish in numbers one day and not the next. Dogfish have been more prolific and both species can show in daytime and at night when the water is coloured.
Usually, this time of year some big Congers are normally figuring regularly in catches but bar a few straps and the odd double there seems to be a lack of decent sized Eels. If the Whiting shoals increase the Congers may soon follow and will be caught to big fish baits.
Catches of Rays seem very scarce but still they maybe a viable target with venues such as Selsey and Pagham offering the chance to catch either a Thornback or Undulate. Hove, Seaford and Eastbourne might see the odd Thornback.
Other species anglers could encounter include Silver Eels from the beach or rivers, the occasional Bull Huss is also a slight possibility as well as Pout and small Smoothounds. Mullet and Herring are still being netted very close to shore during settled weather.
Prime Angling is open 7 days a week; opening hours are 8am till 5pm – Monday to Saturday and Sunday 8am – 4pm, 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. With Christmas just a month away we have everything Anglers want on their Christmas list so pop in and we have gift vouchers available too.
Please feel free to 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.
Good luck and Tight Lines!
