West Sussex Catch Report - 1st February 2026

Report by David Lewis

Good evening, the fishing locally remains steady but unspectacular with plenty of smaller fish showing plus there are a reasonable number of species to target and as we enter February thankfully it should not be too long before the fishing improves and hopefully the Plaice run should occur once the weather and winds finally settles but in the mean time there are still enough fish to keep the rod tips rattling so why not get out and give it a go. 

Here are Worthing high tides times for the week ahead:

• Monday 2nd February: 11:34 (6.0m)
• Tuesday 3rd February: 00:09 (6.2m), 12:20 (6.1m)
• Wednesday 4th February: 00:51 (6.2m) 13:01 (6.1m)
• Thursday 5th February: 01:29 (6.2m), 13:38 (6.0m)
• Friday 6th February:  02:04 (6.0m), 14:13 (5.8m)
• Saturday 7th February: 02:37 (5.8m), 14:48 (5.5m)

The weather for the past week has again seen plenty of wind and rain and the sea has for much of the week been rough or choppy and very coloured. 

Anglers at this time of year and especially when the sea is calming down and starting to clear turn their attention to target flatfish locally usually with worm baits. With big tides this week and if the winds ease there is a slight possibility that at some venues the water clarity could improve to offer a realistic chance of catching a Plaice or two. Coloured water and calm seas will still mean flatfish could show but these will more likely be Dabs and Flounders depending on where you are fishing with sandy East Sussex beaches probably the best areas to target flatfish from the shore. Even the odd small Sole has been caught recently locally. 

Flounders seem to be showing up at most venues but in not great numbers and again worm baits account for most fish and although the local rivers are not producing fish like previous winters, they still are probably the most reliable venue to find a few Flounders especially during darkness. 

Although there still are the odd Congers being reported there are not many Eels being caught with a few in the 6 to 10lb range. Congers can show from most venues with Shoreham Harbour or Worthing Pier worth a try live baiting a Whiting so ensure you have a drop net when fishing for them and use suitable end tackle. 
 
Whiting are still being caught throughout the region but seem to be down on numbers compared to previous winters although some reasonable sized fish are still being caught and at present the very small “pins” have not turned up. Whiting on occasions can make good baits for some of the bigger species and worth using either dead or alive for Bass and Congers. 

Dogfish like the Whiting are caught throughout the region but some venues seem to have more fish than others and they have been caught both during the day and at night whilst the water is coloured. 

Please remember for all of February and March the Bass ban is in place and ALL BASS must be returned alive so at present it is catch and release only for Bass. From April anglers will be allowed to retain a maximum of 3 Bass of 42cm or over per day. Bass are still being caught with a mixture of sized fish from very small up to the odd fish around 4lb. Some beaches have seen fish to over 3lb caught to worm baits in choppy seas and coloured water. The lower stretches of the local rivers tend to hold a few better fish with peeler crab picking out the larger fish whilst worms produce more Schoolies.

There are plenty of other species featuring in catches including Rockling which are certainly increasing in numbers along with the odd Pout and Silver Eels. Thornback Rays could appear from the usual spots such as Eastbourne, Hove and Bognor. If the water does clear at deeper venues towards next weekend a few Herring are likely to be caught.

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. 

Good luck & Tight Lines!