United Kingdom, South Coast Fishing Report Today

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing rundown.

We’ll start with the tide: along the Solent and Dorset stretch we’ve got a decent set of springy tides rolling through tonight and into tomorrow, with low water around first light and a healthy push of flood through the morning. That flood over banks and reef edges is switching the fish on nicely, especially around headlands and harbour mouths.

Weather-wise, it’s classic changeable English fare: light to moderate south‑westerlies, mostly settled with broken cloud and the odd clearer spell. Air temps are mild, sea temps hovering in the mid‑teens, enough to keep bass and mackerel active close in. Sunrise is around twenty past four, sunset just after nine, so you’ve got long, lazy evenings and a short, sharp dawn window.

Fish activity’s been lively in patches. Local charter skippers out of Brighton and Portsmouth have reported mackerel shoals in good numbers a mile or two off, with slivers of feather rigs coming back full most drifts when the sounder’s lit up. Inshore, schoolie bass are showing along surf beaches and around piers, with the odd better fish nudging the 5–6 lb mark. From Weymouth round to Swanage there’ve been plaice and dabs on the cleaner ground, plus dogfish keeping the rods nodding after dark. The wrecks further off are still producing pollack and ling for the boats willing to steam.

On lures, think natural and subtle in the clear water. Small **silver or blue metal jigs**, 20–40 g, are doing the business for mackerel and schoolie bass when worked fast through mid‑water. Soft plastics in the 4–5 inch range – **white, sandeel or motor‑oil shads** on 7–14 g jig heads – are deadly along reefy edges and in the current lines. Around pier lights at dusk, tiny **white paddle‑tails** and **slim minnow plugs** are tempting bass and the odd garfish.

If you’re fishing bait, fresh is king. **Ragworm and lugworm** are scoring for plaice, dabs and general mixed bags on two‑ or three‑hook flappers, especially on the last of the flood and first of the ebb. For bass, a **peeler crab** or a neat **mackerel fillet** fished just behind the surf line is hard to beat. Mackerel strips and squid cocktails are pulling in rays and dogs from the slightly rougher ground.

Couple of hotspots to consider:

First, **Chesil Beach** – classic shingle, deep water close, and with these tides you’ve a real shot at mixed bags of mackerel, gurnard, rays and the ever‑present dogfish, especially into the evening on a flooding tide.

Second, the **Brighton Marina area** – both the walls and nearby inshore ground are worth a go, with mackerel, bass and occasional bream showing when the tide’s running and the water has a bit of colour.

Work the tide, keep an eye on the wind, and don’t be afraid to move if the mark feels lifeless – right now, the fish are there if you go looking and keep changing tactics.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report.

On the Channel side from Dorset through Hampshire to Sussex, we’ve had a run of settled high‑pressure weather: light north‑westerlies easing through the day, mostly dry, with broken cloud and good visibility. Air temps are sitting low teens at dawn, pushing up towards high teens by late afternoon. Sunrise is just after 4:40 a.m. with sunset around 9:20 p.m., giving a long, bright fishing window.

Tides along the central South Coast are on the bigger side, with a lively flood pushing in mid‑morning and again late evening, and plenty of movement over the banks and in the harbour mouths. The stronger parts of the flood and the first of the ebb have been the key bite times, especially for predators.

Inshore, bass fishing has perked up nicely. Local charter skippers out of Brighton and Shoreham report consistent schoolies with a fair few fish nudging the 4–6 lb mark coming off the rough ground and in the surf lines. Weymouth boats have also seen mixed bags of bass, pollack, and the odd codling from the inshore wrecks. Shore anglers working evening tides along Chesil and the shingle marks in Sussex have picked up bass, smoothhounds, and plenty of dogfish.

Flatfish action has been steady rather than spectacular. Plaice are still showing on clean sand marks off Hayling and Bracklesham, with smaller fish common and the odd better plate‑sized one mixed in. Bream fishing over inshore reefs off Selsey and the Isle of Wight has been good, with some tidy double‑figure bags on the right tides.

For lures, bass are falling to **white or silver sandeel‑style soft plastics**, slim paddle tails, and 20–30 g metal jigs worked fairly briskly through the mid‑water in that pushing tide. In clearer water, natural baitfish colours and subtle presentations are doing best; when it colours up, a bit of chartreuse or pink is turning lookers into takers. Surface plugs and walk‑the‑dog stickbaits are worth a go at first light over shallow reefs and surfy beaches.

For bait, **lugworm and ragworm** still top the list for general clean‑ground work, with peeler crab a must if you’re targeting bass and smoothhounds along the surf beaches. Fresh mackerel strip or squid cocktail is doing the business for rays and dogfish, and small squid or worm baits are accounting for plaice and bream.

A couple of hotspots to keep an eye on:

- **Chesil Beach (Dorset)** – Especially the Portland end into the evening flood. Good chance of bass in the surf, smoothhounds and rays further out, plus the usual dogfish and pout. Keep mobile, look for colour lines and working gulls.

- **Selsey to Bracklesham (West Sussex)** – The banks and gullies here have produced bass, bream, and rays on both bait and lures. Work the flooding tide along the channels, and don’t ignore the last light surface activity close in.

If you’re heading out, fish the stronger parts of the tide, keep an eye on the wind against tide making it choppy over shallows, and pack both lures and bait to stay flexible.

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Evening folks, Artificial Lure here with your South Coast fishing report.

We’re on the back end of a waxing gibbous moon and the tides have been pushing hard along the Channel. Down Portsmouth and Solent way it’s been classic big spring water: proper flooding late afternoon, then a lively ebb running into the dark. Over Brighton, Shoreham and along to Newhaven, the evening high has been stacking bait tight to the beaches, especially around piers and harbour mouths. Around Poole and Christchurch Harbour, that same push has been pulling baitfish over the bars and onto the flats.

Weather-wise it’s been settled but fresh, with a westerly breeze putting a gentle chop on open marks and a bit more shelter inside the harbours. Air temps are mild, sea temps running in the mid-teens, enough to keep the bass and mackerel switched on. Skies have been broken cloud with some clear spells, giving those magic low-light windows at first and last light. Sunrise has been early, with usable light in the 4-ish hour, and sunset late, keeping the evening session going well into the night.

Fish activity has picked up nicely. Along the Sussex beaches there’ve been steady schoolie bass with the odd better fish nudging a few pounds, plus mixed bags of plaice, flounder and dabs for the bait anglers. Night tides have seen dogfish and the occasional small smoothhound nosing in. Off the piers, mackerel shoals have been showing in flurries rather than all-out mayhem, but when they’re in you can fill a bucket quickly on small metals or feathers.

In the Solent and around Hayling and Selsey, bass have been the main talking point: plenty of fish mid-40s cm with a few proper lumps for those working artificials over rough ground and gutter lines. Wrasse have been active over the reefs and rockier marks, smashing soft plastics fished tight to structure. Poole Bay and Christchurch have produced some nice rays and smoothhounds on crab and squid cocktails, with school bass picking up smaller baits.

Best lures right now: small to mid-size metal jigs and slim shore spoons for mackerel and schoolie bass; 4–5 inch paddle-tail and straight-tail soft plastics in natural baitfish colours for working surf gutters and harbour entrances; and weedless, slightly weighted soft plastics for probing rough and snaggy ground. On the bait front, ragworm and lug are still top choices for general beach work, with peeler crab, squid and mackerel strip doing the damage for rays, hounds and better bass.

Couple of hotspots to keep in mind: Brighton Marina walls have been producing mackerel, garfish and bass on both bait and lures when the water colours up just right; and around Langstone and Chichester Harbour entrances, the flooding tide into dusk has been very kind to lure anglers targeting bass along the channels and sandbars. Further west, Hengistbury Head into Christchurch Bay continues to throw up mixed bags of rays, bass and flatfish for those willing to move and locate the fish.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report.

Down the Channel tonight we’re sat under a light westerly, 8–12 knots in most places, with a mild swell and decent clarity in the bays. Met Office coastal inshore waters forecasts have been calling it settled and dry with patchy cloud and only the odd shower brushing through. Temperatures are cool after dark but not cold enough to push fish off the feed.

From Portsmouth round to Brighton you’ve had moderate spring tides: decent push on the flood, easing off towards the top. Highs have been falling late evening, with lows pushing into the small hours, giving a cracking dusk flood for anyone working lures off the stones and pier walls. Sunrise is now early, just after 4:40 local, with sunset around 21:20, so that last light window is long and productive.

Local reports along the Solent and Sussex beaches say bass have been very active into dark over the flooding tide, particularly around rough ground, groynes and harbour mouths. Plenty of schoolies with a sprinkling of 4–6 lb fish. Mixed in you’ve got mackerel shoals crashing in tight when the sprats and sandeels ball up, plus a few garfish and scad after dark under any decent pier lighting.

Offshore and from the charter boats, there’ve been steady bream on the inshore reefs, plus a few tope and huss for those dropping fresh mackerel flappers on the deeper banks. Plaice and dabs still turning up over the cleaner sand patches, especially where there’s a bit of tide but not ripping.

Lure wise, keep it simple and local. For bass and mackerel off the beach or rocks, small 20–30 g silver and blue metal jigs, slim sandeel-pattern soft plastics on 10–20 g heads, and shallow-diving white or natural-coloured minnows have been doing damage. Work them quickly during the brighter part of the evening, then slow and closer to the bottom as the light fades. Around structure, weedless paddle tails in dark olive, black or brown are outfishing the rest in the rough.

Bait anglers are doing best with fresh ragworm and lug on two-hook flappers for bream, pout and flatties. For bass, a big peeler crab or fresh mackerel or squid strip on a simple running ledger is hard to beat, fished just behind the first breaker. Mackerel feathers and sabikis are still filling cool boxes when the shoals push in – swap to smaller, more subtle rigs if they’re finicky in the clearer water.

A couple of hotspots to keep in mind:

– Around Chichester Harbour entrance and the surrounding surf beaches: moving water, baitfish and structure. Fish the first of the flood into dusk with soft plastics for bass, then swap to bait into dark.

– The Brighton/Hove stretch of rock groynes and nearby reefy ground: great lure water on a flooding tide with a bit of chop. Mackerel, bass, and the odd wrasse hugging the rocks if you slow things down and bump a soft plastic along the bottom.

As always, keep an eye on those tide tables, fish the changes, and don’t ignore that last hour of light – it’s been the difference between a quiet night and a session to remember.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report for tonight and the day ahead.

Down the **Solent and central South Coast**, we’re sitting on a **waxing gibbous** moon with decent movement on the bigger tides. Around Portsmouth, Chichester and Langstone harbours, expect **stronger flows on the mid‑tide run**, easing off over slack water. Those middle hours of the flood and early ebb will be your prime windows for lure work over banks and channel edges.

Weather along the South Coast is set fair: light **westerly to south‑westerly breeze**, mostly settled, with broken cloud and decent visibility. Air temps are mild, the water’s comfortably warmed up now, which has **bass, mackerel and scad** pushing closer in after dark and at first light. Sunrise is roughly **just after 4:40 am**, sunset **just before 9:30 pm**, so your real money times are that first hour either side of dawn and dusk, plus the darker middle of the night on the bigger tides.

Recent reports from local charter skippers and pier regulars along **Brighton, Shoreham and Worthing** have seen **good numbers of mackerel** in feather‑length strings on the evening flood, with a few **gurnard and pout** mixed in on bait. Weymouth and Portland boats have been into **pollack, wrasse and the odd codling** on inshore reefs, with plenty of **dogfish** mopping up baits on the softer ground. Shore anglers around **Hayling and Selsey** are finding **school bass with the odd better fish**, plus **smoothhound and rays** on crab and squid baits.

For **lures**, keep it simple:

- For **bass**: 10–20 g **white or sandeel‑pattern soft plastics** on a jig head, small **surface walkers** and **slim diving minnows** fished over rough ground, gullies and estuary mouths at first light or into dusk.

- For **mackerel and scad**: small **metal jigs and casting lures** (15–30 g) in silver or blue, worked fast through mid‑water, or standard **feathers** if you’re filling the freezer.

- For **wrasse and pollack** off the rocks: weedless **creature baits** and paddle tails in natural browns and greens, bounced tight to kelp and rock faces.

Best **baits** shoreside right now:

- **Peeler crab or hardback**, prime for bass and smoothhound.

- **Fresh rag and lugworm** for general bits, flats and small bream.

- **Squid or mackerel strip** for rays, dogfish and anything cruising the gutters after dark.

Couple of **hot spots** to put on your list:

- **Chichester Harbour / Eastney–Hayling entrances**: work soft plastics and surface lures on the flooding tide around the bar and channels for bass, particularly at first light with a bit of chop on the water.

- **Brighton Marina walls**: great platform for mackerel, scad and bass on metals and float fished baits; fish the outer wall on the flooding tide into dusk, and keep a lure rod handy for surprise bass smashing baitfish tight to the structure.

If you’re heading out tonight, travel light, watch your footing on weeded rock and wall, and always keep an eye on that rising tide, especially in the harbours and under cliffs.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report.

We’ve got a classic settled summer pattern running along the Channel. Light west to south‑westerly breeze most of the day, picking up a touch in the afternoon, then easing off into the evening. Skies are a mix of bright spells and cloud, with only the odd light shower hinted at by the inshore forecasts. Air temps are sitting comfortably in the mid‑teens to around 18–19°C; sea temps nudging 15–17°C inshore, just warm enough to get the baitfish and predators on the move.

Tides today are on the making side of mid‑range springs. Expect a decent push, especially around headlands and harbour mouths, so plan your sessions around the top and bottom of the tide if you’re boat or kayak, and that last two hours of the flood and first of the ebb if you’re on the rocks or beaches. First light comes in the very early hours, with proper sunrise soon after, and sunset late evening, leaving a long, fishy dusk that’s been the prime window all week.

Reports from local charter skippers and marina gossip up and down the South Coast have been positive. Out of Weymouth and Portland, boats are seeing steady bream, gurnard, a few huss and the odd tope on the banks, with mackerel shoals finally starting to show more consistently. Brighton and Shoreham boats have had mixed bags of bass, smoothhound and rays over the inshore banks, plus plenty of pout and dogfish on the rougher ground. Further west, out of Poole and the Solent, smoothhounds and rays are keeping anglers busy, with some decent bream on the ledges and inshore reefs.

From the shore, the night and low‑light sessions are out‑fishing the bright middle of the day. Beach anglers are picking up schoolies and the odd better bass in the surf, plus dogfish, small rays and the first proper run of mackerel and scad once the light drops. LRF anglers working harbours and marina walls are finding wrasse, pollack, scorpion fish and plenty of small schoolies tight to structure.

Bait‑wise, ragworm is still king on the South Coast: threaded on size 2–1 hooks for bream, wrasse and general scratching; bigger bunches for bass and hounds. Peeler crab and hardback are doing the damage on smoothhound, with squid and bluey cocktails excellent for rays. Mackerel strip remains the go‑to for dogs and general bits, and whole joey mackerel or launce are tempting better bass and tope from the boats.

For lures, keep it simple. Small metal jigs and slim spinners in the 20–40 g range are perfect for mackerel and schoolie bass off piers and rock marks. Soft plastics on 7–14 g jigheads fished close to the bottom are picking up wrasse and pollack around rough ground and harbour walls; natural baitfish and sand‑eel colours are working best in the clearer water. On the open beaches in a bit of surf, white or silver paddle‑tails and surface walkers fished at dawn and dusk are finding the more active bass.

A couple of hotspots to put on your list:

First, the rock and reef ground around Portland Bill. Fished on a flooding tide with ragworm and crab, it’s producing wrasse, bream and bass, and on settled evenings it’s a cracking spot for plugging and soft‑plastics for bass and pollack.

Second, the beaches and piers around Brighton and Shoreham. The piers are throwing up mackerel, pout and schoolie bass to both bait and lures, while the beaches produce rays, hounds and bass after dark on crab and fish baits, especially around the bigger tides.

In short, it’s very much a case of fish the tides, fish the light, and match your tackle to the ground. Keep mobile, keep your rigs simple, and you’ll find fish.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report.

Along the Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex stretch it’s been a settled, early‑summer pattern: light to moderate south‑westerlies most of the day, easing in the evenings, with decent clarity inshore except where the wind’s pushed a bit of colour into the surf beaches. Daytime temps have been mild, cooling off nicely after sunset. Sunrise is around the very early hours, with sunset late evening, giving you long, workable dawn and dusk windows.

Tides along the central Channel are on a steady set of springs: big pushes, plenty of run over the banks and reefy ground. Over most of the south coast you’re looking at mid‑morning and late‑evening highs, with lively flood tides giving the best bite. Slack water has been predictably quiet; the hour either side of the tide turning is where it’s at.

Bass have woken up properly. Shore lads around Hayling, Selsey and Brighton’s rockier marks are reporting schoolies with the odd better fish up into the 5–6 lb bracket. The night tides have been the pick, especially where there’s a bit of surf and baitfish showing. Soft‑plastics in natural baitfish colours, small surface walkers at first light, and simple 3"–5" paddle tails on light jig heads have all been doing damage. For bait, peeler crab, fresh lug and whole sandeel are the stand‑outs.

Plaice and dabs are still showing across the shingle and clean sand – think Christchurch Bay, Bracklesham and the wider Solent. Two‑ and three‑hook flappers baited with rag, lug and a bit of coloured bead are turning up mixed bags, mostly hand‑sized fish with the odd better plate‑sized plaice when the tide’s not tearing.

Further offshore and on the deeper marks, charter skippers out of Poole, Lymington and Brighton have been finding smoothhounds, rays and the odd tope. Smoothies are really on the crabs now: whole peeler or hardbacks doing the trick. Thornbacks and small‑eyes are coming to fish baits – mackerel, squid and bluey. Where there’s proper tide, keep rigs simple: pulley pennels, strong hooks, nothing fancy.

Speaking of mackerel, they’re starting to show in more consistent numbers. Piers and headlands like Brighton Marina, South Parade Pier and the outer harbour walls have seen small shoals push through on the bigger tides. Standard feathers, sabiki rigs or a small silver jig worked mid‑water are enough when they’re in.

Lure anglers after wrasse and pollack have had joy around Portland, Swanage and the rough ground near Selsey. Weedless soft‑plastics, small metal jigs and slim minnow plugs worked tight to structure are the way to go. Expect plenty of smaller fish with the chance of a better wrasse if you fish close and patient.

A couple of hot spots to put on your list right now:

– The eastern side of **Selsey Bill**, fishing the flooding tide into darkness for bass and rays.

– **Brighton Marina** walls, especially on a pushing evening tide, for mackerel, bass mooching under the wall, and mixed bottom species.

In short, work the tides, favour low light, travel light with a mix of crab, worm and fish baits, and always have a small selection of naturallooking soft‑plastics and a topwater or two in the bag. The fish are there if you time it right.

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This is Artificial Lure with your South Coast UK fishing report.

We’ve just come off the back of the evening tides and it’s been a decent spell for both shore and boat anglers from Dorset round to Sussex. I’ll keep it local and straight.

Along much of the Channel coast the evening tide has been a **falling tide through dusk**, with a decent bit of run – exactly what you want for bass and rays in the surf. Light north‑westerlies easing off have kept the sea reasonably calm, with a gentle chop on the open beaches. Skies have been mostly clear to broken cloud, cool after dark, and that bit of clarity has given good water visibility in the bays but still enough colour off the surf beaches for confidence.

Sunset’s been just after **9 pm** with first light creeping in well before **5 am**, so your prime windows right now are:

- Last two hours of the flood into dusk.

- First light through the top of the morning tide.

**Fish activity and recent catches**

From reports on local charter pages and tackle shops along the coast:

- **Bass**: Good numbers of schoolies with the odd better fish to 6–7 lb from the Sussex and Hampshire surf beaches and harbour mouths. Peeler crab and fresh lug have been the standouts. After dark, small paddle‑tail shads and shallow‑diving minnows have picked off fish in the first gutter.

- **Plaice & bream**: Out on the banks off Brighton, Selsey and the eastern Isle of Wight, boats have seen steady plaice to around 2–3 lb with black lug and rag tipped with squid. Black bream showing well over rough ground and inshore reefs, plenty of fish in the 1–3 lb bracket.

- **Smoothhounds**: The hounds are well in across the Solent and down towards Sussex. Crab baits fished in the tide on pulley rigs are taking double‑figure fish; several local boats and pier regulars have reported multiple hound sessions on evening tides.

- **Rays & conger**: Small‑eyed and thornback rays from the Bristol Channel–facing marks further west and also from some Hampshire and Dorset banks. Mackerel, squid or bluey on a simple up‑and‑over is doing the trick. Conger still very active after dark on the reefs and pier piles.

- **Mackerel**: Sporadic but improving shoals close in when the light’s low. Feathers at first and last light are your best bet.

**Best lures and bait right now**

- For **bass**:

- Lures: 4–5 inch white or natural‑coloured paddle‑tail shads, surface walkers for the calm spells at first light, and slim diving plugs around the harbour mouths.

- Bait: Peeler crab, fresh lugworm, whole sandeel or mackerel strip in the surf.

- For **hounds and rays**:

- Peeler crab is king for smoothhounds.

- Squid, bluey or mackerel fillet for rays and conger.

- For **plaice and bream**:

- Ragworm or black lug, small hooks, light gear, beads and blades for plaice.

- Rag and squid cocktail or strips of squid for bream over rough ground.

**Couple of current hot spots**

- **Bracklesham & East Wittering (West Sussex)**: Surf beaches producing bass in the evening surf and smoothhounds once it’s properly dark, especially around the bigger tides. Fish close in; don’t blast it to France.

- **Chesil Beach (Dorset)**: Still the banker. Mixed bags of bream, rays, dogfish and the chance of a decent bass, with mackerel showing on the deeper stretches. Evening and dawn sessions on a moving tide are giving the best returns.

If you’re heading out, keep an eye on local harbour notices and inshore forecasts, and fish the tide changes – that’s when it’s happening.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report, covering the stretch from Dorset round to Sussex.

We’re sat on small neap tides now, so tidal run is gentler than it’s been all week. Expect lows mid‑morning and late evening, with highs pushing early afternoon and just after midnight on most of the Hampshire and Sussex marks. That softer flow is ideal for working lures in close and presenting baits neatly on the beaches and in the harbours.

Weather’s been settled: light to moderate westerlies, a calm to slight sea for most inshore spots, and just a bit of onshore ripple on the open beaches. Skies are a mix of broken cloud and clear spells, with a cool, fresh feel overnight and a comfortable, bright daytime. Sunrise is around twenty‑past four, with sunset near nine‑thirty in the evening, giving you a long window for those prime low‑light bite times at dawn and dusk.

Fish activity has perked up nicely with the stable conditions. Bass have been the main draw along the surf beaches and rougher ground marks. There’ve been good numbers of schoolies with the odd better fish over 5 lb coming from the shingle and sand‑to‑rock transitions. Night tides and first light have produced the better stamp, especially where you’ve got baitfish and a bit of fizz in the waves.

Plaice fishing on the cleaner sand has been steady rather than frantic, with a few decent-sized fish showing to blinged‑up rigs tipped with worm and a strip of squid. Bream are moving in on the inshore reefs and rough ground, giving good sport on lighter tackle when the tide eases. A few rays have shown from the deeper beaches and in the Solent channels, mostly small‑eyed and thornback, with the odd better fish sneaking in on fresh fish baits.

Best lures for bass right now are slim minnows and surface walkers in natural sandeel and silver patterns. Soft plastics on weedless hooks are working well over the rough ground and kelpy gullies – think pale, translucent shads and paddletails in the 4–5 inch range. When the light’s low or the water’s a bit coloured, something with a touch of chartreuse or a darker silhouette can turn lookers into takers.

For bait anglers, ragworm and lugworm are still hard to beat on the beaches and in the estuaries, especially for plaice, flounder, and school bass. Fresh mackerel strips, squid, and sandeel are doing the damage for rays and better bass. In the harbours and marinas, small bits of rag or maddies on light gear are picking up mini species and the odd surprise bream or wrasse around structure.

A couple of hotspots to have on your radar:

First, **Chesil Beach**, particularly the Portland end. Work the surf line at first light with surface lures for bass, then switch to bait for plaice and the chance of a ray as the sun gets up. Keep mobile, looking for any colour lines and shoals of fry.

Second, **Pagham and the Bognor area** in West Sussex. On a flooding evening tide with a bit of surf, bass patrol close in, and there’s always the chance of a ray or a better fish if you put in the time with fresh bait. Fish light and keep your casts short; the fish often run right under your feet.

Closer to the Solent, inshore reefs off Hayling and Selsey are worth a look for bream and bass from boat or kayak, especially as the tide eases at either end of the flow.

That’s your South Coast round‑up from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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I’m Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing rundown.

On the Channel side from Dorset round to Kent, we’re sitting under a settled early‑summer pattern: light to moderate west–southwesterlies, mostly dry, air temps in the mid‑teens Celsius, and sea temps hovering around 14–16°C. According to the Met Office coastal outlook, that means comfortable conditions and decent water clarity in the more sheltered bays.

Tides along the central Channel—think Portsmouth, Brighton, Eastbourne—are on a **springy** side of mid‑range right now, with a good push of water on the flood and a sharp ebb. Highs are falling in the late afternoon to early evening window, which lines up nicely with the prime feeding spell. Local harbour boards are showing roughly 4.5–5.5 m ranges depending where you are, so expect a bit of tide run over banks and reefs.

Sunrise across the South Coast is just after 4:40 a.m., with sunset around 9:15 p.m., giving you a long, lazy day but the real action has been stacked in the low‑light slots. First light and that last 90 minutes before dark have been the money periods.

Catch reports from shore and small boats this week have been encouraging. Charter skippers out of Weymouth and Brighton have been seeing consistent **bream**, **pollack**, and mixed **wrasse** over the rough ground, with plenty of school **bass** showing on inshore banks. Pier and beach anglers from Bournemouth through to Shoreham are picking up **mackerel** on the evening tides, with scattered **garfish**, plus the odd better **ray** and **cong** from the deeper marks. Kent’s open beaches have turned up **dogfish**, **smoothhound pups**, and a sprinkling of **sole** on the smaller night tides.

Fish activity is very tide‑led: the flood is key, especially the middle third when the tide is really rolling. Bass and mackerel are pushing bait tight to structure—harbour mouths, pier ends, and any rough patches off the sand. Over slack water things quieten noticeably, then fire back up as the ebb starts.

For lures, keep it simple and match what’s in the water. Slim **metal jigs and small feathers** are still the quickest way to find mackerel from piers and headlands. For bass, **white or sandeel‑coloured soft plastics** on 10–20 g jigheads are outfishing most other options, especially fished slow and low along the current edge. Surface plugs—pencil poppers and walk‑the‑dog styles—are starting to score in the evening chop where there’s a bit of breeze over shallow reef.

If you’re bait fishing, fresh is king. **Ragworm** and **lugworm** are picking up bream, wrasse, and general bits from rough ground. **Peeler crab** or good crab cocktail baits are tempting the better bass and smoothhounds. For rays and conger, step up to **mackerel, squid, or bluey** on heavier gear after dark from the deeper rock and pier marks.

Two hot spots to keep in mind:

- **Chesil Beach, Dorset** – Classic early‑summer form: mackerel and gars on the day tides, with bream and the chance of rays as the light drops. Watch the swell and don’t push your luck in any onshore blow.

- **Brighton Marina walls, Sussex** – Producing mackerel, bass, and wrasse on a mix of lures and bait. Work the corners and any visible tide lines, especially around the top of the flood into dusk.

Closer to the Solent, shallow banks and harbour mouths—Langstone, Chichester, and the approaches to Portsmouth—are all worth a go for schoolies on small soft plastics, particularly when that flood tide pushes bait over the edges.

That’s your South Coast round‑up from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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