Banks of mud, sandy bays, patches of rock and creeks along with war defences provide a natural haven for the fish.
This venue offers exceptional early season sport with the first crop of peeler crabs in March accounting for bass, eels, flounders and mullet.
Specimen bass show on calm summer evenings and are targeted with light tackle and big baits fished at short range on the ebb tide.
Don’t get cut off by the tide. Go with a friend and check out the mark in daylight.

SPECIES

Bass and eels from the end of March, peaking in summer. Flounders and mullet at the top of the tide around the mouth of the creeks. Big bass from September to November on calm evening tides. Winter offers a few whiting and flounders.

BEST BAITS

Peeler crabs account for early bass and eels with red or king ragworms a close second.
Big bass require a whole squid, fish head, a large peeler crab or livebaits.
Float-fished rag accounts for some bass to 6lb at the broken pillboxes. Lures are useful for bass.
Settled spells of weather at dawn or dusk over the top of the tide is good for fly-fishing for bass.
Pre-baiting with a bran-bread and fish oil mix at the mouth of a creek works at high tide for mullet, which take floating bread flake.

TACKLE

Light tackle is best, but it does require a waiting game when using big baits.
A decent 10-12ft plugging or carp rod matched to a small multiplier or fixed spool reel can be used for bass.
A running leger with a match hook is ideal for using rag or crabs; have a few casts and move on. One-up, one-down rigs with longish clear traces work for bass and eels. A long single trace with a clipped-down hook can give eels.

GETTING THERE

Follow the A12 towards the A120 and Harwich. At Ramsey roundabout take the B1352 towards the Devon pub, then turn right and second left into Low Road. Travel along to the seafront, turning right into West End Tip Lane.
Parking is in a free car park at the end. Some marks require a walk towards Oakley.

TACKLE SHOP

Maggy’s Tackle, 691 Main Rd, Dovercourt, tel: 01255 502901.

Directions : Follow the A12 towards the A120 and Harwich from the south. At Ramsey roundabout on the A120 take the B1352 towards the Devon pub, then turn right, then second left into Low Road. Travel along to the seafront, turning right into West End Tip Lane, car park at the end
Season : Bass and eels peak in July and August, big bass from September to November, winter for whiting, flounder, rockling and codling