The shingle beach at Sandwich Bay gives way to a smooth, sandy seabed with virtually no snags to hamper your fishing.
This means while your rod taps to the tune of thornback’s, smoothhounds, Dover soles, eels and bass, your sessions are going to be enjoyable.
The most popular mark anglers choose is known as the 10th green, near the slipway. Small boats and leisure craft are launched and landed at the slipway, so always be aware when casting or retrieving that there are no incoming or outgoing craft.
Target times should be when the water is coloured, especially after a south westerly blow, on a medium to big tide.
A good tip is to fish from low water up to high, but if you can arrive an hour before you start to fish, then you may just have the pick of the marks, before the beach begins to fill with arriving anglers.
If thornback rays are in your sights then the top bait is frozen sandeels, or better still – add a chunck of bluey to it – and mounted to a single 3/0 hook or Pennell-pulley style rig.
From low water, a longer cast may be required to reach the fish, but as the tide creeps up the beach, almost anywhere can produce catches.
Peeler crabs are essential when you want to target smoothhounds and eels. Use the same rigs for the hounds as you would rays, but multi-hook rigs with size 2 Aberdeen hooks are best for the eels.
Some nice Dover soles can be caught but night tides will be best for these. Use a two-hook boom rig loaded with ragworms, and if you can reach 80 yards then you stand a real chance of locating them.
Good bass are taken every year and if it’s these you seek, then think short. Big baits like mackerel heads, flappers and fillets or whole squid, should be dropped at the edge of the shingle. As well as fish baits, bass will be attracted to yellowtail lug tipped with ragworm. Night tides may prove to be more productive, so keep all lights off the water and try not to crunch about on the shingle too much, so you don’t spook them. Specimens over 11lb have been landed here in the past.
Keep your tackle simple as no specialist gear is required at Sandwich Bay. A 13-14ft beachcaster coupled with a multiplier or fixed-spool reel will do the job easily. Load your reels with 15-18lb mainline but use a strong shockleader in the region of 70-80lb. This helps if a smoothhound rolls on the shingle at the edge, where its rough skin can cut through mono very easily.
Always use breakout sinkers, usually 5-6oz or 7oz may be required in a particularly strong tide. Not only will this keep your bait anchored to the bottom, but they actually do help to hook fish.

SPECIES

Summer offers bass, thornback rays, smoothhounds, soles and eels. An 11lb 4oz bass was caught here on September 15. Winter gives cod, codling, whiting and pouting.

BAIT AND TACKLE

Frozen sandeels for thornbacks. Peeler crabs are essential for smoothhounds and eels. Yellowtail lug tipped with a ragworm works for the bass. Try ragworms on a two-hook boom rig fished at approximately 80 yards for soles. Big baits, such as mackerel head, take the larger bass.
In the winter yellowtail lug gutted or live are good for catching cod. Tip with mackerel, herring or a sandeel for whiting. Peeler crabs are good for the cod during the winter and in particular December and January.
Use a standard beachcasters and multiplier or fixed-spool reel carrying 12-15lb line and a 60lb shockleader. Grip leads are required. Lots of fish are caught at all ranges, but 150+ yards seems to locate any cod. Bass anglers should fish at the bottom of the shingle.

GETTING THERE

Sandwich Bay is situated north of Deal and is reached by a right of way at The Chequers public house, one mile from Deal, or by following the sea wall from the Deal end. This mark is situated behind the Royal Cinque Ports golf course.

TACKLE SHOPS

Channel Angling, North Toll House, Beach St, Deal. Tel: 01304 373104.
Opening times: Monday to Thursday 7.15am – 5pm, Friday to Saturday 7.15am – 6pm.
Bait: Lugworm, ragworm, yellows and peeler crab when available.
Selection of frozen baits.

John’s Sea Tackle, 26 Dover Rd, Walmer, tel: 01304 389859.
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 7am – 6pm, Sunday 7am – 4pm.
Bait: Lugworm, ragworm, yellows and peeler crab when available.
Selection of frozen baits.

Number of lakes/pegs : –
Prices : –
Directions : Sandwich Bay is situated north of Deal and is reached via a right of way at The Chequers public house (one mile from Deal), or by following the sea wall from the Deal end. This mark is situated behind the Royal Cinque Ports golf course.