Kessingland, Suffolk

SPECIES
Late May through to July sees a few smoothounds taken. May to September is the best time for the sole and the bass. The whiting arrive mid September followed by the codling in October, both staying through until February, with a spring run of codling in late March through April.

BAITS
The sole take small rag or blow lug baits. Fish crab for the smoothound and bass in the summer. Autumn bass and codling also take peeler. By late October switch to black lug or blow lug tipped with squid for the codling, with the whiting taking lug or mackerel strips. Peeler comes back in to the picture for the spring run of codling.

TACKLE & TACTICS
Typical beach gear is a 5-6oz beachcaster matched to a 6500 sized reel loaded with 15lb line and 60lb shock leader as the beach is virtually snag free. You will need both 5 and 6oz grip leads here as there is a good tide run on the spring tides.

For the sole fish a three-hook flapper, but with size 6 Kamasan Aberdeen hooks and lighter 10lb hook traces. The smoothound, bass and cod are best targeted with a one-hook clipped down rig using a size 3/0 to 4/0 hook, though a two-hook pennel rig using two Viking hooks size 3/0 is preferred by some. A three-hook flapper with size 1 Aberdeen's will take the whiting.

During rougher weather it's the distance casters that take the bulk of the fish, but in calmer seas the fish can be relatively close in.

The beach is made up of sand and shingle with banks and gullies formed by the fast tide run. There are sandbanks at 60yds and 175yds with a deeper gully in between that carries the bulk of the fish. The water is deeper on the southern side towards the point.

LOCATION
South of Lowestoft at the A12 roundabout take the next turning left after the Wildlife Park. Follow this road through to the seafront. As the road turns to the right there is some car parking available with the beach adjacent.