Old Town Wall, Hartlepool

SPECIES
Primarily a cod beach, with fish showing from September  through to April. Summer can give occasional plaice and the odd bass after a  good blow, but the fishing can be very consistent at this time.

BAITS
Locals favour a big lug bait tipped with mussel, razorfish  or white rag, though in the early autumn fresh peeler crab will out fish it.  Frozen crab takes some fish if frozen down properly.

TACKLE & TACTICS
Ideal tackle is a 5-6oz beachcaster, tough Penn 525 or ABU  7000 sized reel loaded with 20lb line, and the best rig is a clipped down rig  with two size 4/0 Viking pattern hooks rigged Pennel style. Carry 6oz leads as  standard.

A big spring  tide is best at night, especially if the sea is just dropping away after a big  blow has past through. The ground is fairly clean casting between groynes, but  you need to climb over the wall and fish off the stone blocks, which have big  holes in between, so care is needed, especially when trying to land bigger fish.

A good tip is to look at the surf pattern and try to get  your baits out beyond the surf in to the quieter water, which is where the  bigger fish tend to hold, though there are good numbers of smaller codling  right in amongst the white water at times.

LOCATION
You can reach the wall off the A178 on the south side of Hartlepool. Parking is available in either the Yacht Club  or the Marina  car park, or you can park on the road behind the promenade near the apartments.  Walk the seawall and fish anywhere.