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Weymouth is the gateway to the productive ports of the southwest. In years gone by, Weymouth was considered one of the best turbot ports in the UK. The banks hereabouts still produce a few of these prize flatties, but the numbers have long since been depleted by commercial fishing. To compensate, the wreck scene has taken over with hardly a week going by without big pollack, conger, coalfish, cod and ling making the angling headlines.
NOTED MARKS AND FEATURES
Chief amongst these is the famous Shambles Bank. Mainly clean undulating ridges of sand, this was the noted turbot and brill mark and still holds a few too, but nowadays it is more associated with big blonde ray, plaice and bass. Large shoals of sandeels congregate over this area throughout the summer. The Kidney Bank follows the same pattern of species.
Popular inshore marks are West Bay on the west side of Portland Bill and the tide races over reefs and rough ground off Portland Bill for bass. A variety of species can taken fishing close to Redcliff Head. Ringstead Bay and "The Ledge" at Lulworth to the east give good tope, conger and rays. Chesil Beach is to the west with the inshore ground here giving mixed fishing throughout the year.
There are hundreds of wrecks within a days return steaming of the port, some very close to shore like the "Hood" at the entrance to Portland Harbour. Guernsey trips are undertaken by several charter boats too, as well as forays into Hurd Deep where large unknown fish have bitten clean through 600lb wire. This trench runs from 60 metres deep in the west to 170 metres at it's eastern end. The tides are fast and make for difficult fishing. Trips to wrecks located in this trench have resulted in staggering catches of ling, cod and pollack.
SPECIES
January starts off with excellent whiting catches fishing between the west Shambles buoy and Portland. Codling also show here through until late March. Mid March is when the plaice show over the Shambles and Kidney Banks and from closer in off Lulworth, followed by turbot and bass in April, plus blonde rays. Mackerel appear about the end of April, though it's May before numbers really increase.
Bass show off Portland in late May and early June with thornback ray from the inshore banks off Lulworth. July sees the inshore wrecks well populated with smaller pollack, wrasse and conger. Bream can show from the wrecks in deeper water. August, September and October are the best months to try for a big conger close in off Portland Bill. October sees the whiting and codling return with the best of the big bass taken.
The wrecks fish well, virtually throughout the year. January, February and March give a good chance of the largest pollack and ling. Some good cod show through the summer months along with conger and smaller pollack.
TIDES AND WEATHER
Tides run fairly quick here, especially around Portland Bill. Neaps are the best for deep water wrecking. Sheltered marks exist close in inside Weymouth Bay and allow smaller craft safety in bad weather.
TACKLE
Regular anglers choose uptiders or 20lb class rods for drifting over the banks for turbot, rays and bass. Experienced fisherman prefer a 12lb class unit for bass and plaice.
Rougher ground for congering needs a 30lb outfit which, along with a 50lb class stick, takes on the wreck fishing. The uptiders are also a good choice when using artificial lures for wreck pollack. Carry leads between 8ozs and 2lbs to cover all situations. Some anglers fish wire line with great success in the deeper water, and for cod over the wrecks.
BAITS
Mackerel and squid for general bottom feeders. Live sandeel is good over the sand banks for turbot, bass and rays. Inshore bass take small live joey mackerel. Wrasse prefer crab baits. Plaice take worm baits, occasionally a fillet from a sandeel. Pirks, artificial eels and squid pick up the wreck fish. A whole pout is the preferred conger bait. Ling like a pirk baited with two fillets of fresh mackerel. Baited feathers take whiting in the autumn.
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