SPECIES
Comes in to form with thornback ray from May to July joined by bass, sole and some smoothound in June. September sees good numbers of whiting, with codling arriving in October. Flounder show during the pre Christmas period with dabs evident for most of the year.

BAITS
Top spring in to summer bait is peeler crab for the bass and smoothound, with mackerel and squid cocktails or a herring fillet working well for the thornbacks. Sole take rag or lug, as will the flounder and the whiting, though tipping the worm with fish picks out the better whiting. Bigger bass and the cod prefer lug tipped with squid.

TACKLE & TACTICS
Due to the ground here being almost totally clean you can fish 15lb line with a 60lb shock leader using a 4 to 6oz beachcaster and a 6500 sized reel. Leads should be 5oz for most conditions, but a 6oz lead is occasionally needed during rough seas and big tides.

For the bass, cod and smoothound a one-hooks clipped down rig with a size 3/0 to 4/0 Viking pattern hook is ideal, though some anglers choose to fish two hooks pennel style. For shorter range fishing a three-hook flapper and size 2 Aberdeen's catches plenty of fish, as will a one up/one down rig.

The sand is backed by shingle and a sea wall which the tide can reach on the bigger spring tides. Most anglers fish either side of high water, but the two hours either side of low water is also productive, especially for the distance casters who can put a bait out towards an offshore sandbank which is evident by surf breaking over it. Also fish the inner gully as the tide floods. Some good sole are caught fishing the scooped out areas of sand at the ends of the wooden groynes over high water.

LOCATION
Come off the A149 at Stalham and head for the Bacton Gas Station sites, or from North Walsham take the B1150. The B1150 runs along the seafront with parking available.

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