The best time is May and June. You want high water at or around midnight. Warm calm evenings best especially if it has been blowing during the day and early evening (sea breeze) That way the last of the flood tide and the beginning of the ebb occur at around dusk. At this time the weed becomes manageable and easier to fish at range. Fish will come as the tide slows and as it picks up. If you can cast well fish in front of the Ship Inn and whack it as far a possible. If your casting is not great fish by the amusements with everyone else. When targeting smuts for sport I just fish for 2 hours at dusk either side of slack. Use a 2 hook rig with peeler crab on each to widen the scent trail (makes a big difference). Use small baits to get the distance, I use half a crab on a 1/0. No need to use big hooks and baits. Distance and timing are the key to success. Its easy for me to get there at the right time as its a 10 minute walk from my front door.

A midnight low water can also be good but casting ability is more critical.

 

The best time is May and June. You want high water at or around midnight. Warm calm evenings best especially if it has been blowing during the day and early evening (sea breeze) That way the last of the flood tide and the beginning of the ebb occur at around dusk. At this time the weed becomes manageable and easier to fish at range. Fish will come as the tide slows and as it picks up. If you can cast well fish in front of the Ship Inn and whack it as far a possible. If your casting is not great fish by the amusements with everyone else. When targeting smuts for sport I just fish for 2 hours at dusk either side of slack. Use a 2 hook rig with peeler crab on each to widen the scent trail (makes a big difference). Use small baits to get the distance, I use half a crab on a 1/0. No need to use big hooks and baits. Distance and timing are the key to success. Its easy for me to get there at the right time as its a 10 minute walk from my front door.

A midnight low water can also be good but casting ability is more critical.

that's great information and much appreciated. I also live 10 mins away up by the airfield so within easy reach.

 

Very rare to get a double shot off smuts anywhere. Have fished Selsey, Lee, Bracklesham, Hayling and Chesil many many times in open and league matches over 30+ years and only had a couple of double shots of smuts, and these are known smoothound venues. I have caught loads as well. On most occasions I was using 3 hooks with small crab baits as it is a bait that catches virtually everything in the late spring. Provided you use a quality 15lb line with a bimini hitch to the leader and have no nicks in your rings a double would be no trouble. Most fish that are lost are due to poor quality or old line, poor knots, damaged rings, or damaged rigs. If your gear is good a 10lb smut can be skull dragged in and given no line, If the fish is pulling hard put your back to the sea and rod against your shoulder and walk upt the beach, the rod will bend and the fish will stop. I and many other match anglers have done this many times. Fish only fight if you let them!

 

Why not just play the fish and get a bit of enjoyment out of it .Its not Conger fishing, There's no need to clamp the drag down and beast the Hounds in.

 

As already said I was match fishing, rarely went shore fishing unless it was a match. The idea is to get the fish on the beach as soon as possible, registered and then back out to get more. When pleasure fishing I will let them fight a bit as time is not important. My point was modern tackle would easily handle a double shot if you just bully them in with brut force. Using 2 or 3 baits will increase your chance of the fish finding your hooks as the scent trail is spread wider.