Top marks to fish now

131 of the hottest marks likely to produce right now…

Details of 131 recommended top venues.

NORTHUMBERLAND

The deeper marks from Craster to Beadnell should fish for kelp cod, with the possibility of some pollack at Cullernose Point. Other deep marks, such as Dunstanburgh Castle (see above), are worth trying for codling as well. Never dismiss the low-water rock marks.

Fishing from the open beaches along Druridge Bay, Warkworth and Embleton with rag tipped with a fish bait will produce flounders and occasional turbot. These marks may throw up occasional bass, but they have to be returned.

Tackle shop: Amble Angling Centre, tel: 01665 711200.

TYNE & WEAR

Crabs will be starting to peel if the weather is kind, so the River Tyne should fish for flounders and the occasional coalfish.

There will still be a few codling from Roker pier, Sunderland, with lug and crabs the best baits. Expect a few whiting on lug and mackerel baits. The River Wear will produced flounders at Claxheugh and the Business Park, with best bait being frozen black lug tipped with mackerel. The Glass Centre prom will have undersized coalfish.

Tackle shop: Rutherford’s Angling, Sunderland, tel: 0191 565 4183.

COUNTY DURHAM

Beaches around Easington, Blackhall and Seaham will be quiet with perhaps a few dabs, plaice and flounders caught on worm baits. There is a good chance of a thornback ray to double figures on fish baits from Horden with a few whiting on night tides.

Hotspot will be Seaham North Pier, where dogfish, thornback and spotted rays, whiting, plaice and a few codling provide the action. For pier info, call Seaham SAC, tel: 0191 581 0321.

Tackle shop: North East Tackle Supplies, Sunderland, tel: 0191 510 3573.

HARTLEPOOL

Cod have thinned out, but there are lots of whiting pushing 2lb-plus. Settled weather will see them caught after dark from most of the Hartlepool piers, with the Heugh and Middleton best. Frozen runnidown tipped with mackerel will do well for dabs and whiting, with most worm and shellfish baits best for cod.

Expect good numbers of dabs on the Heugh, while settled weather can see a few bass at Seaton Carew beach when a bit of surf is running. Ragworms catch bass here.

Tackle shop: North East Tackle Supplies, Hartlepool, tel: 01429 272581.

YORKSHIRE

Anglers in the north of the county hope for a run of cod at the end of March. The fish tend to move on to the sand marks, such as Sandsend, Robin Hood’s Bay and Runswick now. Baits are mainly crabs and worms, but, if it's warm, green crabs fish well.

Whitby beach produces various species from cod to flatfish, while the pier is popular on a flood tide. Most rock marks are fishing well with the sea running and with the wind from north-west to south-east wind. Robin Hood’s Bay is a favourite in March during easterly winds.

Try Scarborough’s Marine Drive in the tide with a long cast into deep water for cod, coalfish and wrasse. The Holderness Coast gives codling, rays and whiting to worm, squid and crab baits.

Tackle shop: Anglers Corner, Hull, tel: 01482 507350.

LINCOLNSHIRE

Expect good flounder fishing all along the Humber, with a few codling at the woods and yellow cross; use crabs and worms, but for the flounders try some Bluey. The coast will produce dogfish flatfish and rays, with the start of the bass fishing; try worm, crab and squid baits.

Tackle shop: Lakeside Leisure, Chapel St Leonards, tel: 01754 872631.

NORFOLK

The Great Ouse at King’s Lynn is an underrated venue where eels and flounders are caught. Fish off the Old Town quay or along the east bank (accessed through the old port); try anywhere from the trawlers up to the pylons. Small tides are best either side of high or low water.

The shingle beaches produce small dabs. Blakeney Point, Cley Kelling and Weybourne give flounders and probably bass. Fish very close from the top of the tide down, particularly if there is a stiff wind with north in it. The wreck at Weybourne can produce codling, bass and pout. Under the cliffs at Weybourne can produce spring codling in late March, particular at night on a big tide over high water.

Rough ground west of the lifeboat station at Sheringham can give codling and early bass. Trimingham is a hotspot for codling in late March when fishing three to four bays to the west of the Vale Road car park. Expect bass and flounders in April. Mundesley and Bacton give bags of flounders and bass; try around around the three outflow pipes at Bacton. Target the last of the ebb for flounders and the start of the flood up for the bass.

The Gorleston bend at the mouth of the River Yare can be productive with lots of round fish and flounders, along with eels and soles.

Local support: Holt Sea Angling Club, tel: 07780 793141 & Pete's Bait, tel: 07899 796938.

SUFFOLK & ESSEX

A spring run of codling will see anglers at Lowestoft, and Kessingland to Benace sluice. It will be worth trying Felixstowe, but Orford, Aldeburgh and Dunwich are the favourite marks. There may still be a few whiting and some bass along with some early dogfish and even smoothhounds. Spring codling, rays and flatties wil be caught from the piers and beaches around Walton and Clacton.

Tackle shop: Markhams Fishing Tackle, Ipswich, tel: 01473 727841.

KENT

Fishing in the Thames and Medway will be mainly for flounders and whiting, with a chance of codling. Bass and eels show if the weather warms up, but both species have to be returned alive due to the restrictions now applied.

Best spots will be the sea school stretch at Gravesend, plus Greenhithe and Dartford. There should be good fishing in the Medway at Gillingham pier and the Medway City Estate. Thornbacks are likely at Herne Bay and Reculver.

The yacht club at Sandwich Bay produces thornback rays to Bluey; try Deal pier front too. Seabrook and Hythe fish over high tide when calm for plaice to worms, rays to fish baits; Twiss Groyne and Fisherman's Beach are best. Dover’s Admiralty pier has rays, dogfish and a chance of codling from the extension.

Tackle shop: Folkestone Angling, tel: 01303 253881.

SUSSEX

There could be bass in surf conditions in the Eastbourne area. Smoothhounds have appeared early in places, but April normally signals their arrival in the Selsey area. Try big tides at Pagham yacht club for rays. Aldwick is a shallow beach holding flatfish.

Tackle shop: Aldwick Angling, Bognor Regis tel: 01243 829054.

HAMPSHIRE & DORSET

Some good thornback rays are expected from marks within the Solent. Plaice will be the main target from Sandbanks at Poole, where they will be caught on both rag and lugs. The eastern side of Portland is worth a try for pollack to float or lure tactics over high water. Expect wrasse from Portland Bill to rag or for better-sized fish try a hardback crab.

Plaice are caught at Chesil Beach, with Bexington, Cogden or to the right of Abbotsbury worth a try. Black lug and rag are the best baits. Into darkness, rays show to sandeel baits. The Ferrybridge section has seen some early smoothhounds to peeler crabs or large king rag.

Tackle shop: Christchurch Angling Centre, Bournemouth, tel: 01202 480520.

DEVON

Anglers will be chasing the first plaice at Seaton, Budleigh Salterton and the South Hams beaches. Mackerel start to show everywhere, along with some small-eyed rays.

Tackle shop: Plymouth Angling Centre, tel: 01752 361294.

SOMERSET

There will be an excellent chance of late codling until the end of April, increasing numbers of thornback rays and a few bass. A fresh peeler crab will be top bait and should be fished at close range over the rougher ground for bass, especially in windy conditions. Porlock to Minehead could produce a large blonde ray, but plenty of dogfish will mean perseverance is the key. Brean Down and Sandpoint produce late codling, thornback rays, a few bass, conger eels, dogfish and whiting.

Tackle shop: Veals Mail Order, Bristol, tel:

01275 892000.

MERSEYSIDE

The best chance of a good fishing is at the low water marks at Perch Rock and Vale Park bank on the Wirral side of the Mersey. Good bags of whiting and dabs should be achievable fishing on tides of about 1.3m. Aim to fish about three hours down to low water and an hour of the flood. Black lug and tipped with fish is normally the best bait.

Tackle shop: Taskers Angling, Liverpool, tel: 0151 260 6015.

LANCASHIRE

It’s the start of the flatfish season in the Ribble Estuary. Try near the shrimp boats at Lytham on smaller tides for flounders; best bait is blood razorfish, crabs and creeper rag.

The beaches at Cleveleys and Rossall will be quiet, but there is a chance of the first dogfish or a thornback ray to fish baits. Plaice start to show in the River Wyre on the Knott End side and also from Marine Beach at Fleetwood; fish the latter two hours either side of high water. Lug or old black worms are the top baits.

April should produce an improvement in the fishing along the Fylde Coast with a few summer species beginning to appear.

Tackle shop: Gerry’s Fishing, Morecambe, tel: 01524 422146.

CUMBRIA

Whitehaven piers give plaice and flounders to worms, with dabs and dogfish too; fish three hours either side of high water. Maryport prom and the beaches between Workington and Maryport give plaice and a few flounders if the weather is calm; tides above 8.6 metres are best, with lug, rag and white rag the best baits.

Plaice and flounders return to the Solway Firth. Worms will take most fish until the crabs peel. Silloth can give thornback rays into April. Port Carlisle has flounders, as long as the weather is kind. Bigger tides are best. Try maddies tipped off with mackerel, but most baits will take fish.

Tackle shop: West Coast Bait & Tackle, Workington, tel: 01900 605093.