LOWESTOFT

The marina at this port town gives fishing boats access to some superb sport throughout the year, including excellent bass, rays and winter cod

Derived from an ancient Viking name, Lowestoft is a busy port and one that is steeped in history. Some of the earliest evidence of settlement in Britain has been found here, dating back some 700,000 years.

The town and port were built on the back of the fishing industry in the Middle Ages, and it continued to thrive right up until the late 1980s, when the commercial fishing industry declined and the port focused more on container ships rather than boats full of herring. Today it is still a very important landing place for modern traders and, of course, for pleasure anglers.

GREAT FISHING

Throughout the year there are plenty of species to target out of Lowestoft, but perhaps the most sought after are thornback rays, tope, bass and smoothhounds during the summer, and cod and whiting during winter.

Most of these species can be found relatively close to shore, and there are plenty of deep holes, sand/mud banks and wrecks within a 10-mile radius of the port.

The winter cod fishing can often be some of the best you’ll find on the East Coast, with 40-50 fish coming to the boat in a session. It’s well worth persevering with a whiting livebait on one rod during winter. Doing this could well bring a larger cod to the net.

TACKLE TIPS

The fishing out of Lowestoft can vary depending on the target species, so you’ll need to contact your chosen skipper to discuss exactly what you’ll be fishing for on the day.

Trips are often mixed days, where you will catch a wide range of species, but some of the skippers run species-specific trips, especially for tope and bass during the summer.

As a general rule there are three rods that will cover all eventualities. Much of the summer sport involves anchoring and uptiding, so a decent uptide rod and reel combo will do the job. A 12/20lb-class boat rod will cope with any downtide fishing at anchor for species like tope, cod and rays. Then you’ll need to go for either a spinning rod or a 12lb-class boat rod when drifting for bass..

As far terminal tackle, anything goes. Use light kit for the bass and smoothhounds, then step up a notch for the summer tope and winter cod.

When it comes to rigs, a running leger is about as simple and effective as it gets.

The real key to success is bait quality and presentation. Fresh peeler crabs, hermit crabs, mackerel and ragworm baits work well during the summer, while local lug and squid are the winter staples.