Brighton Inshore Fishing - Catch report 1st October 2025

I do love a whiting. As a child in South Benfleet, my father would often take me with him to the shops. Shopping back then was straightforward. You went into lots of different shops to get all the bits you wanted. We did have a supermarket, but it did not offer the variety they do today, so back then, Benfleet high street really did have a butchers, a bakers, but candle sticks were long out of fashion, as I am not that old. We did however, have a fishmongers.

Money in the Howard household was tight. My very working class parents were also children in the second world war. I think this whole generation grew up with anxieties about finances somehow as a result, as they were almost to a T (my friends parents also) scrimpers and savers. Purchases had to be justified. So, I felt very special indeed when we went to the fishmongers. Because my dad would let me pick anything I wanted for my dinner. Somehow, I felt like a king. And would routinely choose whiting out of all that was there (kippers and smoked haddock, very occasionally mackerel would be the other choices) .

As a young angler, whiting were a prize. With only cycles, or in my case legs, we really only fished Benfleet creek for saltwater. Flounders and eels, but never whiting. Canvey Island with my father, I caught my first pin whiting. But once Nigel had a car, Canvey Island, the river Crouch and Southend pier came on the radar. And we learned that you get the bigger ones with no worm, but a strip of mackerel on your paternoster rig. They quickly became a pain, and no longer exciting, due to the sheer abundance of them.

But then we also discovered that other fish eat them. In fact, they really exist to feed other fish and marine mammals. So, of course they become a fantastic bait, both dead and alive. A great pike bait also. Indeed, a friend weekly fed a reservoir with frozen blocks of whiting. His catches from that reservoir were phenomenal. Ground baiting with whiting. He is an excellent angler. A thinking angler. However, ground baiting for bass with whiting also works. And the best bit is, you dont have to catch or kill the whiting. Just find where they have recently arrived, and the bass will likely be there also.

By now, I am guessing you are thinking "why is he banging on about whiting? Has his misspent youth finally caught up with him?" But the answer is far simpler. We had the best session yet this year. Perhaps fifteen sub 42cms from a total of 71 bass landed. Vast majority 2 - 4 lb. And squid of course. With me, Mitch, Simon, David and Andy. All well finger trained regulars, and all having endured the dire summer fishing with me, so a most deserving crew of such action. And all because we noticed bass chasing whiting to the surface, Not uncommon in September and October as the first ones arrive here. The birds gave the game away, flying off with live fish and no commercials clearing nets in sight. Fantastic fishing. And all the waffle about whiting? Well, I like to space the photos among the text. And today, there are plenty of photos.

Because 2nd sailing was a squid session. And this one too broke the seasons record, previously sitting at 38. Armando, Brian, Sam and Ben now have 54 squid plus mackerel to feast upon, with conditions being perfect Session was planned for last 2 hours of ebb, and the first of flood. Light tide being my favourite for squid. Cloudy also, which is always a positive. Well tuned rigs, super efficient jigs, and plenty of squid. Plus a single cuttle, which have been missing in recent catches.

Was it too much to ask for 3rd sailing to also be amazing? Well, actually it was. Squid a plenty for those who wanted, but just 8 bass landed and three bass killed, which although ok felt a bit of an anti climax. Sam, Jude, Miles and Mark seemed to enjoy it though. A most enjoyable end of the day for me as well, among familiar people. It is looking like one more sailing first thing tomorrow, and then wind robbing us of opportunity until perhaps next Wednesday. Time will tell...