Brighton Inshore Fishing - Catch report 3rd July 2025

First sailing, and I was finally able to get Rick and Charlie out, after numerous postponements. Sometimes the luck picks on people to torment. Yet here we were, going fishing on lovely calm seas. And birds everywhere, except... My strategy was to fish for crab eaters. And the birds were not excited by the crabs, but by the whitebait, driven to the surface by the small bass and mackerel. As strange as it seems, I ignored the birds and drifted heavy ground, that I knew to have crabs on.

If I got it right, brown, table sized fish would be the result. And fewer silver small whitebait chasing schoolies. I got it right. Of the fifteen fish landed,(plus a shad. Please avoid touching and release if you encounter one as they are protected by law) the guys took a brace apiece, and further brown legals were released. A very satisfying session, where theory actually turned to producing the fish sought.

2nd and final sailing, due to forecast winds in the afternoon, and with me Mathieu, Mark, Mikhail and Matt. Started well, got a bit boring with smalls in the middle, and finished well as I finally gave in and chased birds. No beasts, other than a barrel jellyfish that wandered under the boat, but food fish for all those who wanted in a final tally of 18 bass landed. And plenty of attacks on the surface lures even in the bright sunshine. One knocker spooks a go go...