Brighton Inshore Fishing - Catch report 4th July 2025

Happy independence day. Today is the day Tom Cruise beat up all those aliens and saved planet earth from slavery. Its also the day I can finally breathe a sigh of relief that the curse of June is over. Well, not over. Indeed still going on strong. But further changes have happened, as predicted, and now we can fairly firmly say, we have a proper inshore bass season happening. The edges will now provide the kind of sport it lifts my heart to showcase to my clients.

Since the appearance of the clouds of whitebait, it has been tough to find table fish. Numbers of fish and action, no problem, but finding the 42-60cm we seek for the table, much harder. The whitebait spreads the shoals. Attracts pre-school schoolies. If you are lucky, you might find some bigger fish feeding on the whitebait. But it isnt something you can predict, and more often than not the fish are smalls.

But today, I took a different approach, as hinted at in yesterdays catch reports. And it paid off a treat. There are other food sources available, and these food sources particularly attract bigger, older bass. Less prepared to chase around bass. And brassy, from the brown weed they are inhabiting and hunting in. With me, Caroline bought along her husband Nick, plus Giles, and Ian. All deserving of a good session to be fair. And with Carolines birthday being just last week, Neptune perhaps let go of the reins a little. He certainly put on a great dolphin show.

Of the 33 bass landed, 8 were killed, and more table sized plus were landed, than smalls. Biggest at 60cm to myself, but plenty of 50's. Lots of reels screaming. Lots of smiles beaming. Plenty of mackerel for backup. It is not very often I use the words "VERY GOOD FISHING", but that, it has to be said, was very good fishing. Set to continue all the way through to the end of November now. Im feeling the beginnings of a very good year in tight coming our way.

But not for the second sailing, as Anna-Marie, Wing, James and Mitch were all signed up for the second ever dedicated cuttle fish trip. Not quite as productive as the first one, for reasons unknown, but we managed to put 9 tasty critters into the cool box in the three hour sessions. One of them messed the boat properly, and gave me extra duties with bleach and a scrubbing brush on our return. Highlight was a double shot on a single jig by James.

4 dolphins on down scan