walton on the naize

I'm going to walton at the end of may, I've been a couple of times before and only caught tiny codling and tiny bass. Could anyone give me any pointers as to where to catch something of descent size and baits please. I usually fish the right side of the pier with peeler or rag but would love to catch something that pulls back! any help would be appreiciated cheers.

I've had bass up to six pounds off the shingle beaches to the north of the town up at the end of Naze Park Road, and further north still, along Old Hall Lane and below the cliffs at the lighthouse there is an often wild, weedy, very shallow and very snaggy beach that throws up good fish if you go at it properly - it's a low water mark though and only worth fishing a few hours either side of low water because it is completely cut off after that on anything but the smallest neap tides.

You often need fairly heavy gear on these beaches as the sea can be very choppy even in quite pleasant weather. On the wild and snaggy beach a cast of about thirty to fifty yards will put you among the fish, further and you've overshot them, and at that distance you can wade out to unsnag yourself should you (and you will) get snarled up on the well gullied london clay deposits on the foreshore

My best fish have come on whole calamari squid on a pennel rig, but the most fish come to lug and rag on straight flapper rigs, but you may be plagued by schoolies if you use them. Had plenty of eels there too.

The beaches you have been fishing are clean shallow sandy ones and though they can be good at times they are a bit featureless and lacking in food items compared to the northern beaches which may explain the small size of your catches thus far

Cheers for shedding some light on the situation. I suppose it's further north then!

I've seen a strange rig involving a running poly ball to bring one hook up to the surface, so you'll be fishing only the hook length deep from the surface if you get my drift have you ever experimented with this rig if so would it be worth my while giving it a shot at walton?

Never tried it myself but on the snaggy beach this would of course lift the hook clear of the bottom snags. Is it some sort of pop -up rig? If so then I reckon bass would be interested ...

You can get sole at Walton at the right time of year. Really stinky old lug is what they want!

Well i'll try and explain the rig from rod tip to leger. First thing you come to would be a float stop or stop knot at the desired depth, then a swival with an attached rig, your running poly ball, leger/gripper weight then if you want your running rig at the bottom for the flatties. I have not seen the rig in action, just been told about it. The upper rig might keep the crabs at bay! Sould be going next month so i'll let you know if it works.