Fishing downriver aboard the Danzel at the weekend Rick Marshall and boat owner Dave Marshall enjoyed a frantic Thornback session.

The pair managed no fewer than 16 quaility specimens, ranging from 6lb to 18lb.

Fresh mackerell and squid was used on small hooks to great effect. They also had six smoothounds which were returned to the river.

Picture, top: Pick of the bunch - Rick Marshall, left and David Walker show off some of their 16 thornback ray haul taken on an outing aboard David's boat, Danzel

WITH the bigger tides arriving last weekend most boats stayed closer to home, finding more bass and roker with traditional ragworm and crab baits.

The midweek fishing has been very good out from Bradwell with the first of this year's bigger tope now being brought to deck.

Paul Bennet, fishing on John Rawle's boat Kingfisher, caught 10 smoothounds to 16.5lb and also had a brace of 40lb tope.

John's boat also saw a terrific 52lb specimen taken.

Prospects look good for this weekend coming with the boats moving further out again in search for bigger tope, roker and smoothounds.

The fish are now feeding more towards crab, rag and hermits so the all the signs are for a cracking sea report next week!

Southend Boats

Fishing is still patchy, one boat during the week managed 40 plus fish yet another vessel at the weekend returned with nothing from the Maplin Gut.

However, Dave Goodwin on the Predator reports a mixed bag of fish on Sunday with bass, smoothounds, dabs, eels, codling and roker providing plenty of action.

Southend Beaches

Flounders continue to make up the mainstay of sport.

The more persistant angler may find the odd small bass along with a fair scattering of eels on night tides.

Southend Pier

A few bass taken at night but not fishing as well as it should be at the head of the pier.

There are still plenty of mackerel around with up to six fish per man as well as flounders and a few eels at night.

River Crouch

Not alot to report from the boats as The Tartar is in for a spring clean at the moment, but for anyone venturing from here the fishing should be the same as for Bradwell.

One or two bass and eels have been taken from the shore.

Gravesend, Tilbury and Stanford

A few eels from Gravesend and Tilbury but there are plenty of flounders to be had from Stanford.

River Blackwater

More bass are being taken from the inshore marks, although the biggest yet are only up to 6lb.

The best action was on John Rooks boat Misty Blue where, along with plenty of eels, bass were falling to ragworm and crab.

John's boat also reported a 25lb stingray from the river.

John Rawle, on the Kingfisher, reports good catches of roker to 12lb, bigger smoothounds to 16.5lb and tope to 52lb.

THE Bait and Tackle Centre had their second Summer match on the pier last Tuesday with 24 competitors.

The winner was Alexander Angling proprietor Terry Knott with a catch of nine eels for 4lb 13 1/4oz.

Martin Grossman took second place with 4lb 7oz. Third spot went to Bob Grady with 2lb 15oz who also had a treble mackerel on one cast . . . possibly a man with some local knowledge!

The heaviest round fish also went to Terry Knott with an eel of 1lb 10 1/2oz . Heaviest flatfish went to Dave Tanner with a flounder of 15 1/2oz.

The next match is on the pier on Saturday 26th June fishing from 9.30pm to 3am.

LOCAL matchmen put south Essex on the map at the Viscount Open, held on the River Orwell at Ipswich.

Canvey's Dion Macfayden took third place overall with three flounders totaling 2lb 11oz.

Dion also had the biggets flounder of the day with a 1lb 4oz specimen.

Close behind Dion, in fourth spot, was Basildon's Bob Gumbard whose flounder catch weighed in at 2lb 3oz.

Crab bait and harbour rag proved to be the most popular tempter.

SOUTHEND angler Barry Cowell had an excellent result on Sunday, when he beat 79 anglers at the Whitstable Open beach match.

Barry took six eels for a winning weight of 6.95lb.

His daughter Suzanne, on her second-ever trip, caught an excellent eel of 2.35lb.

The SAAS club held another one of their club matches on Sunday on the pier.

The winner was Dave Fuller with three flounders and three mackerel for 4lb 15oz. Second was Kevin Colby with 3lb 14 1/2oz.

The heaviest fish fell to Russell Clark with an eel of 2lb 5 1/2oz. Top junior was Lewis Clark with 1lb 1/4oz.

EIGHT members from the Leigh and Westcliff club fished at Brighton last week on the Catchup 2.

They caught 250lb of cod with the best fish and weight falling to Mick Barker.

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