IT’S been a good few days for the boats, with light breezes and calm seas.

The charter boats have had a bumper week, with some cod into double figures, thornback rays and also a few bass.

The charter boat Sorcerer, out of West Mersea, reported some bigger cod, with Ray Hempstead, the skipper, catching the biggest, weighing in at 12lbs.

There were also plenty of smaller cod and rays and plenty of autumn whiting.

Lester Baker, skipper of the Brightlingsea-based Seawatch, told me he has been seeing a better average-size codling this season and still rays into double figures.

The Clacton Boat Club also took advantage of the settled weather.

Lots of their members headed out to beyond the Gunfleet windfarm.

It certainly paid benefits.

Reports were very good, with cod to 8lbs and thornback rays to 10lbs.

There were also still a few bass, with Diane Kkala catching the biggest, weighing in at 8lb 6oz.

She caught the fish on a live whiting bait.

The Walton boats have also had similar week, with their boats heading for the Gunfleet.

Don’t forget boat anglers that the Medusa area is only a short trip but is now producing some good-size cod, plus there is always a chance of picking up some very good bass.

The beaches have had an up-and-down week, with the calm, sunny days making it difficult for fishing in daylight hours, with most of the fish venturing in closer to the beaches after dark.

My trip this week was a daytime one to one of the new Clacton beaches.

The sun was shining and the sea was calm, but, to be honest, conditions were pretty awful for any decent catches and so it proved.

I fished an ebb tide and ended the session with three small whiting and a pouting.

I also struggled with lots of weed weighing heavy on the lines, so it just goes to prove that conditions have to be right to catch those bigger fish.

The piers have fished better than the beaches this week, having slightly deeper water to fish into.

Local angler Peter Rose caught codling to 4lbs from Clacton Pier.

Most of his fish were caught on lugworm and squid baits.

Walton Pier is still producing thornback rays, plus codling from the top of the pier, and if conditions are rough they will also be caught from the stem of the pier.

Clacton Angling Club fished the St Osyth beaches for their latest evening match.

Only five anglers fished, but between them they managed to catch an amazing 103 fish.

Of that figure 91 were whiting, three thornback rays and one solitary dogfish.

First place went to Rob Tuck, which included two thornback rays.

In second spot was Lawrence Chisnall, with 23 fish, and in third was Nik Highfield, with 30 fish.

The heaviest fish prize went to Lawrence Chisnall, with a 50cm ray.

Colchester Sea Angling Club headed for the Suffolk beaches of Felixstowe for their night match.

Eleven anglers fished and the fishing was patchy, with some anglers catching and some struggling.

Crabs seemed to be a problem with the bait disappearing quickly to these ravenous creatures.

Whiting and dogfish were the main catch and coming out in top spot was Mark Sessions, with 8lb 8oz.

In second place was Mark Peters, with 5lb 3oz, and third spot went to Steve Yallop, with 4lb 3oz.

The heaviest fish prize was shared between Mark Sessions and Mark Peters, with a dogfish of 1lb 8oz.

The tides for the weekend are 10.03am on Saturday and 11.42am on Sunday.