Catch report & fishing forecast for Dorset including Chesil Beach, Portland & Weymouth

The fishing should be kicking in now. The summer species are slowly starting to arrive, with plenty of Smoothound, and even Bream and Gurnard making an appearance, but we are still a bit behind, with Mackerel and Bass not around in the numbers they were at this time last year.

Fishing from Chesil beach is going to be a difficult one for the next few days. There is a very good chance to get a Bass today, for those that want to brave the conditions. The wind will drop enough to make the beach just fishable. Take care as it is dangerous, don’t fish alone and don’t get too near the surf line. The conditions are perfect for Bass all along the beach. Live Peeler crab is the number one bait, as the Peeler molt is in full swing. Alternatives are large Mackerel and squid baits, Mussels, Slipper Limpets and Lugworm. Short casts about 15yds behind the surf line will get you into the fish. When the conditions are this rough it is best to use a light beachcaster or surf rod if you have one and hold it as high as you can. This stops the waves burying your line in the pebbles and you can feel a bite straight away. COnditions for tomorrow look almost unfishable, but Sunday has light winds again.

If you want some shelter then head into Weymouth Bay. With numerous marks out of the wind you can target a lot of different species and you can scale your tackle down to enjoy some great sport.

May water: I hear lots of people saying that this blow will disperse the May water. I hope they are right, but I think they will be wrong. It can last up to 5 weeks, and normally starts to turn brown as it dies off. That is when a decent blow disperses it. It is mostly still green and will take another week before it dies off. The temperature of the sea has risen by a full 1 degree over the last day which will help. I hope I am wrong this time!

Sea Conditions: 

Water temperature 12.9*c.

Chesil Beach: Rough and wild. Waves exceeding 3m. This will calm down later but the water will remain coloured and rough

Portland: West side is rough, with the east having a moderate swell and poor water clarity

Portland Harbour: Wavelets and clear.

Weymouth Bay:  Calm with slightly coloured water.

Chesil Beach forecast: It is a Bass day today, with the chance of a Ray and Smoothound from the western end of the beach. Night tides will see Dogfish and Pout. I can’t see there being very many Mackerel around as the conditions get rougher.

Portland: Fishing will be limited to Bass around the Bill, but marks on the East side such as Church Ope Cove and Chine will produce Wrasse and Pollock.

Portland Harbour: A more comfortable mark with a good chance of a Bass or Founder. The area along Hamm Beach and Ferrybridge should give you the best chance.

Weymouth Bay: Stone Pier is a good choice if you don’t want to fish Chesil, with plenty of species variety. Wrasse, Pollock, Pout are all to be caught. I had a report yesterday that there are hundreds of Mullet in the harbour up to 7lb. I am not sure if they are just Thick Lipped.

Guiding & Lessons: If you are looking for Bass guiding in Dorset or any other guiding, then I am opening up the diary again for the next 6 months. Now that they fish have started to show, I should have some good sessions.  Have a look on the guiding link at the top of the page or drop me an email for more details to [email protected]