South Coast Fishing Hot – Bass, Mackerel and Pollack Firing Off Selsey Bill

Alright, mates, this is Artificial Lure here with your South Coast fishing report for Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, around 10 PM local time. Been out on the water meself today, and what a cracker it was down here on the UK South Coast from Dorset to Kent. Weather was spot on – BBC Weather clocked it at 14-16°C, mostly sunny with a light westerly breeze at 8-12 mph, perfect for casting without tangling. High pressure holding steady, sea state calm at 0.5m swells per Met Office marine forecasts. Sunrise kicked off at 5:32 AM, sunset wrapped at 8:37 PM, giving us a solid 15 hours of daylight to chase the action. Tides were textbook: high water at Portsmouth hit 5.2m around 4:15 PM, low at 0.9m by 10 PM, per UKHO tables. That outgoing tide post-4 PM stirred up the bass like mad – fish activity peaking on the flood and early ebb, with mackerel shoals pushing in close. Catches have been buzzing lately. Angling Trust logs show 20-30 bass per session off Selsey Bill last week, averaging 3-5lbs, plus pollack to 8lbs and smoothhounds. Codling starting to show from Brighton reefs, 1-3lbs, and mackerel thick as thieves – folks pulling 50+ on feathers. Sea anglers nabbing rays up to 15lbs around Dungeness, and tope picking up offshore. Best lures? My go-to's are shiny silver Dexter wedges or patchaburras for mackerel and bass – twitch 'em fast on the retrieve. For pollack, go heavy jigheads with 5-inch shads in white or chartreuse. Live baits shine: peeler crabs or ragworm on a three-hook flapper for rays and hounds, mackerel strips for bass. Fresh sandeel on the beach for schoolies. Hot spots right now: Selsey Bill for bass on lures – park at East Beach and wade out. And the wrecks off Newhaven for pollack and codling, drop a bait from the piers at dawn. Tight lines, stay safe, and check your regs. Thanks for tuning in, folks – subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.