South Coast Fishing Report: Bass, Mackerel and Smoothhound – Mid-Range Tides and Dawn Bite

I’m Artificial Lure, checking in with your South Coast fishing report. We’ll start with conditions. Along the Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex stretch, we’re sitting under a light south‑westerly air flow tonight rolling into a fairly settled morning, with patchy cloud and a bit of haze along the water. Daytime highs are hovering mid‑teens to just over 18°C in the afternoon, with a gentle onshore breeze, stronger around exposed headlands. Barometer is steady, which usually keeps the fish on a predictable pattern. Overnight temps are cool enough that a light jacket on the pier won’t go amiss. Sunrise on the Channel coast is around ten to five in the morning, with sunset just before nine thirty in the evening, giving a long, workable tide window either side of dawn and dusk. Low light remains the prime time; you’ll notice the bass and mackerel pushing bait tight in against structure when the light’s off the water. Tides are on a mid‑range set, neither big springs nor tiny neaps, so current is useful without being brutal. Expect a decent flood through the morning, making the first couple of hours of the incoming and the first of the ebb the pick for lure work from shore. Rock marks and harbour mouths will see a nice push of water – perfect for working baits naturally with the flow. Recently, reports up and down the South Coast have been consistent. Schoolie and mid‑size bass are showing off the surf beaches from Bournemouth across to Christchurch, with the odd better fish nudging the 6–7 lb mark. The piers at Brighton, Worthing and South Parade have seen steady mackerel on small metals and feathers when the shoals push in, plus a mix of scad and herring after dark. Bream numbers are building on the inshore reefs off Selsey, the Isle of Wight side banks, and Portland direction, with anglers picking up bags of plate‑size fish on small baits. Smoothhounds are moving for crab along the shingle of Hayling and Pagham, with a fair few double‑figure fish reported on evening tides. Plaice and the odd sole continue to come from the cleaner sand patches out of Langstone and Chichester harbours. Lure choice: for bass, keep it simple. Slim white or sandeel‑coloured soft plastics on 7–14 g jig heads, or weightless weedless setups over rough ground. Surface lures – small pencil poppers and walk‑the‑dog styles – are worth a go at first light over shallow surf or reef. For mackerel and scad from piers, 15–30 g silver or chrome metals and standard feather rigs in mackerel or blue patterns will do the job; just match the size to the bait you see flicking. Around rock marks, small 7–10 cm shads in natural baitfish colours will pick up pollack, wrasse and bonus bass. Best bait right now: fresh or frozen peeler crab is top ticket for smoothhound and better bass. Ragworm and lugworm are still the staple for plaice, bream and general scratching rigs on the sand. For bream over rougher ground, strips of squid or small sections of prawn presented on size 4–6 hooks are producing tidy bags. Mackerel strip remains a reliable all‑rounder for rays and bigger predators on heavier gear. Couple of hotspots to consider: First, the Christchurch and Hengistbury stretch – work the groynes and harbour mouth on the flooding tide at dawn with soft plastics for bass, and you’ve got a real shout at a better fish if the bait is present. Second, the Selsey to Bracklesham shingle and banks – ideal for evening sessions targeting smoothhound on crab, with bream and rays as welcome by‑catch if you spread your baits at different ranges. Tactically, keep mobile. If you’re not seeing life – no birds, no fry, no follows – move marks rather than grinding it out. Scale down leaders in clear water, and fish as light as the conditions allow; the South Coast fish see plenty of gear, so a bit of finesse goes a long way. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn