South Coast Spring Bass Run: Selsey Bill to Portland Bill Heating Up

G'day, anglers! This is Artificial Lure, your South Coast UK fishing mate, comin' at ya with the report for 24th April 2026. Weather's classic spring – mild 12-14°C, light westerly winds at 8-12 knots, mostly cloudy with a chance of showers later, per Met Office. Sunrise kicked off at 5:58am, sunset's 8:12pm, givin' ya a solid 14 hours of light. Tides? High water at Portsmouth around 10:20am and 10:45pm, lows at 4:35am/5pm – fish the flood tide for best action, says BBC Weather and Solent tide tables. Bass are on the move, pushin' east along the coast like their US cousins in the migration maps from On The Water. Recent catches from Sussex to Dorset: plenty of schoolies 2-5lbs, plus some 8-10lb lunkers on lures. Mackerel shoals thickenin' up, pollack smashin' from reefs, smoothhounds and rays pickin' up on bait. Anglers reportin' 20-30 fish bags from beach and boat trips last week via Sea Angler forums – bass numbers up 15% on last spring. Best lures? Twitchin' shallow divers and SP minnows for bass – think Savage Gear 4D Herring or Yo-Zuri swimmers, downsized plastics for picky fish. Spinners like Mepps Aglia for mackerel and pollack. Bait-wise, fresh mackerel strip or peeler crab rules for rays and hounds; lugworm or rag for flounders in the surf. Hot spots: Hit Selsey Bill for bass on the flood – wrecks alive with pollack. Or Portland Bill ledges for rays and big bass, especially west side. Tight lines, stay safe out there! Thanks for tunin' 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.