Latest Fishing Reports: Galloper

Back to Main Charter Page
  • 03/10/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    3 Oct 2022 by Scott Belbin

    Well I have been very busy since returning from our holiday to Ireland. The weather may not have been perfect but it worked out well for most trips. The wind direction was in our favour and there are plenty of fish around all over the place at the moment too. This meant that we have been able to get everybody out and catching fish rather than cancelling any of our trips.
    Fishing wise there are no shortage of bites to be had inshore. the dogfish and whiting are keeping us very busy in between the better fish. the Suffolk lads had their last match of the year and kept me busy marking their catches down. Andy had the highest score and biggest number of fish with something like 50 scoring fish during the match as well as a bonus lobster too! As if catching a lobster on rod and line isn’t lucky enough fancy the chances of catching a blue lobster? This one isn’t as blue as they sometimes can be but she is certainly a blue one. They are pretty rare according to oceanographers, a blue one is believed to be as rare as one in two million and is thought to be caused by genetic mutation. This is obviously as special catch, oddly enough my father in law had one a couple of years ago and he donated it to Southend sea life centre. Unfortunately they don’t have room for this one so we are currently trying to find an aquarium that wants to display her. If you know one interested then please put them in touch with me.
    Aside from catching lobsters we have seen a mix of other species throughout the last week. This includes thorn-back rays, bass, smooth-hounds and some more codling too! Catches vary a lot depending on where we are fishing. some times we have seen better numbers of hounds and bass and other times we have seen more rays. The main thing is we have seen plenty of smiles on faces.
    I have a bit of mid-week availability for full boat bookings and individuals coming up as well as a couple of spaces with a regular group that are short of people this Saturday (08th)
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528
    its always worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    03rd-06th- Whole boat availability for general or offshore bass trips call for info
    08/10-spaces joining a regular group @ £60pp
    10/10 Whole boat availability for general or offshore bass trips call for info
    11/10 Whole boat availability for general or offshore bass trips call for info
    13/10 Whole boat availability for general or offshore bass trips call for info
    17/10- offshore bass 2 spaces @ £100pp plus worm bait (required)
    20/10 whole boat availability for offshore bass trip call for info
    27/10- general trip 7 spaces @ £60pp
    29/10-full boat available from £490
    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call 07956411528 for more information

  • 26/09/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    26 Sep 2022 by Scott Belbin

    As I’m sure you have noticed there has been a marked change in conditions of late. Just a few weeks ago it was balmy out there. I hadn’t worn a jumper in weeks and after a prolonged settled period and warm weather many fish weren’t feeding. Suddenly there were heavy dews in the mornings, northerly winds have prevailed and the daylight hours are getting shorter. All of this has bought the fish back to life again. Dogfish and whiting are now numerous and the thorn-back rays are back on the feed. There are certainly no shortage of bites on our general trips now. the autumn changeover also results in some great variety in our catches too. As the summer species and winter species overlap for a while. The other day we had a great start and end to the trip catching lots of schoolbass. they say the early bird catches the worm and our early start meant we even had some sizable bass before the other boats had left their moorings! With the anchor down and baits out we continued to see some bass mixed in as well as dogfish, whiting, dab, smooth-hound, thorn-back ray and even a codling for Stephen Clark! Don’t worry we let it go so we had one to catch the rest of the winter. I did get my ladybird book of fish out to check I had identified it correctly and it definitely was a codling. I wont be getting my hopes up of any numbers of them in the coming months but it would be nice to see a few again this winter. It was lucky we did let it go though as Robin caught it twice in one day! none of the codling have been of any size but nice to see never the less.
    Hopefully this wind will ease off in time for our next offshore bass trips later in the week. At least there are plenty of fish inshore if we cant get off there. I do happen to have a space this Saturday if you are interested.
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528
    its always worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    01/10/22-offshore bass @ £100pp
    03rd-06th- Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    10/10 Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    11/10 Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    13/10 Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    27/10- general trip 7 spaces @ £60pp
    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call 07956411528 for more information

  • 19/09/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    19 Sep 2022 by Scott Belbin

    After a break from pictures of bass last week I have a few more to share again this week. They have continued to provide great sport and a few for the table too. They will continue to show offshore until the end of November so keep an eye out for spaces. We should catch them on our general trips for several weeks yet as well as targeting rays and hounds in between the building numbers of whiting and dogfish. Dan’s group had a great trip the other day with loads of bass throughout the day. numbers just seem to get better and better. Duncan had his fair share of the action throughout the day including two bass on one rig. This was inevitable as we had several bass chasing hooked fish to the boat throughout the day.
    Remember it is often worth giving me a shout if you are cancelled else where and still wish to get out, as we have lots of sheltered fishing available and a big catamaran which makes it even more comfortable.
    Please note I have some availability for spaces or full boat bookings this week as a couple of groups are struggling for numbers.
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528
    its always worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    25/09/22- spaces @ £60pp possibly whole boat availability
    26/09/22- general trip spaces @ £60pp
    02/10/22-offshore bass @ £100pp
    03/10/22-offshore bass @ £100pp
    03rd-05th- Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call 07956411528 for more information

  • 11/09/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    11 Sep 2022 by Scott Belbin

    The wind has changed direction, the mercury has dropped and the heavy dew each morning suggest autumn is on its way. The fish don’t miss these signs either and so we have seen the numbers of thorn-back rays (roker) increase over the last few weeks. This is great news for our general trips and should keep us busy in between the dogfish and whiting when we are staying inshore. Ernie was better at catching the rays than he was at holding them but that’s what Dad’s are for. After all you don’t have a dog and bark! of course these trips continue to produce bass, smooth-hounds, baby tope and even a few dover sole and silver eels. Numbers of bass can vary depending on the tide, bait and where we can fish but if you really want bass then our offshore trips are the best bet. These continue to produce numbers of fish as well as quality both of which should improve over the coming weeks. We will try and make the most of these fish until the end of November when the 2 bass bag limit ends. Of course the weather can be less settled as we get later in the year but that’s where being on a big catamaran really pays off so we can fish when others can’t and be in more comfort too.

    Spaces as follows
    02/10- offshore bass 4 spaces @ £100pp
    03/10, 04/10, 05/10- offshore bass trips available
    06/10-boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass at extra cost
    10/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    11/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    13/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    20/10- boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    24/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    25/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    26/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    27/10 boat available for general trip from £490 possible offshore bass extra cost
    Please visit www.essexseafishing for more information or call 07956411528

  • 29/08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    29 Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    The weather may have broken at times lately but we have continued to get out amog the fish each day. some days we have had to work harder for the fish than others but still they keep coming aboard. We have seen a few thorn-back rays starting to feed again. These are promising signs for the next few months inshore. there have been a few hounds in places too. These are always welcome and sure to ‘pull your string’. The bass have been pretty obliging at times. From schoolies to 5lb they are all welcome and seem pretty hungry too. One of the biggest we have seen lately shook the hook 2 feet from the net the other day. it even had the audacity to sit on the surface taunting us for a few seconds before swimming off. Don’t worry John I will get a longer net handle for your next trip!
    Using lots of worm bait for the bass has resulted in a few soles lately too. From various locations and purely as accidental bycatch but welcome all the same.
    I gather the wind has meant several trips have been cancelled else where this week. Just a reminder that we have plenty of sheltered fishing in this area and working a big catamaran means we can often still fish in comfort when others are in port. I have individual spaces on Wednesday and Friday as well as boat availability Thursday if you are keen to get afloat.

    We have continued to see smooth-hounds, baby tope and some chunky bass on our general trips as well as lots of schoolie bass at times. The offshore bass fishing continues to be productive too.
    Spaces as follows
    31/08- 2 spaces @ £60pp
    01/09- full boat availability from £490
    02/08- 6 spaces
    03/09- offshore bass 2 spaces @ £100pp
    06/09-full boat available for offshore bass
    07/09- full boat availability from £490
    Please visit www.essexseafishing for more information or call 07956411528

  • 26/08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    26 Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    I thought I would do a quick update with my availability for the next couple of weeks. I know some of you may wish to make the most of the last of the school holidays and the nice weather. I have no spaces after this until October.
    We have continued to see smooth-hounds, baby tope and some chunky bass on our general trips as well as lots of schoolie bass at times. The offshore bass fishing continues to be productive too.
    Spaces as follows
    30/08-full boat availability from £490
    31/08- 8 spaces @ £60pp
    01/09- full boat availability from £490
    02/08-offshore bass 6 spaces @ £100pp
    03/09- offshore bass 2 spaces @ £100pp
    07/09- full boat availability from £490
    Please visit www.essexseafishing for more information or call 07956411528

  • 22/08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    22 Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    There may have been rain forecast last week but my tan lines suggest otherwise. As is often the case in this part of the country we avoided the majority of the rain aboard the Galloper and it was factor 50 and Sunglasses not rain coats needed! The fishing continues to be great with numbers of Smooth-hounds and bass making up most of our trips. It was nice to see yet more youngsters joining us. Ben and Oliver joined us one day last week although they were booked on with separate family groups. It is so nice to see angling spanning two or three generations as families share interests and spend time together. The boys got amongst the bass and hounds with us. Ben had the first bass of the day and Olly had the most keepers. I am sure we will see some more youngsters out before the end of the holidays and I have a few spaces left.
    One of the biggest bass of the week fell to Jason, he must be doing something right as he had the biggest the other week too!
    Jason was joined by his friend Jim who had one of the biggest hounds of the week rather unexpectedly while targeting bass. Jim took great pleasure in proving there were decent hounds to be caught despite what the skipper had told him. As he didn’t target it I’m not sure it counts in my book!
    There are a few small rays starting to show in places and other bits and bobs mixed in too. Things are looking busy as we head into September and beyond so please get in touch if you fancy grabbing some summer action while it lasts. It wont be long before the dogfish and whiting return inshore and we are chasing the bass as they push further off.
    I only have a few dates and spaces between now and the end of September including some mid-week boat availability please call for more information
    Next spaces
    25/08-clacton air show trip- 1 space @ £60pp
    30/08-full boat availability from £490
    31/08- 8 spaces @ £60pp
    01/09- full boat availability from £490
    02/08-offshore bass £100pp or full boat from £700
    03/09- offshore bass 2 spaces @ £100pp
    06/09- full boat availability from £490
    07/09- full boat availability from £490
    Please visit www.essexseafishing for more information or call 07956411528

  • 15/08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    15 Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    Another hectic and barmy week has passed already. We have enjoyed a mixture of trips, fishing and anglers and the weather has been consistently hot throughout! Despite a couple of breezy trips we managed to get our last run of offshore bass trips in with lots of fish and no need to cancel. Its times like those when working a big catamaran pays dividends. Of course we benefit on our inshore trips too by being more comfortable and therefore able to position the boat where the fish are rather than where the conditions dictate most of the time.
    The offshore trips produced good numbers of bass to lures and bait depending on the day and conditions. It tends to be mostly bass on these trips although we do catch the occasional hound and other species too at times. We take it for granted that everybody will get their quota of bass to take home fairly quickly then we can concentrate on having some sport from them for the rest of the day. I have spaces on bass trips from as soon as this week through until the end of November. Please get in touch if you are interested.
    Our general trips have produced a bit more variety. bites can be fewer at this time of year due to the lack of dogfish and whiting (you all miss them really). But what we do catch are often quality fish. mostly smooth-hounds and bass. The hounds have been coming in all shapes and sizes. The biggest from the last set of trips was 15.10lbs but there were several doubles on our trips. Other trips struggled for hounds but still found plenty of bass. The stamp is often smaller on our general trips than it is on the offshore bass trips however we have still had good numbers of table sized fish too.
    A few odds and sods mixed in included an eel, thorn-back ray, baby tope and a dover sole.
    The 4 hour trips are still producing well too. I get a different kind of buzz from these. Working hard to find people their first fish avoid weed and find something for the table all within 4 hours of leaving the mooring and within the estuary. its great seeing people catch their first fish or sea fish too and these trips often attract youngsters and beginners. Jamie booked a last minute four hour trip to make the most of the weather with sons Frank and Jack. The weather was spot on and the lads caught more on one rod on the first drop than they had on their last trip! After some fun with the little bass we set our sights on something for the table and were rewarded with not just one but two cracking bass for the table. I cant promise this every trip but it is a nice spend a few hours anyway. If you fancy a short trip then please get in touch as I may be able to get you out.
    I have availability mid-week throughout the summer so please get in touch if you want to get booked in. its also worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    18/08-availability for full boat bookings or individuals
    19/08-availability for full boat bookings or individuals
    22-offshore trip 3 spaces @ £120pp
    24/08-whole boat available for offshore trips
    25/08/22 Clacton air show trip fish while they fly 9 spaces @ £60pp
    30th-02nd- Whole boat availability for offshore bass or general trips call for info
    Later dates available but not advertised , other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call Scott on 07956411528 for more information

  • 08/08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    8 Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    Things have been very busy lately aboard the Galloper. The fishing and the weather have both been great so it has been full steam ahead with long days offshore. With that in mind I must apologies to all of you who’s calls and texts I’ve missed. It is hard to get back to everybody by the time I have signal.
    Our general trips were producing some great quality smooth-hounds with plenty of low double figure fish mixed in. As ever the young guns showed us how its done with Ernie catching one just over 12lbs and Josh catching a double a few days before hand. Although Josh’s fish was pipped that day by a fish of 15.8lbs by John.
    There have been plenty of bass falling to worm baits on our general trips too. The size and numbers very from day to day but there have been a good few keepers mixed in for the table.
    Jason ended his trip with a lovely solid fish which nearly had the rod over the side while he was hiding from the sun and chatting with me. We didn’t weigh it to be honest but she must have gone over 6lbs.
    If you want bass then our offshore bass trips are the ones to be on. These have been very productive. Depending on conditions we are catching on baits at anchor or lures. All sorts of lures will work. Hard plastics, soft plastics, metal jigs, surface poppers and feathers. I must admit a favourite of mine is the surface popper though these tend to get lots of follows and not as many takes. My go-to lure for catching with confidence near the surface is a 4-5inch hard plastic plug but the most consistent and effective would be feathers. I have room for full boat bookings and individual spaces on bass trips over the coming weeks as well as right through to the end of November.
    The weather looks scorching for a few days yet and I have some availability so get in touch if you want to get afloat.
    I have availability mid-week throughout the summer so please get in touch if you want to get booked in. its also worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    11/08 (this Thursday) - whole boat available for general trip
    13/08 (this Saturday)- 3 spaces @ £60pp
    15/08 Whole boat availability for general or offshore bass trips call for info
    16/08
    17/08-3 spaces @ £60pp
    18/08
    19/08-offshore bass trip 5 spaces @ £100pp max 7 anglers
    20/08/22-offshore bass trip 1 space @ £100pp
    23/08-whole boat available for offshore trips
    24/08-whole boat available for offshore trips
    25/08/22 Clacton air show trip fish while they fly 9 spaces @ £60pp
    26/08/22- Clacton air show trip fish while they fly 2 spaces @ £60pp
    28/08/22-2 spaces @ £70pp max 7 anglers
    30th-02nd- Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    Later dates available but not advertised , other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call Scott on 07956411528 for more information

  • 08/2022 Fishing Report by Scott Belbin

    Aug 2022 by Scott Belbin

    Our 4 hour trips continue to prove popular at this time of year. With the blackwater estuary on our door step we have had plenty of great fishing to choose from over the last few weeks on them. The schoolie bass that we often expect were a little late this year. In stead our first few trips saw several roker and hounds as the best fish. a few years ago I would have been surprised at hounds so close in but we see them more often nowadays. Of course the bass did turn up and they have provided us with some great sport. Alex books an annual trip for himself, his father and his brother to enjoy out with us. the lads now expect to see string full’s of schoolie bass coming in and always hope to find a keeper amongst them for the table. This year we were lucky enough to have 4 nice bass along with countless schoolies and a couple of roker too. The lads were very pleased to have something for dinner as well as a nice trip out.
    Ian booked a short trip up while visiting Mersea on a family holiday. His sons Olly and James joined him for a few hours fishing too. We were lucky enough to start our trip with string full’s of bass on feathers before some bait fishing. I could barely keep up with the rate of fish coming over the side to be honest. we put a move in to try and find something bigger for the lads before the end of the trip. James came up trumps first with a sizable bass for the bbq. Both James and Olly had roker next and Ian topped it all off with a stingray before we headed in. the lads were very happy with their trip, as was the skipper. I often say I get a different kind of buzz from taking out novices on trips like these and they help to keep things fresh amidst a busy summer.
    If I get enough interest I will offer up a few more of these short trips so please get in touch and I will see what I can do.
    Our general trips are producing hounds and bass as we would expect. Some great examples of each are showing. Offshore our bass trips have started off well and will keep us busy until the end of November. I have spaces on these (including this Saturday) on various days for full boat bookings and individuals. Please get in touch to get booked on.
    For regular updates, availability and more information please visit www.essexseafishing.co.uk find us on social media or call Scott on 07956411528


    I have availability mid-week throughout the summer so please get in touch if you want to get booked in. its also worth keeping an eye out for last minute spaces with groups or where people drop out. I will list my current list of spaces but there are likely to be other dates so its always worth giving me a call. If I am out of signal range I will get back to you asap.

    Spaces as follows
    06/08/22- offshore bass trip 1 spaces @ £100pp max 7 anglers
    11/08- whole boat available for general trip
    15th-19th Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info
    25/08/22 Clacton air show trip fish while they fly 10 spaces @ £60pp
    26/08/22- Clacton air show trip fish while they fly 2 spaces @ £60pp
    28/08/22-2 spaces @ £70pp max 7 anglers
    30th-02nd- Whole boat availability for offshore bass trips call for info

    Not all dates advertised, other spaces available for full boat bookings upon request please call 07956411528 for more information

Previous 1 2 …8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Next
Add a Fishing Report