Catches certainly on up over the last week

There were fish reported right round the coast and although nothing really big was reported, the volume of decent fish in catches certainly has increased.

The whiting present in most catch reports in the deep south have increased in size it would seem and some nice ones to 40cm have been reported.

Among the whiting are still a few sole, pouts and dogfish and a sprinkling of small codling from Orford up to Lowestoft. Above Lowestoft to Yarmouth and it's a similar story with plenty of whiting in catches with one or two better ones among them.

The smoothounds from Pakefield Bay to Hopton seem to have cleared off now, aside a few pups. The catches have mainly been of whiting, pouts and odd codling.

Boat reports have been few and far between but those boats out of Lowestoft have found a few decent smoothounds and rays not too far offshore.

The stretch from Yarmouth up to Cromer has produced a few bass with fish of 1.5-2lb caught while there was some colour in the sea, not so many whiting here and I noted a few eels in reports probably heading off with the bass.

The north Norfolk shingle has produced a few fish too with school bass and flats on the cards. Bass have been reported from Cley to Weybourne. South and Westerly airflow over the coming weekend may bring some weed to the north but should provide some colour, and your best chances, down south. The whiting will like the colour and I reckon there'll be a chance of an early codling amongst them.