We're coming into the time of the year where traditionally you have the best chances of a codling or even a cod.

Looking back through my diaries and what I remember of friend's catches, from now until Christmas would seem to give the best chances of a proper cod. I note also that as much as the codling like a heaving sea full of colour, the bigger fish seem to feed inshore when the water is calm and not crashing round their gills. I think maybe this is down to diet, the codling are usually of a size where they are eating worms, shrimps, and crabs smashed out of the sand by a heavy surf whilst the bigger fish tend to be carnivorous and are looking for pouts and whiting.

Back to the reports, starting in the north there have been plenty of flats and whiting on the shingle.

Trimingham saw an open match last Saturday won by Gary Medler with a nice bag of fish. Gary carded 35 fish for a creditable 15lb 7oz including a whiting of 1lb 2oz. Second spot went to Peter Hansell with 27 fish for 10lb 10oz with Paul Alsop's 7lb 4oz enough to take third. Gary was only 1.5oz off repeating this win at the East Anglian League Dunwich open on Sunday. Fishing was harder than Trimingham where N. Haward took top spot with 2lb 3.5oz, half of which was a codling. Gary took second with 2lb 2oz and Clyde Legget with 1lb 5oz finished third. Lowestoft to Yarmouth has been a bit slower and even the boats have struggled to find anything other than whiting.

There's some north in the forecast running into this weekend which could boost chances above Yarmouth, coupled with building tides into darkness. I think there's good chances of a return of those codling that were around a few weeks back.