Where did July go? The highlight was undoubtedly the SMAC Open Bass Competition on 12th July. SMAC run a number of open competitions and this was a double first – the first Bass competition and the first Catch & Release competition they have run. A lot of good bass were caught as you will see in the report, and the competition was won by Steve Tamblin with a bass measuring a whopping 70cm.
Mackerel are abundant although some of the shoals contain smaller fish. These make great bass baits but probably not so good for the BBQ. There are also plenty of scad, and they tend to congregate at a lower depth so it’s worth bouncing some feathers off the bottom if you see some indication of fish activity down there on your fishfinder.
July is a month where the Eastern Solent demonstrates the rich variety of species (make a date for the SMAC Open Species Competition on 31st August). Simply bottom fishing on a mark near rocks and broken ground with a large bait on the bottom and smaller baits off the bottom will keep you busy all day. Expect the usual dogfish and pout of course but there will also be bream, small conger, smoothhound, tope, rays, bass, wrasse, gurnard and a chance of almost anything else on the National species list – even sunfish!
Gilthead Bream can be caught in the harbours if you don’t mind battling with weed. Mullet are also plentiful, and there have been some cracking specimens landed of 5lb plus. Stingray appear during the summer along muddy shores of the Solent, estuaries and harbours. They are surprisingly fast swimmers and put up a good fight.
Looking forward to August, some anglers consider it a quiet month and that’s true for the larger fish. However, I have always found that switching to lighter tackle and going for sport rather than specimens can still result in some excellent fishing.