A guide to fishing the sandy shore. Sandy beaches are great for fishing, easy access day and night, little tackle loss and parking is usually easy.
The beach can be split into several parts
A. The high tide mark. Where wet sand meets dry usually a line of debris present. Varies depending on height of tide.
B. The slope. Varies from slight to steep depending on the beach. The steepest inclines are found on shingle beaches. At the bottom of this slope holes can open up which are visited by dabs, whiting and occassional bass.
C. Flat area. Gradient is usually slight. Tide can come in quickly over this part. Holes often open up along low tide mark.
D. Decline into deep water. Somewhere Below the low tide mark the beach drops off to deep water. Distance varies depending on beach
The distances between these points varies from beach to beach.
So what does this mean to anglers?
Imagine arriving on the above beach when the sea had just reached point B. Could you reach the deep water with your cast? more likely your bait will lie in very shallow water .This is why some beaches are low water shots (I love stating the obvious). At high tide the slope B may not be sufficient to guarantee your bait will be in a decent depth of water. Before fishing any beach at high tide visit at low water and check for holes, gullies, patches of weed, and worm beds. Then stand at the high tide mark and pace out the distance to that spot. Ask yourself Could you hit it from the high tide mark? Is wading out a bit neccessary? How deep will the water be at high tide at that spot? Remember the mark by making a note of some nearby feature (e.g. a large washed up log). If aiming for a hole cast up tide and let the current wash your bait into it.
Good high tide beaches in the north east are:
Good low tide beaches are:
How far you let the tide drop on low water shots depends on your casting ability. The tidal run occurs between two hours after low water till two hours before high water and two hours after high water till two hours before low water (approximately). Fishing is often good at this time but a long cast and a pair of waders is essential. Wade out over the flat area C untill you think your cast will put you in a decent depth of water. Do not wade too far out as the water pressing on your legs limits movement and hence casting distance.
Too methods of calculating water depth are available to the angler. Waves break when the depth is less than half their wavelength (L/2)or depth = 1.25 of height.
The gradient of area C is important because it determines the total time a beach is fishable. Newburgh beach can be fished through out the tide if you're a decent caster but warkworth beach is best fished two hours either side of high tide and low tide. The secret is to know your beach and move around depending on the state of the tide.
As distance is often the key a beach caster is essential. The reel does not matter as long as you can get a long cast out of it. Load the reel with 12-15lb line on clean ground and 20-25lb where snags are inevitable as these give the best balance of distance for strength. use streamlined baits such as worms and bait clips to help gain those extra few yards.
Sandy beaches which are lacking in weed or rocks will rarely be visited during day light when the sea is flat. Only when the sea is rough will the fish move in to casting range to feed on the small animals the sea ousted from the sand.
Night fishing offers the best chance of success on this type of beach. Visit Blyth beach during the day and you'll be lucky to see one angler fishing, come at night and it's a different story. Night fishing also helps you avoid people swimming in summer. Re-riging is difficult at night so sandy beaches are ideal as little tackle is lost here. Small rod lights can be attached to the end of the rod but these give no indication of slack line bites, so check line regularly.
Before fishing at high tide it is always a good idea to check out the beach at low water, look for gulleys breaks in sandbanks and holes. That is anywhere the water is deep, where food is likely to be washed or places where fish will rest. Also look out for small streams cut into the sand that run seawards, larger fish wait at the bottom to pick off small creatures that get caught up in the current. Sandbanks exposed on the ebbing tide often make excellent fishing platforms.