Dorset spring bass: Portland Bill & Chesil briefing
Dorset spring bass: Portland Bill & Chesil briefing
What is biting today
Sea bass shoals are forming from late April into May around Portland Bill and across Chesil Beach. Recent local reports cite bass actively chasing mackerel and small herring into Church Ope Cove on the Portland side; smoothhound and mullet are also showing on spring tides. Pollack and ballan wrasse are turning up around the Bill and piers, with pollack activity notable at dawn and dusk.
Water and tides
Water currently reads about 9.6°C, lightly coloured and calm after recent blows. Best windows are tidal changes at dawn and dusk, and the race edges or Chesil flats towards Abbotsbury where low water can fall around midday. Target moving tide seams in 5–15m depths where bait concentrates; fish east of the Bill on westerlies and west on easterlies.
Methods and gear
Topwater approaches work on the flow edges at the tidal shift—cast along the seam rather than into the race; light onshore ripple favours takes so use small plugs or poppers and scale down in gin-clear conditions. Soft plastics of 2–4" paddletails or islings on 10–20g jigheads, Hokkai-style short rigs and fluoro leaders for rips are effective; twitch lures during the colour change after a blow, once water settles 12–36 hours later. Recommended tackle includes 7-9ft spinning rods with 20–30lb braid and up to 30lb leader for strong tidal rips.
Forecast
Mackerel moving inshore will likely pull more bass onto the flats; continued bait activity in Portland Harbour is a reliable early indicator. Chesil's 18 miles of shingle require anglers to move until marks are found—access via west cliffs to Chesil Cove for rough ground and mixed species.
Recommended: spinning rod 7-9ft