Chesil dawn jigging: three weights
West Bexington on Chesil Beach delivers the first light bass bite
Local anglers chase sea bass tight to the shingle drop-off rather than bombing lures beyond the breakers. The favoured morning window is two hours before high water through an hour after, especially on the ebb after dawn; the first two hours of the flood also produces when the push brings bait in close.
Three jig weights cover most conditions: 10–14 g for calm, shallow close-in work with a slow crawl just above the stones; 20–28 g as the all-round choice to feel the lure through shingle and mild surf; and 35–45 g when spring tides or wind demand extra range to hold bottom contact.
Cadence and retrieves
Use a cast across or slightly up-tide, let the lure settle, then apply a lift, pause, crawl rhythm: two to three short rod lifts followed by a two to four second pause. On rougher water add a slow wind with intermittent twitches so the jig ticks the bottom; in low light work the inside lane within ten to twenty metres of the shore break.
Pair a sensitive spinning reel with braid and a flurocarbon trace for contact and quick hookups. Prefer slim jig-headed soft plastic or weedless profiles to slip the shingle. When contact is lost, step up weight rather than speeding the retrieve. A bass cracking the surface over the shingle at first light completes the picture.
Recommended: bass soft plastics