SEPTEMBER always seems a bumper time for shore anglers and this year is no exception.

Bigger bass are now showing for the beach and pier angler, along with whiting and dogfish.

Clacton Pier has had a very good week, with some big bass being caught.

Clacton angler Gary Coward only fished the pier for a couple of hours after work but in that time he landed two big bass, both caught on squid.

Thornback rays have also returned with rays to 7lbs reported, along with dogfish and whiting after dark.

The Clacton beaches have come into their own this week, with thornbacks rays showing well.

Matt Clark has been catching rays between 4lb to 7lbs.

Once again, St Osyth beach has seen a return of the thornback rays this week.

They are not there on all tides, but get it right and there is great sport to be had.

The Holland beaches are also a good venue to head for if you fancy catching a ray. The first two hours of the flood tide and the last three hours of the ebb tide will fish best to optimise your chances of catching one.

School bass are also feeding well here.

Walton Pier continues in the same vein, with bass feeding between the piles and thornback rays from the stem and top of the pier.

The evening tides are fishing best.

Walton Sea Angling Club held their latest evening match here and they fished the last of the flood tide and just over high water.

Most anglers opted to fish the bottom of the pier in the hope of winning the sole prize, which had been a rollover from previous competitions.

A few anglers headed for the top of the pier, hoping for thornback rays.

The fishing was slow and no thornback rays were caught, but whiting, dogfish, eels and rockling were prevalent.

First place went to Rob Tuck, with four dogfish and eight whiting for 6lb 14oz.

Rob also won the heaviest round fish prize with a 1lb 3oz dogfish.

Second spot went to Bill Paquette, with four fish for 2lb 2oz, and in third was Doug Sadler, with four fish for a 1lb, which included the heaviest sole.

If you have any fishing reports you can contact me at popplewell1@btinternet.com

The high tides for the weekend are 4.15pm on Saturday and 4.58pm on Sunday.