South Shields Pier

The Brigade Hut

Best Time To Fish: 2 hours before high tide and 2 hours after but only on big tides.

Summer species: Mackerel and plaice with the best conditions being a calm clear sea.

Winter species: codling and whiting with the best conditions being darkness and a big swell running into the harbour.

Ground: clean sand only rocks to 20 yards out clear these and tackle losses will be small.

 

The Slab

The slab is the area between the brigade hut and first gate.

Best time: 3 hours before high tide and 2 hours after on a large tide.

summer species: mackerel and plaice with the conditions being a calm sea.

Winter species: codlin and whiting with chances of a larger cod, with the conditions being darkness and a swell running into the harbour.

Ground: the only snags are amongst the rocks which are in the first 2o yards and clean sand there on after.

First gate

The end of the area known as the slab and where ground starts getting rougher

Best time: 3 hours before high tide and 2 hours after high tide with the bigger tides being best.

Summer species: Mackerel and plaice being the main target with the odd codlin with conditions being a calm sea.

Winter species: Codlin and whiting with conditions being darkness and a big swell running into the harbour with a chance of a cod.

Ground: Slightly snaggy in some areas with clean sand after 20 yards of the pier with light tackle loss.

First gate chair

This mark is just past the first gate and is marked by a small bench chair and is the first mark where you can cast out to sea.

Best time: fish on a big tide and only over high tide with the best conditions being darkness with a surf running.

Summer species: bass, flounder and coalfish.

Winter species: bass, flounder, coalfish and the odd codlin.

Ground: rocks to 30 yards then clean sand with minimum tackle loss.

Rail end

 The clue is in the name and this is the point of which the railing ends which is on the seawards side of the pier.

Best time: 2 hours before high tide and 1 hour after the high tide.

Summer species: bass, flounder and coalfish with the conditions being darkness and a moderate swell running.

Winter species: cod, bass, whiting, dab and flounder with the conditions being darkness and a moderate swell running.

Ground: only snaggy in the first 4o yards, wind fast when nearing this and tackle losses should be minimal.

The rubble

This is known by a small pile of rubble and fish further up the pier casting into the harbour.

Best time: two hours before high tide and one hour after high tide.

Summer species: coalfish, flatfish and codlin with the best conditions being either daylight or darkness with a calm sea.

Winter species: coalfish, whiting, dab and codlin with the conditions being either daylight or darkness and a gentle swell running.

Ground: extremely snaggy up to 80 yards out then clean sand there after. tackle loses should be expected.

The post

This is found between the rubble and the second gate with this being one of the top marks on the pier and still casting into the harbour.

Best time: fish on a big tide, two hours before high water and an hour after.

Summer species: coalfish, mackerel and codlin with conditions being either day or darkness and a calm sea.

Winter species: cod and coalfish with conditions being either daylight or darkness with a gentle swell running.

Ground:very rough unless distance casting over 100 yards.

 The toilet block

this is one the seaward side and you will find some remains of what used to be a toilet block.

Best time: 2 hours before high tide and two hors after with a big tide.

Summer species: mackerel, coalfish, flatfish, bass and cod being taken from the rocks with conditions being darkness and a small surf running.

Winter species: coalfish, flatfish, bass and codlin with conditions being darkness with a light swell running onto the beach.

Ground: very rough ground close in to 50 yards but clean there on out. The odd tackle loss can be expected.

The second gate 

The tidal strengths need to be accounted for, before having a chuck. The second gate casting into the harbour side suffers on the bigger tides from a strong tide pull into the harbour on the flooding tide, this tide will pull your tackle into the rocks and snag you every time.

Best time: middle to high tide and an hour after high tide.

Summer species: flatfish, coalfish, mackerel and codlin with conditions being best in darkness.

Winter species: coalfish, dabs and cod with the best conditions being darkness either calm or a slight swell running into the harbour.

Ground: very rough out to around 70 yards but  less snaggy than the post and rubble expect light tackle losses.

The 44 mark

On the wall there will be a grey number 44 painted along the wall on the seaward side of the pier. Now casting back to sea where tide has little effect.

Best time: the whole of the flood is best

Summer species: plaice, mackerel, flounder, coalfish and the odd codlin with the best conditions being a calm clear sea.

Winter species: coalfish, whiting, dab and codlin with the best conditions being darkness and a slight swell.

Ground: rocks to 30 yards then clean sand with tackle loses light.

 

The blocks

The blocks are a left over pile of building material from the days of the pier’s construction, few people actually fish right over them because of the snags but it can be good  either side of these massive pieces stone.

Best time: from the middle tide untill high and then two hours after high tide.

Summer species: plaice, coalfish, mackerel and the odd codlin with conditions being daylight and a calm sea.

Winter species: whiting, dab and codlin with conditions being darkness or daylight with a slight swell.

Ground: The western side of the blocks is only snaggy to 50 yards out and then clean sand with the odd snag can be found. Tackle losses should be light. The Eastern side of the blocks is a tackle hungry grave yard unless distance casting, however there are some nice cod taken every year from the rough stuff, well worth a try but be patient. Tackle losses can be expected almost every chuck.

The wheel

On the harbour side of the pier near the end is the area called the wheel between the last two sets of stone steps.

Best time: Just after the tide eases on big tides toward high water or on smaller tide due to a strong current which runs along the pier.

Summer species: mackerel, coalfish and codlin conditions being daylight with a calm sea.

Winter species: whiting, coalfish and codlin with the best conditions being either daylight or darkness with a slight swell.

Ground: Extremely tackle hungry, you cast onto clean ground but a ledge around 60 yards out claims your tackle nearly every time you wind in or if the tide is too strong, so use a pully rig with a rotten bottom.

The small wall

 The small wall catches the main run of the flood tide and it can be a good place to target coalfish, mackerel and launce during the summer.

In the winter it can be a great place to catch codling on the first of the flood.

Best times: for cod low tide until the strength of the tide becomes too fierce, small to medium tides can be good here, for mackerel and coalfish as soon as the swell comes around the wall which is normally from two hours after low tide until high tide. Beware on big tides the pull is ferocious here and it can become unfishable.

Summer: codlin, mackerel, coalfish, launce. Conditions: daylight with a calm clear sea.

Winter: codlin, whiting, coalfish and dabs. Conditions: daylight or darkness with a calm sea for whiting and coalfish and a slight swell running into the harbour for codlin but these will also turn up when calm.

Ground: cast as far as you can towards the bottom of Tynemouth pier and you should be ok,only snaggy within the last 40 yards.

The lighthouse

The end of the pier can be a great place to fish from with the chance of a large cod to double figures and masses of whiting during the winter when it is calm. Daylight can be the best time with low water and the first of the flood being the favoured time for cod just after a big onshore blow.

During the summer masses of mackerel turn up at first light and dusk when it is calm along with decent numbers of coalfish and the odd codling.

Pollack can be caught along the seaward side of the wall just down from the South east corner from mid to high tide on redgills and floats.

The end is snaggy but if you can cast 80 yards you should clear the rocks.

On big tides fish the tide out off the end and you will lose less tackle but during small tides the end can be fished right through the flood tide with the minimum of tackle loss. It is normally the incoming tide that will pull your tackle into snags on the bigger tides.

Best baits for the pier, lug, rag, peeler crab, spinners and feathers for the mackerel.