WE’RE now seeing the last of those spring codling that have been with us for what seems like months.

The water temperature has risen a couple of degrees and they’ve now headed for deeper waters.

We probably had the best run of these fish for years, but now it’s time to concentrate on the summer species that are moving in.

We’re seeing more bass and reports of soles are also coming in.

After seeing so many reports of thornback rays, and as I haven’t caught one for a week or two, I thought it was about time for a ray trip.

I headed for an evening session on the head of Walton Pier and landed three rod-bending thornback rays in a matter of 45 minutes.

In between, I had a light rod with small hooks and worm baits fishing down by the pier piles.

It was a bite a drop with pouting and coalfish feeding ravenously.

It won’t be long before the first of the wrasse will be caught, too.

St Osyth is still the venue to head for if your thoughts are on ray fishing and there are also some bass to be caught there as well.

All the beaches from the nature reserve down to Jaywick are producing rays and bass.

Top baits for the bass will be peeler crab and ragworm.

Clacton Sea Angling Club travelled to St Osyth for their midweek match but, unfortunately, the weather was against them.

Result: 1 Rob Tuck 159 points, 2 John Wilson 113, 3 Lawrence Chisnall 99.

Clacton Pier has been seeing more rays this week.

There is no need to cast very far as the majority have been caught only 50 yards out on both sides of the fishing arm.

Once again, the codling have diminished here.

The Holland beaches are fishing reasonably well on the night tides.

Once again, there are thornbacks and bass to be caught, although one or two soles are now showing as well.

Walton Pier has really come into its own with rays, small smoothhounds and soles, plus a few bass, now showing from the club hut area.

The boats have also been among the fish.

The Brightlingsea-based charter boat Sophie Lea has been finding the bass and Shaun Keogh had the biggest of the weekend’s trips, weighing in at 7lbs. There are still lots of rays and a few codling to be caught as well.

One of the East coast kayak boys, Andrew Polson, fished only a matter of 300 yards off Clacton’s Martello Bay.

He landed five rays, three good-sized codling and numerous whiting, all caught on herring and lugworm baits.

The tides for the weekend are 4.04pm on Saturday and 4.47pm on Sunday.