IT has been another week of blustery winds with the odd day that boats have been able to launch, but all in all this winter we have not fared too badly on our part of the coast.

We have still to see a double-figure cod to be caught on rod and line, but there are still lots of codling between 2lbs and 4lbs.

The reason those bigger cod are not showing is because there really is not enough of them out there.

Cod quotas for commercial boats were cut a couple of years ago, and at the moment we are reaping the benefit from this but the fish that we are catching now are two-year-old fish with the odd bigger one from a previous breeding season.

Next season, all being well, the codling we are catching now will be 5lb-plus and well worth fishing for.

Clacton Boat Club members’ Rocky Rochelle and Dave Hollands fished the Wallet on a day when only a few boats were fishing.

They caught an amazing 34 fish between them, mostly codling around the 2lb mark, although Dave did catch one of 6lbs and a bonus thornback ray of 12lbs.

The charter boat Sophie Lea took a party of anglers out to the Wallet and they had a great day with codling and thornbacks, the biggest falling to Mark Nicholes, who landed a fine specimen ray of 14lbs.

Walton Pier is the place to be at the moment with lots of codling and whiting being caught.

I have also had reports of the odd bigger cod but nothing confirmed.

The Walton Pier Club fished their latest match at the weekend, conditions were calm and bright but they did find the fish feeding and 90 fish were caught, mostly whiting.

Result: 1 Fred Parker 4lbs 14.5oz, 2 Kevin Blackwell 3lbs 5oz, 3 Barry Adair 3lbs.

Walton Sea Angling club also headed for the pier for their evening match, where they fished a flood tide in light winds.

First place went to the in-form James Everett with 8lbs 2oz, with Vic Pearce second with 7lbs 1oz and Rob Tuck third with 6lbs 15oz.

The heaviest fish prize was shared between James Everett, Vic Pearce and Berni Putko, who all caught a codling of 15oz.

The beaches this week are still showing codling and whiting.

One unusual catch for this time of year was a 1lb 10oz pollack for Philip Behn, from Colchester.

He landed the specimen from the coastguard beaches, and he told me it is the first pollack he has ever caught.

Colchester Sea Angling Club travelled to Felixstowe for their River Championships.

Conditions were windy and codling, whiting and rockling were caught.

Result: 1 Neil Cocks 10lb 2oz, 2 Daz Gilbert 7lb 12oz, 3 Phil Buy 7lb 10oz.

My trip this week was to Batemans Tower at Brightlingsea.

I fished a daytime tide and found the cod and whiting feeding.

I fished around the high water mark and caught eight codling and whiting on most casts. All the fish fell to lugworms and prawn baits.

The tides for the weekend are Saturday 10.01am and Sunday 10.48am.