Herne Bay | Fishing 16th October 2025
We decided to head down to Herne Bay on the North Kent coast for a daytime fish. Nothing fancy this time — just a few hours out to clear some old frozen bait and get some fresh air.
The sun was out for most of the day, which made it look decent enough, but that wind was absolutely cutting through — proper chilly stuff that makes the old bones rattle 😂. Still, it was nice to be out by the water again.
Fishing-wise, it was slow going. Connor blanked, and I only managed one small bass, which went straight back after a quick photo. Not much happening on the rods, but still better than being stuck indoors.
Connor did his bit for the environment, though — he managed to snag and pull in a floating barrel that was drifting just off the shore. Once we got a closer look, it turned out to be half full of some sort of base paint or chemical. I told him not to open it — that stuff can be seriously nasty. Just a word of warning to anyone else: if you ever come across unknown containers or barrels at sea, don’t touch them. The fumes and chemicals can be dangerous — best thing to do is leave it and report it.
While releasing my bass, I spotted a pink condom floating past (proper grim), and to top it off, a few MTS boats were out most of the day — looked like they were dumping again. The water stank of sewage, and the amount of trash in it was shocking.
Honestly, I used to really enjoy fishing Herne Bay. It’s close, easy to get to, and used to have a decent bit of life to it. But after seeing the state of the water this time, I’ll be giving it a miss for a while. Shame really — it’s a nice stretch of coast, just needs looking after.
Catch Report
Me: 1 small bass
Connor: Blank
We were using simple flapper rigs and old frozen bait from the freezer. Nothing special, just a bit of a clear-out session really. Even though the fishing was dead slow, it was still good to get out, breathe some sea air, and have a laugh.
Final Thoughts
Not the best trip for fish, but still worth it. The conditions were alright, just the pollution and rubbish really took the shine off it. Hopefully, things improve soon — would be great to see Herne Bay get back to what it used to be.
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