Grasslot beach is one of the few fishing marks in Cumbria that gives me a sense of excitement every time I fish there as you never know what is going to show up. Particularly in the May to October months.

Once the crab molt gets into full swing in May this beach can offer some fantastic fishing for thornback rays, smoothounds and bass.

I had a session on there recently fishing a 2 hook clipped down rig baited with sandeel on the top hook and frozen crab on the bottom.

The tide was 8.5 metres with a slight tide run with the water just hitting the bottom of the shingle 4 hours before high. The plan was to fish up to high water.

When I parked up at the top of the beach there was already 10 anglers already spread from the pier area along towards the breakwater further south.

Slotting on the end of the anglers nearest the pier after my first cast I didn’t have long to wait and my Tournament Match Pro started to give a telltale nod that looked like a dogfish bite. The fish broke my grip lead out and moved off with the tide towards the pier. Picking the rod up and slowly lifting into the fish it started to swim inshore at speed.

When landed it turned out to be a Starry Smoothound about 4-5 pounds in weight, a good start to the session!

The two anglers nearest to my left were also catching smoothounds round about the same size. After a couple of hours they packed up and left and were quickly replaced with two local anglers Steve Farrell and his grandson Reegan Tinnion.

Reegan didn’t waste anytime and was quickly into a smoothound about 6-8 pounds in weight. In no time he was showing his grandad how to do it when he beached another mini shark around the same weight. Two fantastic fish in quick succession!

Reegans grandad Steve was quickly following up his grandsons great fish with quality rather than quantity and after a solid bite lifted his crab baited hook into a larger fish and landed a cracking fish into double figures.

Steve had a wrestling match getting the fish into a position for a photograph. The solid muscular fish just didn’t want his photo took, but after a good grapple Steve ranout the winner!

The gurnard and even small dabs were not letting the larger hounds get all the bait and a few of them were caught as well.

Another local angler Darren Weir also landed another nice fish just as I was about to leave the beach.

Fishing the beach the previous week this was a nice bass caught from the same beach by Paul Tuck again on crab.

This time of year there is also the chance of a thornback rays and a Bullhuss. These photos are from other sessions on the beach.

All the fish in the photographs were returned unharmed.

The next few months will no doubt turn up some great specimens on this beach if you put the time in. Be prepared to have a mediocre session, but when the conditions and tides are right the fishing can be outstanding. Tight lines!