Overcombe Fishing

Summary

Overcombe sits at the eastern end of Weymouth Bay in Dorset, where shingle meets clean sand and the ground gets progressively rougher towards Bowleaze Cove and Furzy Cliff. It’s an accessible, versatile beach mark that produces plaice and flounder in spring, bass in surfy spells, summer mackerel and garfish, and night-time soles and rays. With easy parking and cafés nearby, it’s a cracking option when the rest of the coast is blown out by a south-westerly.

Location and Access

Overcombe is the stretch of beach around Overcombe Corner, east of Weymouth, with a promenade/cycle path behind the shingle bank and sand showing at lower states of tide. Access is straightforward and family-friendly by Dorset standards.

• Drive via Preston Beach Road and follow local signs to Overcombe Corner; roadside and formal car parks are close to the beach.
• Main parking options: Overcombe Corner (signed locally), Lodmoor Country Park car parks (DT4 7SX), and Bowleaze Cove car park (DT3 6PW) for the rockier eastern end.
• Walking is easy along the promenade; short shingle descents lead to the fishing line. Expect a steep shingle face at higher states.
• Terrain: mixed shingle-over-sand in front of the promenade; cleaner sand at mid/low tides; increasingly rough/patchy ground with small reefs and boulders towards Bowleaze/Furzy Cliff.
• No long hike: most spots are 1–5 minutes from the car, making it suitable for shorter sessions or family outings.

Seasons

Overcombe offers species variety across the seasons, with clean-ground flats and surf bass the headline acts. Occasional surprises come off the rougher ground towards Bowleaze.

• Spring (Mar–May): plaice, flounder, school bass, early garfish; chance of thornback or undulate ray on settled spells.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): bass (dawn/dusk and in onshore surf), mackerel, garfish, gurnard, sole at night; dogfish common; occasional black bream and wrasse from the rougher eastern ground.
• Autumn (Sep–Nov): bass peak in coloured water after easterlies; sole and rays at night; whiting begin to show; dabs in calmer, clearer spells.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): flounder in calmer water, whiting and pout on dark tides; the odd codling in cold snaps; rays possible on mild, settled windows.
• Year-round: dogfish, occasional conger after dark on big fish baits; spider crabs can be pests in late spring/early summer.

Methods

Simple beach tactics catch most Overcombe fish; tailor rigs and baits to the ground you’re casting onto.

• Clean-ground daytime (plaice/flounder): 2- or 3-hook flappers with size 2–1 hooks, long snoods, attractors (beads/spoons) and small ragworm or blow lug baits; tip off with a sliver of squid for durability.
• Night clean-ground (sole/whiting): 2-hook flapper or 2-hook loop, size 4–2 fine wire hooks, small lug/maddies/rag cocktails; keep baits neat and close to the bottom.
• Bass in surf/gutters: 3–4 oz lead to hold, running ledger or up-and-over with size 2/0–4/0 hooks; peeler crab (spring), lug/squid wrap, or whole sandeel; fish the first pushing water on the flood and dusk into dark.
• Rays (settled, warm months): pulley or up-and-over with 3/0–5/0 pennel; sandeel, bluey, squid or mackerel. Target the cleaner sand lanes—longer casts help.
• Mackerel/garfish (calm, clear summer evenings): light spinning gear with 28–40 g metals for mackerel; float rigs with small strips of mackerel or sandeel for gars.
• Rougher patches towards Bowleaze: stepped-up gear, 25–30 lb mono leaders, pulley rigs for rays/conger; consider abrasion-resistant snoods.
• Casting distances: plaice often at 40–90 m over clean sand; bass in the near gutters; rays generally at medium-long range beyond the first bar.

Tides and Conditions

Tide state and water colour dictate results at Overcombe. The bay is sheltered from prevailing south-westerlies but comes alive on easterly pushes.

• Best tides: mid-flood to high water and into the first of the ebb; springs increase movement for flats and bass.
• Winds: easterly/onshore breezes create surf and colour that suit bass; prolonged easterlies can also drive weed—pick windows as the sea drops.
• Water clarity: clear, sunny spring neaps are classic for plaice by day; coloured, lively water at dawn/dusk is best for bass.
• Time of day: dawn and last light consistently out-fish the middle of the day, especially in summer; night fishing shines for soles, rays and whiting.
• Seasonal notes: plaice early spring as the water clears and warms; bass lift from April and peak late summer to autumn; rays from late spring through early autumn during settled periods.

Safety

This is a user-friendly mark, but the shingle face and surf can bite. Treat the bank and swell with respect, and plan exits before dark.

• Steep shingle bank with a drop-off: expect surges and undertow in any swell; avoid standing low on the face in rough seas.
• Weed and longshore drift can be heavy on easterlies; keep lines angled and don’t wade in surf unless conditions are benign.
• Rough ground and small reefs towards Bowleaze/Furzy Cliff: watch footing, especially at lower tides; avoid soft clay/crumbly sections after rain.
• Bathers, paddlers, paddleboards and kayaks are common in summer—fish dawn/dusk or after dark, and never cast near water users.
• Accessibility: promenade access is good, but fishing is from shingle—beach wheels or help may be needed for limited mobility; some anglers fish over the sea wall at higher tides where safe space allows.
• Lighting: limited in places—carry a headlamp with spare batteries; reflective markers help you relocate your gear on the shingle.
• Safety kit: a PFD is sensible in surf conditions; use boots with good grip and keep a safe distance from the waterline in onshore blows.

Facilities

Overcombe is well served for short sessions, with food, loos and tackle nearby in Weymouth.

• Parking: multiple car parks close to the beach (Overcombe Corner, Lodmoor Country Park DT4 7SX, Bowleaze Cove DT3 6PW).
• Toilets: seasonal public toilets near Overcombe Corner and at Lodmoor Country Park.
• Food and drink: cafés at Overcombe/Bowleaze and takeaways/shops in Preston; more options 5–10 minutes away in Weymouth.
• Tackle and bait: Weymouth Angling Centre and other shops in town for fresh/frozen baits and end tackle; some sell live rag/lug in season—ring ahead in summer.
• Phone signal: generally good across the promenade and beach.
• Bait collecting: limited worm beds on the open beach; do not dig within nature reserve boundaries behind the beach (Lodmoor).

Tips

Think ‘clean sand for flats by day, coloured gutters for bass at low light, and long range for rays on settled nights’. Mobility and timing often trump muscle.

• Plaice patrol: if no bites in 20–30 minutes, step along the beach or change distance—plaice move in loose lines following the tide.
• Bling works: small beads, sequins or spoons above a lug/rag cocktail often out-fish plain snoods on bright, clear days.
• Read the beach: identify the first and second gutters on a dropping sea; bass will work along these seams, especially where shingle meets sand.
• Keep rigs streamlined in weed: clipped-down rigs with single baits cut drag and keep you fishing when it’s kelpy.
• Night soles: small, neat baits (lug/maddies) on fine-wire size 4–2 hooks, cast no more than 40–60 m over clean sand.
• Rays like ‘fishy’: sandeel/bluey/squid cocktails last longer against crabs and pick out the better fish.
• Summer crowds: fish late or very early; avoid any marked bathing zones and don’t cast across kayak/paddleboard launch points.
• Tidy up: shingle hides litter—shake down your patch before you leave and take mono/trace scraps home.

Regulations

Rules change—always check current national and local byelaws before you go. Dorset falls under the Southern IFCA and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

• Bass: recreational bass limits and seasons are set nationally and can change year to year; check current MMO guidance for size, season and daily bag limits before retaining any bass.
• Rays: undulate rays are subject to strict conservation measures in the Channel—treat them as catch-and-release unless current MMO/Southern IFCA rules explicitly allow retention.
• Minimum sizes: adhere to UK minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) for species you intend to retain; many anglers apply larger voluntary sizes for sustainability.
• Local byelaws: Southern IFCA byelaws cover netting, bait collection and closed areas—review them if you plan to gather bait or fish regularly in the bay.
• Protected areas: Lodmoor behind the beach is an SSSI/RSPB reserve; do not dig bait or disturb wildlife within reserve boundaries.
• Beach management: avoid fishing within any lifeguarded/swim-flagged zones when present during summer; heed council signage and temporary event restrictions.
• General: use barbless or crushed-barb hooks when catch-and-release is intended, and return undersized fish quickly and carefully.