the best sized coalies i've caught from the shore was around 25 years ago when we had passes for the south pier at sunderland. on the wash end you could catch huge bags of coalies (50 or 60 in a tide not uncommon) but they tended to be average sized coalies although you did get the odd better one over 2lb. one night as we came off the pier at dusk right at the start of the pier (the north eastern as its known) we saw fish busting through the sprat, thought at first the were macky and cast out a spinner into the bust, bang 2 lb coalie, another cast 2lb 8oz coalie and so it continued for about 45 minutes til it was dark. went down the next night a couple of hours before dusk, nothing til dusk then it started again, just a question of looking for a shoal busting then casting a spinner into them, all clonking coalies. this went on for a month or so, if i remember right it was august/september time. it was like this for several years, always dusk always the same time of the year, then it just seemed to stop one year they never came and as far as i know never returned, great sport while it lasted, my best was just over 3lb 8oz but had loads 2lb + fish. why the fish here were such a size compared to the end of the pier i'm not sure.
