{"id":1047,"date":"2026-10-15T22:33:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/winter-boat-fishing-kent-whiting-thornback-ray\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T22:34:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:34:50","slug":"winter-boat-fishing-kent-whiting-thornback-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/winter-boat-fishing-kent-whiting-thornback-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Boat Fishing in Kent: Whiting, Thornback Ray and What Really Bites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A winter boat trip off Kent is a day of <strong>whiting and dabs, with conger, pouting and dogfish in between, and a thornback ray or a codling as the fish that makes the day.<\/strong> That is not a guess. It is what the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) has written in its quarterly angling reports, winter after winter, for the period from November to January. The other thing those reports say every year: the wind decides how many days you get out at all.<\/p>\n<p>This guide is for anyone planning a boat day from Ramsgate between November and February who wants to know what will actually come over the side, and how to book so the weather does not cost them the trip.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-short-answer\">The short answer<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Book for whiting, hope for a ray.<\/strong> Whiting are the mainstay of a Kent winter, and on a boat they tend to run bigger than the small fish that fill pier and beach reports. Dabs, pouting and dogfish keep the rods busy. Thornback rays show in settled weather, conger come from the wrecks, and cod are a bonus rather than a plan. Keep a second date free, because winter storms stop the charter boats for days at a time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-the-ifca-reports-say-about-winter-boat-fishing\">What the IFCA reports say about winter boat fishing<\/h2>\n<p>The Kent and Essex IFCA publishes a recreational angling report every quarter. The winter ones cover November to January, and their boat fishing sections read like a short diary of the last three seasons:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Winter<\/th>\n<th>What the boats caught<\/th>\n<th>What held them back<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Nov 2023 to Jan 2024<\/td>\n<td>Charter boats fished mainly for conger, whiting, dabs and pouting; settled weather produced &#8220;some nice rays&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>Cold weather and easterlies; the temperature drop slowed fishing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nov 2024 to Jan 2025<\/td>\n<td>Fishing &#8220;better than expected&#8221;; good size whiting, plenty of dogfish and large dabs, thornback rays and silver eels<\/td>\n<td>Cold, windy, stormy spells<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nov 2025 to Jan 2026<\/td>\n<td>North Kent boats fished wrecks for large conger, whiting and pouting<\/td>\n<td>Storm Goretti and strong south westerlies halted charter trips; a January cold snap left mainly dab and whiting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Three winters, the same pattern. Whiting are always there. Rays turn up when the weather settles. The wrecks give conger. And the summer fish, bass, mackerel and smoothhound, drop away as the water cools.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whiting-the-fish-you-will-catch-most\">Whiting: the fish you will catch most<\/h2>\n<p>Whiting arrive in numbers once the mackerel leave in autumn. The IFCA&#8217;s 2023 to 2024 report puts it simply: the mackerel moved off in late October and the whiting arrived in large numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Two things are worth knowing before your trip:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Size varies a lot.<\/strong> Across Kent, small whiting dominate the shore catch reports, and the IFCA notes that larger keepers are few and far between from the beach. Boats do better: the 2024 to 2025 report singles out good size whiting on the boats.<\/li>\n<li><strong>There is a minimum size.<\/strong> Under the Kent and Essex IFCA minimum sizes byelaw a whiting must be at least 27 cm to keep. Smaller fish go back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whiting are caught on baited rigs fished on the bottom, so a winter day is mostly <a href=\"\/technique\/bottom-fishing\">bottom fishing<\/a> at anchor or on the drift. They are a good fish for a first trip: they bite readily and a group can keep a cool box ticking over on a quiet day. Our <a href=\"\/species\/whiting\">whiting species page<\/a> lists the boats that target them.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"thornback-ray-the-fish-most-people-want\">Thornback ray: the fish most people want<\/h2>\n<p>The thornback is the ray of the Thames Estuary and the Kent coast, a spotted fish with a row of thorny spines down its back. It is a proper fight on a boat rod and it is the catch most winter anglers remember.<\/p>\n<p>Be realistic about it. The IFCA reports show rays coming and going with the weather:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the 2023 to 2024 winter a few small rays started to show in Kent, and settled weather gave the boats some nice ones.<\/li>\n<li>In 2024 to 2025 the boats caught thornback rays as &#8220;a nice change&#8221; from the common species.<\/li>\n<li>Towards the end of 2025 good sized thornbacks were still being caught from piers and beaches, and rays were still showing after the January cold snap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is also a warning sign. The IFCA&#8217;s commercial report for the same winter says Ramsgate netters were concerned by a lack of thornback ray, and that some fishers believe the rays have moved further south in the Channel. That is the netters&#8217; view, not a survey, but it is a good reason to ask your skipper what rays the boat has had recently rather than assume they will be there.<\/p>\n<p>Handle them with care. Hold a ray by the edge of a wing, not over the spines, and let the skipper unhook it if you are not sure.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-rest-of-the-winter-mix\">The rest of the winter mix<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dabs.<\/strong> Small flatfish that show in good numbers as the water cools. Dab competitions on the boats have become popular in Kent, according to the IFCA.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conger.<\/strong> The wrecks off North Kent produce large conger in winter. Expect a heavy rod and a long, slow fight.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pouting and dogfish.<\/strong> Plentiful, and they keep you from blanking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cod.<\/strong> Kent cod catches have been patchy in recent winters, and the IFCA&#8217;s 2023 to 2024 report says reports of cod were &#8220;far and few&#8221;. Our guide to <a href=\"\/blog\/wreck-fishing-ramsgate-cod-season-2026\/\">wreck fishing and the cod season off Ramsgate<\/a> covers what a dedicated cod trip looks like, and the <a href=\"\/species\/cod\">cod species page<\/a> lists the boats that fish for them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bass.<\/strong> Some bass hang on into early winter. In recent years the recreational bass closed season has run from 1 February to 31 March, so check the current rules before you plan to keep one. Our post on <a href=\"\/blog\/bass-and-pollack-new-rules-2026-uk-charters\/\">the 2026 bass and pollack rules<\/a> has the detail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"month-by-month\">Month by month<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Month<\/th>\n<th>What to expect on a Kent boat<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>November<\/td>\n<td>Water still cooling. Whiting building, the last bass and smoothhound, rays on settled days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>December<\/td>\n<td>Whiting and dabs the main catch, conger on the wrecks, codling possible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>January<\/td>\n<td>Coldest water. Fewer species; a cold snap can leave mostly whiting and dabs. Most days lost to wind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>February<\/td>\n<td>Bass closed season begins on 1 February in recent years. Whiting, dabs, rays when calm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Treat this as a pattern, not a promise. A single cold week or a run of south westerlies changes the picture faster than the calendar does.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"weather-the-real-limit-on-a-winter-trip\">Weather: the real limit on a winter trip<\/h2>\n<p>Every one of the three winter reports above mentions weather. In the latest, Storm Goretti and strong south westerly winds halted charter vessels from taking trips, and down the south of the county the boats got out even less.<\/p>\n<p>What that means for you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Keep a backup date.<\/strong> Book a weekday if you can and hold a second date free.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Read the weather policy before you pay.<\/strong> On Reelzy, if the skipper decides conditions are unsafe, the trip is cancelled and you get a full refund or a new date.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Short trips fish more days.<\/strong> A shorter trip on the banks close to Ramsgate can go out on days when a long run to a distant wreck cannot.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"boats-that-fish-the-kent-winter\">Boats that fish the Kent winter<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/listings\/hussler-charterboat-ramsgate-70\">Hussler of Ramsgate<\/a><\/strong> is a 26 foot charter boat for up to six anglers, running 4 hour and 6 hour trips from Ramsgate Marina with pontoon boarding at any state of the tide. Whiting, cod and skate are on its species list, tackle and bait are supplied, and no alcohol is allowed on board.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/listings\/lady-ann-family-boat-72\">Lady Ann<\/a><\/strong> is a family run boat that has fished out of Ramsgate for eleven years. It takes up to ten people, does bottom fishing with whiting, conger, skate and dogfish among its targets, and prepares any fish you keep for the table before you leave the boat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can compare every boat on the <a href=\"\/charters\/united-kingdom\/kent\">Kent fishing charters<\/a> page or the <a href=\"\/charters\/united-kingdom\/ramsgate\">Ramsgate charters<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"before-you-book\">Before you book<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Ask what the boat caught in the last two weeks.<\/strong> Whiting size and whether any rays have shown tell you more than any guide.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ask where a trip of each length goes.<\/strong> Banks close in, the Goodwin Sands or the wrecks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dress for the sea.<\/strong> Thermal layers, a hat, waterproof jacket and trousers, boots with grip and gloves you can take off quickly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bring hot drinks, food and a cool box.<\/strong> Whiting and dabs are good eating.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No licence needed.<\/strong> You do not need a rod licence to fish from a charter boat in English sea waters; our <a href=\"\/blog\/fishing-licence-charter-boat-uk-2026\/\">UK charter licence guide<\/a> explains why.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"ready-to-go\">Ready to go?<\/h2>\n<p>Pick a calm weekday in November or December, hold a second date, and message the skipper before you pay to ask what has been coming up. Start with <a href=\"\/listings\/hussler-charterboat-ramsgate-70\">Hussler of Ramsgate<\/a> or <a href=\"\/listings\/lady-ann-family-boat-72\">Lady Ann<\/a>. If it is your first time at sea, read our guide to <a href=\"\/blog\/first-sea-fishing-trip-ramsgate-what-to-expect\/\">a first sea fishing trip from Ramsgate<\/a> too.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[\n {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What can you catch on a winter boat trip in Kent?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Mainly whiting and dabs, with pouting, dogfish and conger from the wrecks. Thornback rays show in settled weather and codling are an occasional bonus. Kent and Essex IFCA winter reports from 2023 to 2026 describe the same mix each year.\"}},\n {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are there thornback rays off Ramsgate in winter?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, mostly on settled days, but numbers vary. IFCA reports record boat-caught thornbacks in recent winters, while Ramsgate netters reported a lack of thornback ray in winter 2025 to 2026. Ask the skipper what rays the boat has had recently.\"}},\n {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the minimum size for whiting in Kent?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"27 cm under the Kent and Essex IFCA minimum sizes byelaw. Smaller whiting must be returned.\"}},\n {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do winter fishing trips from Ramsgate get cancelled?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Often. Strong winds and storms stop charter boats for days at a time in winter. Keep a backup date; on Reelzy a trip the skipper cancels for safety is refunded in full or moved to a new date.\"}}\n]}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What a winter boat trip off Ramsgate catches from November to February: whiting, dabs, conger, rays and the odd codling, and how the wind decides your day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","rz_lang":"","rz_translation_of":0},"categories":[133,56],"tags":[140,141,337,336,232],"class_list":["post-1047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-uk-fishing","tag-kent","tag-ramsgate","tag-thornback-ray","tag-whiting","tag-winter-fishing"],"translations":[{"lang":"en","id":1047,"slug":"winter-boat-fishing-kent-whiting-thornback-ray","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/winter-boat-fishing-kent-whiting-thornback-ray\/"},{"lang":"es","id":1050,"slug":"pesca-invierno-barco-kent-merlan-raya-de-clavos","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/es\/pesca-invierno-barco-kent-merlan-raya-de-clavos\/"},{"lang":"ru","id":1053,"slug":"zimnyaya-rybalka-s-lodki-kent-merlang-skat","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/ru\/zimnyaya-rybalka-s-lodki-kent-merlang-skat\/"},{"lang":"fr","id":1056,"slug":"peche-en-bateau-hiver-kent-merlan-raie-bouclee","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/fr\/peche-en-bateau-hiver-kent-merlan-raie-bouclee\/"},{"lang":"de","id":1059,"slug":"winterangeln-kent-wittling-nagelrochen","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/de\/winterangeln-kent-wittling-nagelrochen\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1047"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1049,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1047\/revisions\/1049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}