Sea Fishing in Ireland
Currently requiring no permit fees or State Rod Licences, sea angling in this region is not subject to any closed seasons, except for bass fishing, where some restrictions apply. These restrictions include a closed season (15th of May to 15th of June), throughout which all bass caught must be returned to the sea alive. Having covered Wild Atlantic Way Fishing (click link to view), here are some of the best sea fishing locations in Ireland’s south-west.
Ballycotton
Holding Irish records for black sole, cod and common skate; mackerel, painted ray, plaice and pollack, Ballycotton, Co. Cork, is an excellent venue for sea fishing. Available shore fishing species include bass, conger and codling; dogfish, flatfish and painted ray, as well as thornback and whiting, with the best spot being on the bay’s Garryvoe side. Small boat fishing within the inner bay produces plenty of dogfish, flatfish and ray, while deep sea angling trips are outstanding for species including coalfish, conger and garfish; shark, ling, pollack and pouting; shark, whiting, wrasse and more.
Image from: http://www.ballycotton.ie/gallery.html
Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour holds Irish records for blonde ray, dab and golden grey mullet; grey mullet, Homelyn ray and ling, as well as turbot. Offering a choice of beach, estuary, pier and rocks, shore fishing yields an excellent rang of species including, among others, bass, codling and conger; dabs, dogfish and flounder; mackerel, mullet and plaice, ray, whiting and wrasse. Small boat fishing offers excellent sheltered and deep-water fishing for up to 22 different species, including record-sized blonde ray and turbot, while deep sea fishing offers highly productive fishing opportunities in sheltered waters and over reefs and off-shore wrecks. Between June and October, there are some excellent opportunities for blue shark fishing.
Image from: http://www.portofcork.ie/index.cfm/page/corkharbourmarinas
Kinsale
One of Ireland’s oldest angling centres, Kinsale, Co. Cork, holds Irish records for garfish, haddock, six gilled shark and thornback ray. Shore fishing on the Bandon Estuary and local beaches produce flounder and bass, with Garretstown Strand being one of the top spots for bass. During the winter, fishing from the road bridge also produces plenty of coalfish, codling and dabs. Small boat fishing behind the Sandy Cove island and in Kinsale’s lower harbour produces some good flatfish and dogfish, while the main river channel is excellent for trolling for bass. Main deep-sea angling species around the Lusitania’s wreck and the renowned Ling Rocks include blue shark (June to October), coalfish and conger; ling, and pollack, as well as cod, wrasse and more.
Image from: http://visitcorkcounty.com/place/kinsale/
Other excellent sea fishing locations in Ireland include:
Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork – Shore fishing species: bass, conger (at Courtmacsherry Pier), flounder and mullet (at Timoleague). Small boat fishing species: bass (when trolling in Timoleague estuary), dogfish, flatfish and ray. Deep sea species: coalfish, cod, ling and pollack.
West Cork – Shore fishing species: bass (Clonakilty area) and, in the Rosscarbery Estuary, gilthead bream and mullet. Small boat fishing species: ray, bull huss, conger, dogfish and flatfish, pollack, ray and wrasse (all out of Baltimore, Clonakilty and Union Hall). Deep sea species (general, reef & wreck): cod, coalfish and common skate; conger, pollack and more, as well as blue shark between June and October.
Mizen Peninsula, Carbery, Co. Cork – Shore fishing species at Barley Cove, Crookhaven and Dunmanus: bull huss, conger and dabs; dogfish, flounder, pollack and wrasse; some bass & sea trout in Ballydehob Harbour. Small boat fishing species: dogfish, plaice, ray and some turbot off Goleen and Schull; conger, pollack, rockling and wrasse in Dunmanus Bay. Deep sea species: blue shark, bull huss and coalfish; cod, conger and haddock; ling, pollack and pouting, as well as some thornback ray and common skate.
Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork – Shore fishing species: excellent rock marks for pollack and wrasse at Dursey Sound; some bass on western beaches like Ballydonegan. Small boat fishing species in some sheltered marks, Bantry Bay and Kenmare Bay: conger, flatfish, huss, ray and spurdog. Deep sea species out of Castletownbere: coalfish, haddock ling and pollack. Also a prime area for blue shark.
Ring of Kerry, Iveragh Peninsula, Co Kerry – Shore fishing species: superb beach fishing for bass at Caherdaniel, Rossbeigh and Waterville; reefs at Valentia (Culoo) and Hogs Head ideal for bull huss, conger and dogfish; mackerel, pollack, rockling and wrasse. Rossbehy Creek is great for sea trout. Small boat fishing species (main centres include Cahersiveen, Cromane and Valentia): bull huss, dogfish and ray; with excellent tope fishing opportunities in the channel (off Kells) running into Cromone. Deep sea species (out of Caherciveen, Caherdaniel, Cromane, Sneem and Valentia): blue shark, coalfish, cod and conger; ling, pollack and pouting, as well as some blue mouths, bull huss, common skate and tope.
Dingle, Co. Kerry – Shore fishing species: superb beach fishing for bass at Brandon, Inch and Smerwick Harbour; excellent ballan wrasse, conger and pollack on rocky marks between Clogherhead and Smerwick Harbour. Small boat fishing species: Ballydavid, Dingle and Ventry bays are renowned for excellent flatfish and thornback ray fishing. Deep sea species out of Dingle & Castlegregory: blue shark, coalfish, cod and common skate; gurnard, John Dory and ling; pollack, six ray species and tope.
Fenit & Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry – Shore fishing species: sting ray on Derrymore and Killfenora beaches; bass, flatfish and turbot on surf beaches between Fenit and Ballyheigue; bull huss, conger, mackerel, pollack, rockling and wrasse on outstanding Kerry Head rock marks; bass, dogfish, flatfish, mullet, ray and whiting at Fenit Pier. Small boat fishing species in Tralee Bay: bull huss, common skate, tope, sting ray & 5 other ray species and, occasionally, monkfish. Deep sea (& inshore) species: blue shark, undulate ray, sting ray and, occasionally, monkfish.
