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There are many excellent beaches on the east coast. The most popular are Ballaconnigar (Blackwater),Tinnabearna (1), Ballinamona (2) and Ballinoulard.
Most of the above beaches are clean and sandy, but parts will show some snags.Many of these beaches are good cod venues throughout the winter, but the usual winter species will also show. Tinnabearna (1) and Ballinamona (2) are one of the counties most popular smooth hound beaches. The best time is late June and July, pick a fine calm evening with a rising tide. The best bait is peeler crab, although hounds have been caught on rag worm and various other baits. Dogfish are always plentiful on the east coast during the summer and early autumn.

Recommended rig.

When targeting flounder, whiting and dab try a three-hook flapper with snood lengths of eighteen inches and hook sizes from 2 to 4's. For other species including dogfish, smooth hound and cod use a two or three hook clip-down again with snoods of around eighteen inches and hook sizes from 1's to 2/0's.

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All the beaches on the East coast are fishing reasonably well. John & Chris Busher had a terrific nights fishing in Tinnabearna recently with some rockling, flounder, dab, whiting and lots of quality cod (up to three pounds).

Recommended.

These beaches will produce decent numbers of fish in the next month or so. Its that time of year when things begin to slow down before the arrival of the ‘Summer Species’.

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You are now in flounder country. This is one of the countries top flounder venues. Large bags of the fish can be caught from August until early November. Peeler crab is without doubt the best bait. Mullet, bass, sea trout are also possible, May and June sees many good quality cod caught from the new marina breakwater (Opposite the Barry Monument on the Crescent).

Recommended rig.

Without doubt the best traces are three hook flappers two up/one down with snood lengths of about two foot at least and using hooks ranging in size from 1's to 4,s. Avis boons are very popular and coloured beads can make a big difference some days.

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This is the mouth of Wexford harbour and features a deep channel. The tidal flow here is exceptionally strong. In the summer mullet are very plentiful in this area and it is always worth trying for bass. Again crabs are very active here. Try spinning from one of the groynes.

Recommended rig.

As this is predominantly a summer venue with tope and smooth hound the target species the two most suitable rigs are either a single hook pulley rig with a long snood 2 to 3ft of at least 30lb breaking strain and a size 6/0 hook. For smooth hound a pennel rig with size 1/0 hooks (clipped down) again use a long snood.

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There are decent numbers of whiting around some cod, and the occasional conger although not as prolific as a few weeks ago.

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Over the years this shallow beach is a regular backup venue for the local angling clubs, as it is very sheltered from the prevailing winds, even more so than Ballytrent. The biggest draw back is that the beach is very shallow and favours the better casters. Another draw back is the huge numbers of shore crab that frequent the beach, most baits will be devoured in ten minutes, if no fish are around. In the summer dogfish are common and a smooth hound could show in late summer. In the winter,dabs, whiting and the occasional codfish can be expected.

Recommended rig.

For winter fishing a three-hook flapper with snoods of around eighteen inches using size 2 or 4 hooks. For summer fishing try the pennel rig as mentioned for Rosslare Point.

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 As you would expect there are plenty of small whiting along this stretch with some rockling, dab, flounder, dogs and small bass and the occasional coalfish. This stretch of beach is producing lots of fish in the last few months; the surprise is the numbers of dogfish about.

Recommended.

This area will produce fish when many of the south coast beaches are a blow out.

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Up to just seven years ago the safe did not exist. It is a result of land reclamation in Rosslare Hrb by the port authority. It is advisable to get permission from the relevant people before fishing. This area is literally alive with dogfish in the summer months, although conger, wrasse, whiting and codling are now to be found here. The best conger caught to date is around twenty-four pounds. September is probably the best time to try for a conger. The Safe is also the home of a very large fish that has been hooked many times but never landed. Some say it's a very big conger, others a tope and more a big bull huss. Maybe you will solve that question for us (a big mackerel bait on a wire trace is required).

Recommended rig.

A three hook flapper will do the business here as dogfish are generally plentiful and not at distance. Try size 1 to a size 2/0 hook.

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As you would expect there are plenty of small whiting along this stretch with some rockling, dab, flounder and small bass and the occasional Coalfish.

Recommended.

Another good blow out option.

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Wexford's most prolific bass hot stop (Splaugh Rock) lies just a short boat trip from this sheltered bay. This beach is sheltered from South Westerly winds to north Westerly and is often fishable when other beaches are a wash with weed. Like so many of Wexford's beaches, lugworm will produce more bass than most other baits. Bass can also be taken by spinning from the rocks at each end of Bing Bay.

Recommended rig.

As this is a bass venue and there is not much of a tidal flow keep snoods short and use a decent size hook a 1/0 or a 2/0.

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There are a few stories doing the rounds that a big bass was taken here only a few nights ago, double figure ???.

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Another shallow sandy beach. The one good thing about this beach is that it is sheltered from a westerly wind, when many other beaches are unfishable. Flats, bass, coalfish, whiting, dogfish and mullet are the most common species, although smooth hound are likely around June and July. This is another lugworm beach. Best fishing over high water and about two - three hundred yards left of the entrance to the beach.

Recommended Rig.

Very similar to St Hellens although there is more of a tidal flow so snood lengths can be increased.

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This is the south east corner of Ireland and is a rough ground venue. If you follow the suggestions for the Coombe you should be OK. A few good quality ballon wrasse are caught here every year. Spinning for bass, sea trout, mackerel and Pollock is always worth a try.

Recommended rig.

As this is a summer venue for wrasse a trace incorporating a rotten bottom would be an advantage. A two-hook rig with snoods of around fifteen inches and size 1 or 1/0 hooks will catch plenty of good wrasse.

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 All the south coast beaches are full of coalies and a decent number of cod. There have been some quality coalies from the sandy patch near the rocks.

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The Coombe

This is a deep-water shingle beach with rough ground to the left and right of the point. Wrasse, dogfish, flats, codling, Pollock, whiting, coalfish and mackerel are most common, again depending on the time of year. A twenty-two pound bull huss was caught here two years ago. Like all Wexford beaches, lugworm, rag worm and crab are the best baits. If you intend fishing on the point use a strong line and a rotten bottom and pick a neap tide, as there is always a strong run on the point. This is where the better fish will be found.

Recommended rig.
For wrasse try the rig mention in the last venue, for other species such as dogfish and cod try a single hook clipped down rig with a size 1/0 or 2/0hook.

Report:

Again lot of coalies, some cod, dogs and flounder.

Recommended

Watch for the drainage of Lady’s Island Lake, it’s always a prime fishing time in this area. Don’t have a date but with the very high water level in the lake it will be sooner rather than later. Just got word that the ‘Cut’ is running.

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On its day or rather night this can be one of Wexford's best beaches. This is a deepwater venue and often favours the better casters. Most locals prefer to use ragworm although lug, crab and fish baits will all produce fish. In the summer dogfish are the main species. The beach always throws up a couple of ray in late spring/early summer. A couple of specimen thornbacks have been caught here. In late summer the beach can be thronged with anglers after the huge shoals of mackerel that hit the shore in the evening. This is always a good time to try for a bass, some big bass have been taken on mackerel fillet at this time of year and all have been caught at very short range (10yrds). In the winter the usual winter species can be expected. The most important thing to remember is that this is a night venue.

Recommended rig.
As this can be a distance venue try clipped down rigs. Snood lengths can vary from twelve inches to two foot.

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Similar to the last venue, Michael & Micheal Busher had some coalie, and dogs here.

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The White Hole is very similar to Ballyhealy, especially right of the gap, however the further east you care to walk the deeper the water is. One of the main attractions of the White Hole is the piped outflow from Tacumshin Lake, known locally as the Tunnel. This is a good forty-minute walk from the gap at the White Hole in an easterly direction. A word of warning! During winter and spring a local land drainage scheme may start pumping floodwater and you could have a long walk or even have you car stranded at the wrong side of the drain.

Recommended rig.
Try a flowing trace with either a pennel hook set up or a size 2/0hook.

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Sea View and Ballyhealy are very similar beaches; both are sandy and relatively shallow. Both will have good surf running with an onshore breeze.
Bass are again a common fish on these beaches, while dogfish, codling, coalfish, whiting, flats and rockling are to be expected depending on the time of year.
Lugworm and crab are the best bats, but like all beaches fish baits and rag worm will catch plenty of fish. A favourite spot is close to the big rock in Ballyhealy or about two hundred yards left of the rock at Codd's Point.

Recommended rig.
Again try the rig mentioned in the last venue.

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Heard there is a few bass about, I know of one five pounder falling to a local rod a week ago. Again lots of coalies about.

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These beaches that can produce fish in large numbers on one night and then nothing on the next. In a club match here a couple of years ago a terrific nights fishing was had by everyone. The bag featured dogfish, bass, flats, rockling and coalfish. As a result the venue was then fished by several of the local angling clubs but with limited success. Before fishing it is advisable to look at the beach over low water and then fish the clean spots over high water.

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At long last, got something to write about from this venue. Guess what? Ya lots of coalies around.

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Get the conditions right and you can be sure of picking up a bass or two here. You need a good surf running and try fishing over low water. Most locals prefer to fish in the 'hole of the burrow' about 100 /150yrds from the car park. Lugworm are the top bait here, it will usually out fish any other bait.

Recommended rig.
A three-hook flapper, two up one down will catch plenty of fish from this venue. Snood lengths can vary dramatically from as little as six inches to two foot.

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The local rods are catching a few nice bass in the last week or so, haven’t heard about the size so they may be on the small side; generally hear about the bigger fish.

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This was one of the area's best-kept secrets for many years, but since holding a few club competitions here, it has grown in popularity over the last two years.
It is a deep-water beach and with an on-shore breeze good surf is always likely. Bass are always on the cards here and they have been caught throughout the year. In the summer, dogfish, flats are the target species, while smooth hound and ray can appear. In the winter months, whiting, codling, coalfish and flats are most numerous. This is a lugworm beach, but crab and fish baits will work well.

Recommended rig.
As the Burrow Shore and Furlongs Road are only a half-mile apart rigs will be very similar.

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Again lots of coalies, whiting and small pouting, some flounder and the occasional bass. We held our first comp here recently and it was magic, everyone had a great night testing their skills against the resident coalie population. There were several fish around the 40 cm mark; Myles Howell won the big fish pool with a 46cm coalfish.

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This is one of the counties favourite flounder venues. If you are fishing over low water try the coal yard, and if fishing over high water try Lacken.One of the hot spots in the Coal Yard just left of the Coal Yard itself, while in Lacken try the first point to the right of Lacken lane. The best bait is good quality peeler crab. Mullet are always plentiful here in the summer. There is a three-month angling ban in this area from Dec 1st until March 1st.

Recommended rig.
With flounder the target species a three hook two up one down flapper will work well. Again avis boons and coloured beads can make a difference. Snood length from 24 to 30 inches with size 1 or even a 1/0 hook prove very successful.

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The main feature of this beach is the outflow of Lacken Lough. The best time to fish is from half tide down to low water and back up to half tide again. The outflow is at its best at this stage of tide. This is one of Wexford's best white trout fisheries. It is also a good place to try spinning for bass, while flounder are always around. If you have access to a boat try fishing for tope at the Kilmore side of the outflow, May until September would be the best time.

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