Fishing break in Westport 29th April

Hi,
Club heading to Westport on 29th April--Fishing 2 club comp's on the 30th April and 1st May. Around 25 anglers travelling. High tide each day around 2.30

I would appreciate any suggestions on venues,tides and bait. Rock fishing not an option as a few members are elderly and have asked we dont fish rocks.

I was thinking about Keale beach on Achill island as i fished that beach in master angler before and it fished well.However that was in October and i'm not sure how that beach would fish early May. How far is Achill from Westport?

Is there any frozen bait supplier in Westport as it would be handy to pick up our frozen bait in Westport each day.

Thanks for any help.

Hi Brian,

I can only answer some of your questions.
We stayed in Westport last year and did some fishing out of Achill on a boat. The drive from Westport will take around 1 hour. Lovely scenery.

There is a tackle shop in Westport called Hewetson's
give them a call regarding bait

Hewetson's
Bridge Street, Westport, Co. Mayo.
Tel: (098) 26018 Fax: (098) 27075

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Trev

Hi

Keel beach on Achill is about an hour's drive from Westport and would cater for several clubs! Good access and no mobility issues. If there is a relatively small group the beach at Keem, another 15 minutes past Keel, basically at the end of the road is well worth the extra trip. Flats, coalies after dark, dogs and rays, sea trout possible, and if on the extreme right or left you can pick up wrasse and congers along with the odd bull huss.
Incredibly scenic and only open to the SE, so tends to be very sheltered. This beach can be inundated with big coalfish and dabs during the period you are here - brother has 23 flats and 8 coalfish in a session there.

There is a smaller beach at Mulranny (access is through the golf course, you can drive and there is way down onto the beach at anything other than HW), probably as good for flats, rays, dogs, occassional bass mostly in the late summer and autumn, quite a good run of sea trout, coalies after dark, and it is a lot closer, 20 minutes from Westport, on the north side...

On the south side, the best beach to fish is at Louisburgh, in behind the harbour pier, but from mid water up only and preferably in darkness. Lots of flounder, one warning it produced remarkable numbers of lesser weavers. Not a great spot in truth but very sheltered from the S or W.

Further west you have a host of beaches below Roonagh Point, all of which are shallow atlantic storm beaches, good for flats close in, option of dogs and rays at distance especially into darkness. Turbot more likely here.

Hope this helps...