Arklow beach for a "semi-beginner"

Hi,

I've started shore fishing last year in Dublin area. My experience is limited to pier and rocks fishing and I would like to try beach fishing. I think I got the gear and the bait. Now I'm looking for the time and the venue. A search on the forum (by the way, the most informative and the friendliest I've ever seen) tells me Arklow south beach could be OK for a beginner. My question : is it too early for daylight fishing there this year ? Should I wait for another month or 2 ?

There's another stupid question : is this beach crowed with non-anglers, let's say on a Saturday afternoon ?

Thanks for the help !

No expert either, but I'd try evening instead of afternoons. Sun is quite high in the sky these days.
Another option is Wicklow beach.

Hi JPA,

If your from Dublin there is other beaches closer.
As for beginner, to me all beaches are the same, you need to learn it by fishing it. No other way.

Night fishing is always more productive then day.

I'l list some beaches in order of distance starting with closest:

Killeny: No good for daytime fishing: can produce nice fish now and then.
Bray: No good for daytime fishing, Good for beginners.
Graystones: 2 beaches that both fishing ok, will produce nice fish now and then.
Kilcoole: Another beach that is hit and miss, had some nice fish and then some crap sessions.
Five Mile point: Again the same as kilcoole
Wicklow beach: Iv heard good things about there. Never fished it.
Brittis bay: never fished it, but no good for daytime.
Ennareilly: Good spot.
Arcklow: I have fished and had a good session.

Best thing to do is get out and try.

I'd be very hesitant leaving my car in the Arklow car park following a lot of vandalism in the last few years. You can drive down to the south end of the beach and fish beside your car but I don't find it as productive a spot. Ennereilly is the beach just before Arklow. You can park your car and fish straight out keeping an eye the whole time. It's not a great beach in daylight but there is a chance of bass as well as flats, whiting and dogs in the summer months fishing into darkness.

Thanks everybody for these advices and warnings. I really appreciate your quick answers.

myworldfishing : nice short review of my local beaches (yes, I'm from Dublin) !

Arklow is very beginner friendly always bring my young lad with me he never blanks there.
You will catch a lot of smaller fish during the day in close and if you can cast 80 to 100 yards from the end of next month you will get hounds if you dont get them during the day them come in close from dusk into dark

Arklow is very beginner friendly always bring my young lad with me he never blanks there.
You will catch a lot of smaller fish during the day in close and if you can cast 80 to 100 yards from the end of next month you will get hounds if you dont get them during the day them come in close from dusk into dark

So you are waiting till the end of next month for the hounds??????

A little feedback : I tried Killiney beach yesterday, between 2 showers. It's the nearest for me and I found it very comfortable to fish. Setup just in front of the car park. The ground is very clean a that spot, so I didn't get snagged. I sat back and enjoyed the sound of the waves. Fortunately there were the pin whitings to save the blank and bring some action.

are you arfaid of the dark ? all the talk of boogey men and vampires and weirwolfs was invented by anglers to keep non anglers off the beaches after dark ,you,ll be grand honest as for arkla i had my window done in while i was fishing so take note that story isnt a fairey tail unlike alot of stories you read on here

I'd be very hesitant leaving my car in the Arklow car park following a lot of vandalism in the last few years. You can drive down to the south end of the beach and fish beside your car but I don't find it as productive a spot. Ennereilly is the beach just before Arklow. You can park your car and fish straight out keeping an eye the whole time. It's not a great beach in daylight but there is a chance of Bass as well as flats, whiting and dogs in the summer months fishing into darkness.

i must say this stateiment is inccorrect and miss leeding this beach can produce excellent sport during daylight a few hours up to hw for smooth hounds dont be keeping em all to yourself connor

No no, I'm OK with the dark... as long I'm with a buddy, on a well lighted pier, with a piece of garlic bread to repel vampires

More seriously, I like to see where lands the bait. But this must be a beginner's concern, since I still need to practice my casting.

I was also interested in daylight fishing, in case I fish with my young kid.

If ya ever fancy going out give us a shout! We'll take ya around the place on some adventures... Yuo dont have to be afraid of vampires at night BUT do keep your eye on the Dodger!!! He'll be in your bait bucket quicker then a flash of lighting!! As for South Arklow Beach I fish there alot and it always produces the goods for me, just in winter though be aware the tides come right up over the rocks in summer there a beautiful beach to fish off. and its btter during the weekdays as you dont have many swimmers to deal with, I fish killiney during the days into the night and during the day it will throw up a few flats Key thing about fishing these days is trying to find marks were your car is within eyesight. as alot of marks cars ARE getting broken into ... Laytown, Ennerielly, Morriscastle, Arklow (1st carpark), Clogherhead, the list is ongoing really