just dogfish

ive been beach casting for a couple of months but find that the only fish im catching are dogfish, ive been using mackreel, sand eels rag worm and squid, i dont know what im doing wrong to fish for other species, im fishing around the waterford area, i would be greatful for any tips on targeting something different, thanks

welcome to the site
you could try small baits in close for flounder dabs etc. dogs are a fact of life so enjoy them i do

skip the mackl! fish close to rock marks or close in on beaches. try piers, breakwaters using a float to avoid dogfish. every tide will change the fishing!
keep an eye on the shore reports on the forum!

enjoy the doggie bashing it can be good crack, and they can save many a blank. and as what was stated by copperboy/rustyhookthomas is sound advice, close in on the beach, or off rock marks and such you could try the float for pollock/wrasse/coalies, or try spinning.

and welcome to the site, there's a wealth of knowledge on this site to help everyone, good luck...

Hi Len,

try fishing some of the Estuary marks too, Cheekpoint, Passage or Woodstown are usually devoid of doggies.

Rock marks, deep water and most of the open beaches have doggies in great numbers making them difficult to avoid when it's calm. A good surf on Tramore beach will see you catch Bass and Flats. Lug and Crab.

Best Of Luck!

thanks very much for the tips, hopefull i will catch some other species soon thanks again

I find that dogfish love mackerel and sandeel. Unfortunately they will also take lug and rag but probably less enthusastically. The one bait that I have never got a dogfish on is mussel. Maybe that was just luck as most other fish will take it, but if you are been plagued by dogs it might be worth a try.

If the conditions are calm dogfish will be out in force but I find them much less common when the seas are rough with a good surf. What I have also noticed on a couple of beaches is that they are very common in the last hour or so of an ebbing tide and over low tide. Although that may be just specific to those particular beaches.

As was previously mentioned when beach fishing fish in close - 10-20 m should get you into the flatties, 30 m you may start to pick up the odd bass (unless the beach is very flat - then need to cast a bit further). The dogs tend to lie out further 50m +