Penarth Beach is one the most popular venues in South Wales and if you like easy access to fishing, then this is the venue for you. The beach itself is a mix of sand and shingle with patches of mud and rock in certain areas, especially at the southern end towards Lavernock Point. The beach is a very safe venue during westerly gales.

SPECIES

Whiting and cod along with a few strap conger, pouting, poor cod and flounder make up most of the catches during the autumn and winter, along with bass, silver eels and mullet during the summer.

BAIT AND TACKLE

At times long range casting can produce more fish, but plenty of fish are regularly caught within a moderate casting range, especially the whiting. It is possible to fish this venue for 24 hours a day, but the majority of local anglers concentrate on fishing for about three hours either side of high tide, especially in darkness. Mid-range to large tides tends to be the most productive.

Being a relatively clean and snag free beach there is no need to use a rotten bottom rig, although 5oz breakout sinkers will be required to hold bottom in the strong lateral tide. A simple single or multi-hook paternoster rig is as good a rig as any to use here.

If targeting whiting there is little need to use anything other than thin strips of mackerel or herring for bait. Lugworm, ragworm, peeler crabs and squid make more effective baits for cod and bass, while float fished bread over groundbait produces mullet.

TACKLE SHOP

Anglers Supplies, 172 Penarth Rd, Grangemouth, Cardiff, CF11 6NL, tel: 02920 220723. Opening times: 9am-5.30pm, Monday to Saturday; closed Sunday. Bait: Lug and rag daily, peeler crabs weekly when available. Frozen baits.

Garry Evans Fishing Tackle, 105-109 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff, CF14 3JQ, tel: 02920 692968 or 02930 619828. Opening times: 8am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday; 7am-5.30pm Saturday; closed Sunday. Bait: Lug and rag daily. Maddies weekly. Peeler crabs when available. Frozen baits.

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Prices : –

Directions : Follow the signs for Penarth from Cardiff or Barry, then head towards the sea front. The beach starts at the pier. Parking can be a problem at weekends.