Night Sea Fishing - Dublin - Howth

Aaron_Ragmaan

Hey guys,

I was just wondering about night fishing around Howth. I rarely go sea fishing and normally stick to lakes and canals but would be interested in starting this whole sea fishing business! I tend to randomly but regularly fish at odd hours when ever the feeling strikes and last night i went up to Howth for a look (I checked the tide times and arrived just as the tide was in around 10PM for last night)

My question is what is the best method for night fishing? From what i understand fish will still hunt at night and its just their behavior that changes and i am fully aware the best method depends on exactly what your fishing for so i suppose another question is whats in this time of year?

are there mackerel still about? will feathers work at night? or should you use a float with some really potent smelling fish meat?

will lures work effectively at night or are they useless? does a full moon help as it shines natural light on the water and might reflect the shimmer of lures?


any help or thoughts on methods or rigs would be much appreciated!

oldat31

As a sea angler I only fish at night.... Day time fishing is very hit and miss but in the dark the bigger fish come in closer to shore in search for some smaller fish to feed on........

Mackeral are very very rear at night, if you find a spot that they are still feeding in the dark, keep it a secrect.

High spring tides ( full or new moon ) are the very best in most places on the shore, the sea level is at its highest and happens twice a month, but you need to find high tide in the dark for best results.....

Lures will work if you are targeting fish like pollock and bass, but again if you find a spot that produces bass at night on a lure, keep it secret because it will be poached.

Bait is a mix of worms ( Lug or rag ), crab ( softys or peelers ) and strips of mac, also mussel, sand eel and so on depending what you want......

As for rigs, google is your best friend so just search beach rigs and you will be a master in no time....


Now as for Howth..... Its a very unforgiving place that will break your heart... If you live in north dublin there is some marks that will produce and also south dublin, but the further sounth you go the better the fishing gets. I live in south dublin and only fish dublin for smouth hounds ( which are leaveing now) but 99% of my fishing is done in wicklow and wexford... Wexford being the mecca of bass fishing.

Its all about researching spots and trying with different tatics.


Tomorrow night on the wicklow coast is good for tope, and I shall be there till the wee hours of the morning trying to bag myself a 40lb fish from the shore......

Aaron_Ragmaan

Brilliant! thanks for the help! I actually live in South Dublin myself so heading to Howth or Wicklow for example takes the same amount of time either way. I will defenatly look into some Bass and Tope fishing. Thanks again! and any tips on where in Wicklow would be very much welcomed (privately messaged of course)

oldat31

If your new to see fishing try a pier or 2 for starts, wicklow pier gives of nice big doggies that will get you the feeling of fish on the end of the line....

If you want a nice relaxed beach that will give you tope pups and lots of flounder try ennareily beach just before arcklow.

Theres 100,s of spots. Try them all....

Aaron_Ragmaan

well how did you get on with the night fishing? I was just trying to research low tide fishing as for the next week or so the tide will be low for when im free to fish. would you agree that you can fish equally on the low tide if you know where to fish?

oldat31

Aaron_Ragmaan wrote: »

well how did you get on with the night fishing? I was just trying to research low tide fishing as for the next week or so the tide will be low for when im free to fish. would you agree that you can fish equally on the low tide if you know where to fish?

Turned out a complete blank... No fish and tons of weed.

Some places fish well at low but most fish better on the incoming tide... Its always worth going fishing even just to get out of the house....