This post was compiled from angling reports shared on the South Shore SAC Facebook page:
A breezy afternoon set the scene for a Southshore competition at Arklow South Beach, a key venue on the East Coast Match Circuit. Despite seemingly poor conditions for shore angling, including small tides and bright sunshine, the beach produced strong results, with fish appearing from the first cast and anglers regularly landing doubles and trebles, mainly whiting along with some dogfish and flatfish.
In Zone A, Thomas Keogh and Jim O’Brien led a closely fought contest, with Keogh targeting higher-scoring dogfish and O’Brien consistently catching whiting. Both anglers finished with 15 fish, with Keogh taking the zone win, while Dave Cottell secured third place with 11 fish. Rob Moore also remained competitive throughout.
Zone B saw an early lead from Eamonn Bermingham, who successfully targeted dogfish at distance. However, Ciaran Fogarty soon matched and surpassed this effort, consistently landing fish to secure both the zone and overall win with 21 fish. Alby Allan staged a late surge with several double dogfish catches, finishing second in the zone with 18 fish, narrowly ahead of Bermingham.
A notable subplot involved Gordy Hardman, fishing the “Golden Peg” and opting for an unconventional approach using worm bait to target bass and flatfish. His strategy nearly paid off when he landed a 21cm dab, putting him in contention for a pool prize. However, in the closing stages, Tony Kelly landed a decisive 30cm flounder, ultimately claiming the pool and denying Hardman a significant win.
The remaining pool prize went to Dave Cottell with a 26cm whiting. Overall, the competition proved highly successful, with strong catches across both zones and impressive performances despite challenging conditions.
A full report and more photos can be viewed on the South Shore SAC Facebook page:
Go Fishing…
Sea Angling on the East Coast
