Whitehaven West Pier

The Pier

Whitehaven pier is situated on the west coast of Cumbria, in between Maryport and Drigg and only an arms length from Siloth too. I am not local to this mark as I live almost 100 miles away, on the other side of the country, but I try my best to gain knowledge from the locals when I find the time to get over there at least once or twice a year. The tides at Whitehaven allow for fishing in deep water and can be known to harbour fish around its walls and various marks.

The Round head or ‘The Mushroom’

After a few years of experience and fishing in various different weathers and tides, I have hopefully found the best times and baits to use.

Best Time To Fish: From my recent trip, I came to the conclusion that 3 hours either side of high water is the most productive and any time after that I found I was wasting my time. This may be because the water is too shallow and you need a very big cast to get over the shallow sandy areas.

Summer Species: In the summer, flatfish such as plaice, dabs and flounders can be caught as well as other species such as whiting, coalfish and an abundance of dogfish too. Lately throughout this summer, there has been some good reports of bull huss and conger eel around sunset throughout the night. Smaller species such as gurnard, mackerel and rockling have been caught through the summer and into autumn. Don’t forget about the nuisance common eel too.

Winter Species: Winter here is like many other marks, while a few species swim away, others come back. The species that come in are cod as well as whiting that are a bigger and in greater numbers although best conditions being a night time. Although if it’s cod you are after, head to Parton or St bees head.

Ground: The ground here is mostly clear but there is the odd rocky outcrop. It is especially rough within the first 10 yards around the pier where the railings start all the way into the bay and further out in some parts. Around the outer wall areas, there is sandstone blocks around the base so be careful when fishing in close using a float or fishing with bait.

Best Baits: During the summer months, I have found that fish baits such as sandeel and squid are the best with some worm baits such as yellow tails performing just as well on its day. If you are targeting other species such as flounders and plaice, worm baits tipped with mackerel or squid can be deadly. Throughout the winter months, baits tend to stay fairly the same except crustaceans such as peeler crab and worm baits like black lug and yellow tails are more deadly than others especially when targeting cod and whiting. But as I have mentioned previously, this venue isn’t the best in the area for cod so don’t expect them in mass amounts and size.

There is other types of fishing to be had during the summer months. As well as bait fishing, you can target mackerel in the summer months when the water is on its way in and out, either side of high. The best method to use is to use a light spinning rod armed with mackerel feathers to catch mackerel anywhere along the outer walls and partially on the lower level when casting toward the north pier.

As usual, please remember to take care when fishing large seas and strong winds on structures like this. Also waste disposal bins are only located at the foot of the pier so please bag your rubbish and throw it away before you leave as it is crucial to keep it clean for both the public and fellow anglers.

Tight Lines!