Northside Beach, Workington, Cumbria

SPECIES
March to early June sees some good plaice over 3lbs caught. June to September is fair for flounders, eels, and school bass. The plaice show again from Mid August through to late October, with codling caught to 5lbs from September to January.

BAITS
Stick to worm baits for the early plaice, especially tipping lug and rag with white rag. By late April crab becomes the number one bait for all species which is the case until late September when worm baits take the codling.

TACKLE & TACTICS
The beach is mixed broken and rough ground generally and fishes best over the rising tides before the highest spring tides. Fish for the plaice by day, but the best fishing for the winter codling is at night. A southwest to westerly wind is favoured for the codling.

The tide floods in quite quickly here and to fish effectively you will have to walk back releasing line as you go to give the baits time to be found.

Due to the rough ground use a 5-6oz beachcaster and a tough reel like a Penn 525 Mag or ABU 7000 loaded with 22lb line and a 60lb shock leader. Local anglers fish a two-hook clipped down rig for most species armed with size 1 Aberdeen's and 20lb hook links for the flatfish and eels, but with size 3/0 Vikings on 30lb hook snoods for the cod. Also try a two-hook wishbone rig for the plaice, which can out fish the standard two-hook rig. Carry both 5 and 6oz grip leads.

LOCATION
Taking the A596 from Workington to Maryport. As you leave Workington take the right turn at the Northside Roundabout just after the port entrance leading to good car parking and it's a short walk to the beach.