Summary
Bessy’s Cove sits within the Prussia Cove cluster on Cornwall’s south coast, a small, granite-walled inlet flanked by kelpy ledges and a tiny historic slip. It’s a scenic, low-key rock mark that rewards careful presentation and short casting into gullies for wrasse, pollack and bass, with mackerel, garfish and scad in season.
Location and Access
This is a tucked-away venue reached via the signed Prussia Cove access from the A394 between Helston and Penzance. Expect a pleasant but moderately steep walk and uneven ground, with the final approach over rock and boulders.
- Follow brown signs for Prussia Cove from the A394 near Rosudgeon/Goldsithney; park in the Prussia Cove car park (TR20 area). Payment is usually pay-and-display or an honesty box—carry coins.
- From the car park, allow 10–15 minutes on the coast path/estate track. Paths split to the coves; Bessy’s Cove is the central inlet with the small stone slip.
- Final access involves a short scramble over barnacled rock or down the slip at mid–high tide. The slip is used by local boats—don’t obstruct it.
- Terrain is rough, kelp-covered and slippery when damp; not suitable for trolleys, pushchairs or reduced-mobility anglers.
Seasons
The mark fishes like classic south-coast granite: wrasse and pollack around kelp, pelagics in summer, and nocturnal species after dark. Expect variety with the right sea.
- Spring (Apr–May): Ballan and corkwing wrasse, schoolie bass, pollack; first garfish later in May.
- Summer (Jun–Sep): Wrasse, pollack, mackerel, garfish, scad at dusk/night, mullet nosing around the slip, occasional bass in lively water.
- Autumn (Oct–Nov): Pollack peak at low light, late mackerel runs, garfish until first strong gales, scad at night, chance of squid on clear calm nights, conger after dark.
- Winter (Dec–Feb): Pollack persist, whiting in onshore blows, pout and rockling, conger at night; bass possible during rough spells around colour and surf.
- Ever-presents: Shore crabs and prawns in the rock pools (use sparingly and responsibly if bait-gathering).
Methods
Short, precise presentations out-fish hero casts here; most bites come within 10–30 metres in and around the kelp lines. Lure and float tactics shine by day, with heavier bottom gear for nocturnal eels and huss.
- Lure (wrasse/pollack): HRF/LRF soft plastics on 7–14 g heads; weedless Texas/Carolina rigs to probe gullies and weed edges. 20–30 lb braid with 30–40 lb fluoro/mono leaders.
- Spinning (mackerel/gar/pollack): Slim metals 20–40 g and small sinking minnows; work dawn/dusk or when bait shows.
- Surface/sub-surface bass: Topwaters and shallow divers in fizzing white water at first/last light; keep moving and cover water.
- Float fishing: Ragworm, prawn, strips of sandeel/mackerel set 8–15 ft; drift along the kelp margins and rock faces.
- Ledgering (rough ground): Pulley or pulley-dropper with a weak/rotten-bottom link; 3/0–4/0 hooks with squid/mackerel cocktail for conger/bull huss. Short lob into clearings between kelp.
- Scad/mackerel: Small sabikis or micro-metals at dusk into dark; add a small slow jig beneath a float if snagging is an issue.
- Traces: For conger, step up to 80 lb mono trace; for wrasse, use abrasion-resistant leaders and strong size 1–2 hooks.
Tides and Conditions
Bessy’s Cove is often kinder than open coast in prevailing SW winds but it’s exposed to southerly swell. Time your session around movement and low light to make the most of it.
- Tide state: Productive from mid-flood to high and the first of the ebb; some ledges are best with water on them. Low water can be snaggy but good for wrasse in gullies.
- Wind and swell: Sheltered in W/SW, but a S/SE swell rolls straight in; easterlies can flatten the sea and improve clarity. After a blow, fish the first settling seas.
- Light/clarity: Pollack at dawn/dusk or overcast days; wrasse in daylight with a slight lift; garfish and mackerel favour clear, bright conditions; scad after dark.
- Seasonality: Summer–autumn for surface activity and pelagics; winter nights for conger/whiting when there’s colour and push.
- Casting distance: Keep it short—most fish patrol tight to the rock lines, slips and kelp edges.
Safety
This is a rock mark with steep access, slippery ground and occasional swell surges—treat it with respect. Plan your exit and fish conservatively in swell.
- Footing: Weed and barnacles are slick—wear lugged boots or studded soles; avoid polished low platforms in any swell.
- Swell/surges: Rogue sets rebound inside the cove; never turn your back on the sea. A waistcoat lifejacket is strongly recommended.
- Tidal awareness: Some perches flood or cut off on springs—note your escape route and don’t drop in below the last safe ledge.
- Night fishing: Take two headlamps, spare batteries and a clear route plan. A drop-net helps land better fish from higher spots.
- Slipway/boats: Keep clear of the slip and moorings; yield to any launching/retrieval.
- Communications: Mobile reception can be patchy—tell someone your plan; consider a small VHF/PLB for solo outings.
- Accessibility: Not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or those with limited mobility.
Facilities
There are no facilities at the cove itself—come self-sufficient and pack out all litter. Nearby villages cover the basics before/after a session.
- Parking: Prussia Cove car park (limited spaces; bring coins). No lighting after dark.
- Toilets: None at the cove. Nearest public facilities are typically at Perranuthnoe or Praa Sands (check seasonal opening).
- Food/drink: Seasonal cafés at Perranuthnoe; pubs/shops in Goldsithney and Rosudgeon.
- Tackle/bait: Tackle shops and fresh bait options in Penzance and Helston; frozen bait often available in local garages.
- Phone signal: Variable; do not rely on data/voice in the cove.
Tips
Fish short and stealthy—most mistakes here are casting too far or standing too close to the edge. Keep noise down early/late as sound carries up to nearby properties.
- Work lures and floats along the weed lines rather than out into open water; bites often come as the rig swings past a kelp head.
- A handful of live prawns (netted responsibly) or peeled local prawn can transform wrasse sport—strike early to avoid deep-hooking.
- For garfish, tiny slivers of mackerel under a float with a long 6–8 ft trace and size 6–8 long-shank hooks; keep the bait moving.
- When scad are in, micro-metals or single-hooked sabikis reduce kelp tangles; add a small glow bead above the lure after dark.
- After a southerly blow, give it 24–48 hours as the colour drops—the bass and pollack often switch on around the first clean surf.
- Bring a drop-net for landing from higher spots near the slip at high water.
- Respect private land and access tracks: no blocking gates, no fires, and take all litter home.
Regulations
Angling from the natural foreshore is permitted here; the slip and adjacent buildings are privately used by local boaters—do not obstruct or trespass. Always check the latest Cornwall IFCA and MMO rules before you go.
- European seabass (recreational): Minimum size 42 cm. Current national measures typically allow a limited retention period (e.g., two fish per angler per day in-season) and catch-and-release only outside that period—verify the dates in force for the current year.
- Minimum conservation reference sizes (examples—check full list): Mackerel 20 cm; Pollack 30 cm; Whiting 27 cm. Many inshore species (e.g., wrasse, conger) have no legal MLS, but practice sensible catch-and-release.
- Marine protected areas/SSSI: The surrounding coastline includes designated sites for geology and wildlife. There is no general ban on line angling, but do not damage features, remove vegetation, or disturb nesting birds.
- Bait collection: Follow local byelaws; avoid hammering limpets or over-collecting prawns/crabs. No taking berried lobsters/crabs; observe MLS for crustacea.
- Lead weights: Use a weak/rotten-bottom link on rough ground to minimise lost tackle and seabed litter; retrieve all line where possible.
- General: No fires or camping on the foreshore, take litter home, and keep access clear for emergency vehicles and local users.
