Finnygook Beach

Finnygook Beach sits on the eastern end of Whitsand Bay by Portwrinkle, in southeast Cornwall. It’s a broad, tide-washed sandy surf beach with rocky fringes, offering classic bass ground and the chance of rays and the odd turbot when the sandbanks line up.

Set just below the village of Portwrinkle, Finnygook is reached via the coast road from Crafthole. Access is straightforward for fit walkers, but expect a descent to the sand and a climb back out, with steps that can be testing when carrying gear. Parking is in pay-and-display car parks in Portwrinkle; follow local signage in the village rather than relying solely on postcodes.

This is a surf beach with clean sand and rock tongues at either end, so species change with season, swell and sandbars. Expect reliable summer bass and small-eyed ray, plus winter whiting on dark nights.

• Spring: school bass, the first small-eyed rays on settled seas, occasional turbot and gurnard in clearer water, dogfish at night
• Summer: bass (all sizes, best in rougher, coloured water), small-eyed ray, spotted ray, gurnard, flounder, garfish on calm evenings; wrasse and pollack around the rocks
• Autumn: peak bass time after blows; small-eyed ray continue; chance of turbot during settled spells; increasing dogfish after dark
• Winter: whiting on night tides, pouting, dogfish; rare codling in cold snaps; rock marks may still produce wrasse on milder days
• Occasional/bonus: smoothhound in warm summers, sole on calm neaps, plaice sporadically on very clear, bright days

Surf tactics dominate on the open sand, with lure fishing viable in the right swell and light. The rough ground fingers at either end reward wrasse and pollack tactics when the sea allows.

• Bottom fishing (clean sand): pulley pennel or pulley/dropper with 4–6 oz grip leads; for rays use sandeel, squid or squid/sandeel wraps; for bass use peeler crab (in season), squid, or fresh mackerel fillet
• Distance rigs: clipped-down 1 up/1 down or long-snood single clip for gurnard/whiting/sole; size 1–2 hooks, keep baits neat and aerodynamic
• Turbot approach: small whole launce or sections of fresh sandeel on a flowing trace, cast to the back of the first or second bar and slowly inched back
• Lures for bass: shallow-diving minnows, metal spoons and surface walkers at first/last light; work the gutters and white water edges parallel to the beach
• Rock fringes: float fish or freelined hard crab/king rag for wrasse; small jelly eels or metals for pollack in clear, calm swells
• Tackle notes: use a long robust sand spike; shockleader essential for clipped rigs; consider a weak-link/rotten-bottom only if you’re fishing close to the rocky ends where snags occur

Finnygook fishes around the movement of water over its bars and gutters. Night tides are reliably better for rays and whiting; bass are best when the surf is lively but manageable.

• Tide state: flooding tide into and over high water is often best; first of the ebb can also switch on; neaps are kinder for rays and finesse work, springs suit bass in the churn
• Sea state: slight colour and 2–4 ft surf for bass; settled, clear and gentle surf for turbot/gurnard; avoid heavy weed runs after big blows
• Time of day: dawn/dusk for lures and roaming bass; full dark for rays, whiting and dogfish
• Seasonality: May–October for rays/turbot prospects; September–November prime for larger bass; December–February for whiting on night tides
• Wind: onshore W–SW raises surf and colour (bass); light offshore or northerly calms it for turbot/long-snood tactics

This is an exposed Atlantic-facing beach: conditions can change quickly and the shore can dump hard on springs. Access involves steps and steep paths, so plan your load and exit route.

• Strong rips and shore dump in heavy surf; don’t wade beyond knee depth in pushy seas; wear a PFD if fishing near the wash
• Steep beach profile at times; waves can surge high—keep gear well above the swash line, especially on springs
• Rocky ends get slippy with algae; avoid being cut off by the flooding tide if you explore around the headlands
• Night fishing: carry headtorch plus backup, and mark your exit steps in daylight
• Mobile signal can be patchy under the cliffs; tell someone your plan and ETA
• If heading west beyond Portwrinkle, note the MOD Tregantle Firing Range access closures when red flags/lights show (Finnygook itself is outside the danger area, but check if roaming the bay)
• Accessibility: not suitable for wheelchairs or those with limited mobility due to steps and gradients

Portwrinkle is a small village with basic amenities; plan self-sufficiency for longer sessions. Services improve if you drive to Torpoint, Looe or Plymouth.

• Parking: pay-and-display in Portwrinkle above the beach; arrive early in summer
• Toilets: public toilets are usually available in the village (check seasonal opening)
• Food and drink: seasonal café offerings in/around Portwrinkle; pubs and shops in nearby Crafthole; wider choice in Looe and Torpoint
• Tackle and bait: nearest options in Torpoint, Looe and Plymouth; pre-order fresh bait in summer
• Lifeguards: not typically present on Finnygook—do not assume cover; some other Whitsand Bay beaches are seasonally lifeguarded
• Phone/data: variable under the cliffs; better on higher ground

Finnygook’s bars and gutters shift with storms, so success comes from reading the beach on the day. Roaming and recasting to new seams often outfishes sitting still.

• Walk the strandline at low water to map out bars, rips and firm patches, then fish the flooding tide back over the features you’ve scouted
• For bass, fish crab baits tight behind the first breaker or along the edges of white water, not just at maximum range
• Ray baits benefit from being streamlined; use bait elastic and keep hooks proud
• In summer, light lures at first light along the inside gutter can be deadly—cover water parallel to the shore
• Keep an eye on “May rot”/algal bloom in late spring; switch to bigger scent baits or lures with strong vibration when weed is suspended
• Spikes dig better if you pre-ram the holder and face it slightly seaward; check it after heavy sets
• If weed becomes unfishable, try the rock fringes with float gear for wrasse until the surf clears

Recreational sea angling is permitted at Finnygook Beach. Normal national and local rules apply—always verify current notices before your trip.

• Bass: recreational retention in the Southwest (ICES area 7) is subject to seasonal and daily limits with a 42 cm minimum size; recent years allowed one fish per angler per day Mar–Nov only—check current MMO guidance before retaining any bass
• Cornwall IFCA: observe Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes and byelaws (e.g., limits on netting close to shore; rules on bait digging and shellfish). Hand-gathering only—no mechanical bait collection on the foreshore
• Protected species: spurdog are release-only for recreational anglers; tope are protected from retention by rod-and-line anglers in England; identify and return any undulate rays if encountered
• Marine Conservation Zone: Finnygook lies within the wider Whitsand & Looe Bay MCZ. Recreational angling is allowed, but avoid damaging sensitive habitats (seagrass/maerl) and do not anchor or drag gear over them
• Access notices: if exploring west along Whitsand Bay, obey MOD Tregantle Range closures when red flags/lights are displayed
• General: take all litter and line home; respect seasonal dog and beach bylaws posted locally