Baggy Point Fishing

Last updated: 1 month ago

Baggy Point Fishing Map

A prominent rocky headland between Croyde and Putsborough with deep kelp-lined gullies and ledges dropping quickly into tide-washed water. Best in settled seas with a light to moderate swell; water clarity matters. Productive through late spring to autumn for wrasse, pollack, mackerel, garfish and scad; after dark can produce pouting, conger and huss. Access is via the coast path from the National Trust car park at Croyde with a 20–30 minute walk and a short scramble to chosen ledges. Exposure to Atlantic swell, surging waves and slippery weed make it a serious venue—pick calm conditions, use a lifejacket and avoid fishing close to the edge in swell.

Ratings

⭐ 6.9/10 Overall
Catch Potential 7/10
Species Variety 8/10
Scenery & Comfort 9/10
Safety 4/10
Accessibility 5/10

Fish You Can Catch at Baggy Point

🐟 Pollack 8/10
🎯 Tip: Work 20–40g metals or soft plastics along kelp edges from the point on the flood, dawn/dusk. Count down to mid-water then steady retrieve. Moderate swell best.
🐟 Ballan Wrasse 8/10
🎯 Tip: Hardback crab/rag worm into kelp gullies on light leads; flood to high, May–Oct. Strong tackle and rotten-bottom to beat snags.
🐟 Bass 7/10
🎯 Tip: Weedless soft plastics or shallow plugs through surfy seams on a rising tide, dawn/dusk or after a blow; also ledger peeler/sandeel into gutters on spring tides.
🐟 Mackerel 7/10
🎯 Tip: Spin small metals/feathers into tide lines from height; evenings on the flood, Jun–Sep. Use a drop net; watch swell/backwash.
🐟 Pouting 6/10
🎯 Tip: Small fish baits or rag on 2-hook paternoster over rough ground at night, especially on the flood; reliable in winter too.
🐟 Bull Huss 6/10
🎯 Tip: Big fish/crab baits into rough ground at night, 1–2 hrs either side of high; use strong abrasion-resistant trace and a weak link lead.
🐟 Tompot Blenny 6/10
🎯 Tip: Size 12–16 hooks with rag or prawn lowered into cracks and ledges at low to mid tide; steady through summer; light gear.
🐟 Conger Eel 6/10
🎯 Tip: After dark, fish mackerel/squid baits into kelp gullies; neaps and slack-to-flood best. Heavy gear; expect snags.
🐟 Garfish 6/10
🎯 Tip: Float a small strip of mackerel or tiny metal near the surface over deeper edges, late summer on the flood, bright days or dusk.
🐟 Lesser Spotted Dogfish 5/10
🎯 Tip: Small fish/squid baits on mixed patches between kelp, evening into night; flood to high. Keep baits just off the bottom to reduce snags.
🐟 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 5/10
🎯 Tip: After dark late summer, work small metals or sabikis mid-water under headtorch light; best on a flooding tide in calmer seas.
🐟 Long-spined Sea Scorpion 5/10
🎯 Tip: Micro gear; tiny worm/prawn dropped into rock holes and kelp fringes at low water; year-round resident.

Baggy Point Fishing

Summary

Baggy Point, North Devon is a dramatic National Trust headland between Croyde and Putsborough, projecting into deep, kelp-rich water. It’s a classic rough-ground rock mark offering lure sport for pollack and summer mackerel, plus night fishing for bull huss and conger. The scenery is spectacular, but the ledges are unforgiving—rewarding, technical fishing for prepared anglers.

Location and Access

Baggy Point sits at the western end of Croyde Bay, with well-made National Trust paths and a mix of high and mid-level rock ledges. Access to actual fishing spots usually involves steep sheep tracks and light scrambling.

  • Park at National Trust Baggy Point car park on Moor Lane, Croyde (near EX33 1PA); free for NT members, pay-and-display otherwise. An alternative is Putsborough Sands car park (EX33 1LB) if approaching from the south side.
  • From the NT car park, it’s about 15–25 minutes on a firm coastal path to the point; allow extra time to locate and descend safe ledges.
  • Terrain is rough: sloping grass, uneven boulders, barnacle- and weed-covered rock. Good boots and a small, tidy kit are essential.
  • Public transport is limited; most anglers drive. Arrive early in summer and on surfable days—car parks fill fast.

Seasons

This headland holds resident kelp fish year-round, with pelagics and predators moving in through the warmer months. Expect variety, but also blanks if conditions aren’t right.

  • Spring (Mar–May): Pollack, ballan wrasse, early garfish; first mackerel shoals by late spring; bass around the surf edges on settled spells.
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Mackerel, pollack, garfish, scad at dusk, ballan and corkwing wrasse, occasional smoothhound; bull huss and conger after dark; rare triggerfish in warm years.
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov): Peak pollack, scad in numbers at night, late mackerel, bass on lures and crab baits, pouting; odd black bream or codling is possible but not common.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb): Bull huss, conger, pouting, rockling, whiting on some nights; pollack still possible on calm, clear days with lures.
  • Year-round by-catch: Gobies, blennies (LRF), the odd launce; snag-rich ground can also draw in big eels.

Methods

Rough-ground tactics rule here: think abrasion resistance, strong hooks, and presentation tight to kelp lines and drop-offs. Match the method to tide, light, and water clarity.

  • Lure fishing (pollack/mackerel): 20–40 g metals, casting jigs, and sandeel-pattern soft plastics on 20–30 lb leaders; count down to work mid-water above kelp. Dawn/dusk excels.
  • Weedless soft plastics: Texas-rigged paddletails/eeleis on 7–14 g bullet weights for pollack and bonus wrasse; slow lifts along the edge of gullies.
  • Float fishing (wrasse/gar/ mackerel): Biggish cigar floats, 15–20 lb trace, size 1–2/0 strong hooks; baits—peeler or hardback crab, rag/lug, prawn. Set depth 8–20 ft and adjust.
  • Bottom fishing (night huss/conger): Pulley or up-and-over with a weak link/rotten-bottom; 60–80 lb abrasion leader, 4/0–6/0 strong patterns; baits—whole squid, squid/sandeel cocktail, mackerel fillet.
  • Sabiki/feathers: Size 4–6 for mackerel/scad at dusk into dark; add a small glow bead above a 1–2 oz lead in gentle tides.
  • LRF: Micro metals and isome for scad and mini-species when the sea is calm and clear around rock pools and small coves.

Tides and Conditions

Tide flow is strong around the point and dictates both safety and feeding spells. Plan around movement, light levels, and swell.

  • Best states: Flood to high water often fishes best from many ledges; last two hours of the flood into dusk is prime for pollack and bass. Neaps are more manageable on the rocks.
  • Water clarity: Lures excel in clear, green-blue water; if coloured, switch to bait for huss/conger or fish brighter, noisy lures tight to structure.
  • Wind and swell: Easterly or light variable winds give safer, clearer seas. Strong W–NW brings heavy Atlantic swell and dangerous surges—often unfishable.
  • Seasonal cues: Summer evenings for pelagics and wrasse; autumn dusk for better pollack; winter nights for huss/conger on static baits.
  • Tidal quirks: Powerful side run and back-eddies form on spring tides—present baits/lures across the seam rather than straight uptide.

Safety

This is an exposed cliff-and-ledge venue—spectacular but hazardous. It is not suitable for children or anyone unsteady on their feet.

  • Slips, trips, and swell: Barnacles, kelp, and spray make the rocks slick; rogue sets and surges reach deceptively high—observe the sea for 15+ minutes before committing.
  • Heights and cut-offs: Some lower ledges can be cut off on big floods; choose elevated platforms and have a clear retreat route, especially in the dark.
  • Gear and clothing: Wear grippy boots and a personal flotation device; carry a headtorch, spare light, first aid, and a knife for emergency cutaways.
  • Go light and organised: Use a waist/shoulder bag, avoid open buckets; tether essential items; use a long-handled net or gaff only where legal and safe.
  • Phone and contact: Signal can be patchy in gullies; tell someone your plan and expected return time.
  • Environmental and access notes: Keep to marked NT paths; occasional temporary restrictions for nesting birds or path repairs may apply—respect any signage. No fires or camping; take all litter and line home.

Facilities

Facilities are concentrated around Croyde and Putsborough; there’s nothing at the point itself. Plan to be self-sufficient on the rocks.

  • Parking: National Trust Baggy Point car park (Moor Lane, near EX33 1PA) and Putsborough Sands (EX33 1LB, seasonal charges).
  • Toilets: In Croyde village and at Putsborough Sands (seasonal opening); none on the headland.
  • Food and drink: Sandleigh Tea Room near the NT car park (seasonal); multiple cafés and pubs in Croyde; beach kiosks in season.
  • Tackle and bait: Options in Braunton and Barnstaple; check opening hours and bait availability in advance.
  • Lifeguards: Croyde and Putsborough beaches are lifeguarded seasonally—note there is no cover at the point.
  • Mobile signal: Generally good on higher ground, but expect dead spots near cliffs and in gullies.

Tips

Small adjustments transform results at Baggy—fish tight to structure, read the water, and travel light. These local patterns regularly pay off.

  • Pollack on the drop: Count your lure down; most hits come 3–6 seconds before snag depth—mark that count and repeat.
  • Weedless is king: Use weedless hooks and streamlined jig heads to glide above kelp; a slow, steady retrieve often out-fishes twitching.
  • Wrasse ethics: Big ballans are slow-growing—use stout gear to avoid deep-hooking and release them carefully; crab or prawn outfishes worm when the sea is weedy.
  • Night huss: Minimal lead, big oily baits, and quietly placed rigs; avoid constant recasting—let scent form a trail in the tide seam.
  • Scad afterglow: As light fades, size 6 sabikis with a tiny slow-jig under modest retrieve speeds produce strings of scad.
  • Swell sense: Long-period groundswell can surge even on small wave heights; if it looks marginal, it is—switch to the beach or come back another day.
  • Keep moving: If a ledge is quiet after 20–30 minutes, change depth, lure weight, or step to a new line—micro-relocations matter here.

Regulations

Angling is generally permitted from the shore at Baggy Point, which lies within protected landscape designations. Always check the latest local bylaws before you go.

  • Jurisdiction: Devon & Severn IFCA area—their byelaws cover netting, potting, and some bait-collection activities; recreational line angling is allowed.
  • Bass rules: Recreational bass fishing in the Bristol Channel/North Devon region is seasonally restricted with bag limits and a minimum size. As of 2024, a 42 cm minimum size and a limited open season applied—check current MMO and IFCA notices for any 2025 updates before retaining fish.
  • Minimum sizes and fairness: Observe national MLS for species you intend to keep; return undersized fish promptly and handle wrasse with care.
  • Protected sites: Parts of this coastline are within marine and coastal conservation designations; shore angling is allowed, but do not disturb nesting birds, remove sessile species, or damage intertidal habitats.
  • Access and conduct: The land is managed by the National Trust—keep to paths, respect temporary restrictions, no fires/camping, and remove all litter and discarded tackle.