Short answer: Torquay's inner harbour is the place to hang a line, with parking and food on Victoria Parade right behind you. Meadfoot and Babbacombe both have good rock pools if you would rather be on a beach.
Torquay's harbour is the busiest thing in the bay and that is part of the appeal — boats coming and going, the marina in front of you, and Victoria Parade with all the cafés and pubs directly behind. For crabbing with children who lose interest after twenty minutes, having somewhere to go two minutes away is worth a lot.
It gets crowded in high summer. Early morning is the answer, and the harbour is at its best then anyway.
East of the harbour, Meadfoot is the locals' beach — mixed sand and pebble with rocky outcrops, calm water and a café above the beach huts. Reviewers describe outcrops you can kayak around and a peaceful, uncrowded feel. Beach shoes are useful.
The catch is parking. It is very limited and the on-street spaces are gone by nine in the morning, with no overflow to fall back on. Go early or do not go.
Small shingle beach below the cliffs with unusually clear water and rock pools — reviewers mention seeing pebbles and marine life through the surface. The road down is steep with sharp bends; the better approach is to park on Babbacombe Downs and take the cliff railway down, which is a couple of pounds and four minutes.
A rising tide for the harbour, a falling one for the rock pools. That is the general rule everywhere on this coast and it holds here.
A line rather than a net, a bucket, and bait. Bacon is the traditional choice and works; so does squid from the fishmonger. Fill the bucket with seawater before you start and keep it in the shade.
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