Guide last updated 12 June 2026Live score checked today
You can catch Bass, Smoothhound and Thornback ray here. Bring hardback green shore crab or peeler crab, and fish a pulley rig clipped down with 4/0 hook.
One of the finest beach fishing marks in Leinster. Brittas Bay offers a long, sandy beach with parallel gully and sandbar systems that hold bass, smoothhound and rays in summer. The southern end, away from the main car park, is the most productive ground, cleaner sand, fewer crowds. The beach has produced specimen bass over 10 lb in coloured rough water during easterly gales, the documented persistence-rewarded condition.
This mark today
GoodLive right now
Primary target
Bass
Safety
See hazards belowTarget list and season windows
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
Big bait and distance on Brittas Bay (South End), so the pulley pennel protects the cast and presents cleanly on the drop. A light grip lead still casts clean on calm sand.
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Strong wire circles for pennel mounting of peeler crab and sandeel. Smoothhound and bass standard on Wicklow marks.
Check price on Amazon.ieBreakaway grips for surf pulley fishing at distance on open Wicklow beaches.
Check price on Amazon.ieRecommendations follow the same Wicklow-first editorial standards as the rest of the site.
Pack next
Today's conditions at Brittas Bay (South End) suit a pulley pennel rig. A heavy-duty distance rig that protects large soft baits during the cast. The hooklink slides through a pulley swivel so bait and hooks lift on splash-down while the lead anchors.
On the ground
Baits
Methods
Access
Take the R750 south from Wicklow town, turn east at the Brittas Bay signs. Pennycomequick Bridge over the Redcross River is the landmark on the way in. Walk south along the beach from the main car park, the further you walk, the better the fishing.
Parking
Paid parking is available at the beach. Brittas Bay is a popular destination especially in summer so arrive early to secure a space. The car park can fill quickly on fine weekends and bank holidays.
Good day or better. Email when conditions score well
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Species, tactics, tides, and today's plan for this mark
Premier Wicklow bass beach, smoothhound on summer crab baits, respect surf and undertow on big days.
From the shore
Hardback green shore crab is the documented top smoothhound bait, modern UK/Irish consensus (Tronixpro, Talk Sea Fishing) is that peeler is attacked too quickly by lesser species like dogfish and pouting, while hardback lasts and selects properly for hounds. This is a tactical correction worth making in any bait advice for this venue. Bait size discipline is critical: 2.5×1 inch sausage shape, bigger baits get picked up and dropped, which is the most common cause of dropped takes here. The single biggest tactical insight from regional sources: the conditions tourists avoid (easterly gales with driving rain) are the conditions that produce specimen bass over 10 lb. Persistence in foul weather is rewarded. Smoothhound numbers peak around the second set of spring tides in April. Sea trout run the nearby Ennereilly River system, not Brittas, don't confuse the two when chasing trout.
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Read guide →Where to top up
Wicklow town (approximately 15km north) has the nearest tackle shops. Stock up before heading to Brittas Bay as there are no tackle supplies locally.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Check today's plan for tides, conditions, and gear.