Cod at Ennereilly Strand South.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Seasonal

Why fish Cod at Ennereilly Strand South

Remote, sandy, southerly-facing beach. Bass April to November (peak Sep to Nov), smoothhound on evening crab baits May to October.

A wild, remote sandy shallow beach south of Brittas Bay, separated from Ennereilly Strand North by the Ennereilly River (sea trout run).

The lack of fishing pressure means the fish are less wary than at more popular marks.

Bass through April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov) is the documented core fishery; smoothhound on evening tides May to October on crab.

Set realistic expectations: bass average around 3 lb with occasional bigger fish, this is a numbers-of-quality-fish venue, not a specimen-bass venue.

Short: Remote, sandy, southerly-facing beach.

Bass April to November (peak Sep to Nov), smoothhound on evening crab baits May to October.

Deep harbour channels, pier-wall snags and the Greystones to Wicklow shingle belt in winter, anywhere young cod gather around tidal flow and coloured water after a blow. Codling is the usual Wicklow shore size class, not a separate target species here.

Remote southerly beach, bass April to November (peak Sep to Nov), evening smoothhound on crab when the sea is settled.

Two non-obvious notes from regional sources.

First, lugworm is named as the best all-round bait here (Visit Arklow / regional guides), not the peeler-crab default many beach anglers reach for.

Crab specifically for hounds on evening tides; lug for everything else.

Second, Ennereilly South and Ennereilly North fish completely differently and should be treated as two distinct marks in any catalogue: South is shallow sand for bass and hounds, North is shingle with deeper water offshore for flatfish, dogfish and occasional ray.

Season and tide

On Ennereilly Strand South the catalogue season for Cod is occasional in winter. Coast-wide, Cod runs October to December (November to February on night tides at piers and shingle marks. Most Wicklow shore fish are young cod, or codling, rather than larger specimens.).

Wider mark season notes: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Smoothhound: May to October (evening tides on crab baits), Thornback ray: May to October (occasional), Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February, Codling: occasional in winter, Whiting: October to February

Tide guidance for this mark: The hour either side of low and high water are the documented feeding times here, more specific than a generic flooding-tide window. Dawn sessions on a flooding spring tide in summer are the most productive. Baits fished close in catch the bass; baits at distance reach hounds and rays.

Species tide and time pattern: Night sessions on piers and the shingle belt from late autumn through winter. Wicklow Town Pier fishes the channel flow windows, and Bray Harbour produces on the fill and through the night on the outer wall. Check the mark before committing to one tide rule.

Catalogue fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak phases: mid-flood, first-ebb.

Tactics on this mark

Run strong ledger or pulley rigs with worm or crab cocktails after dark. Wicklow Town Pier fishes the last two hours of ebb and the first of flood in the channel, while Bray Harbour produces on the first two hours of the fill plus night sessions on the outer wall for codling and dabs. On Kilcoole and Greystones South the shingle belt favours a falling-tide edge for general fishing, but check the mark before committing to one tide rule.

Pulley rig (rays/hounds at distance); Running ledger close in (bass); Lures (bass close in)

Gear class for this mark: open beach. Facing ESE. Confidence HIGH.

• Strong ledger or pulley rigs with worm or crab cocktails
• Fish after dark, when codling are most active
• Scale your hook and bait size to the mark you are fishing
• Pulley rig (rays/hounds at distance)
• Running ledger close in (bass)
• Lures (bass close in)

Baits and lures

Cod baits and lures: Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab baits; Mackerel and squid cocktails.

What this mark typically holds: Lugworm (the documented best all-round bait here); Peeler crab (smoothhound on evening tides); Worm and fish baits for general species.

Lugworm (the documented best all-round bait here); Peeler crab (smoothhound on evening tides); Worm and fish baits for general species

Access and ground

Access from the Ennereilly area or by walking south from Brittas Bay, a significant walk of 2km or more. No direct road access to this section of beach. NOTE: Ennereilly North is a distinct mark (long shingle beach with deeper water offshore) and should not be confused with this entry, North requires a longer walk from limited roadside parking.

Parking: Very limited roadside parking only at Ennereilly South. Do not obstruct farm entrances or passing places. The walk in keeps this mark unfished and productive.

Safety: Very remote, carry a fully charged phone and tell someone your plans and expected return. No facilities of any kind. The coastline is exposed to easterly swells which can arrive quickly. Self-sufficient approach is essential.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town is the nearest tackle option. Stock up well before the trip, there is nothing available locally.

Nearest town: Brittas Bay. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size around 1 to 3 lb codling-class fish from pier channels and shingle beaches; specimen class from about Fish over 5 lb are notable from the shore on this coast.

Robust cod family profile: barbel on the chin, three dorsal fins, two anal fins, lateral line curving above the pectoral fin. Shore fish are usually codling-sized and can overlap with coalfish and pollack in poor light, use barbel, fin count and mouth shape.

Tip: Most Wicklow shore cod are young fish, or codling, so take conservation and size rules seriously and watch for the coloured-water windows after a blow.

Irish shore context: record class around See the IFI records. Most Wicklow shore fish are young cod, or codling..

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Smoothhound, Flounder, Dogfish, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Ennereilly Strand South updates on Today's plan. Pair this page with the Cod species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Stocks fluctuate; keep only smaller eating fish and return larger spawners where possible.

Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Cod species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Next steps

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.