When it fishes well
Falling tide pattern for the shingle belt. Spring-tide nights for the specimen hounds. Worm/spoon for plaice in May.
BeachIntermediate
Five Mile Point
Guide last updated 1 June 2026Live score checked today
You can catch Smoothhound, Bass and Homelyn ray here. Bring ragworm AND peeler crab or lugworm, and fish a pulley rig at distance.
A beach with more sand and less shingle than the rest of the Greystones-Wicklow shingle belt, distinct micro-geology that supports a specimen smoothhound run on spring nights (over 7 lb specimen size has been documented here). May produces homelyn ray and plaice; summer produces mackerel close in. Honest reality check: outside the specimen-hound spring-night window, this beach acts as a nursery for immature fish (cod, dab, flounder, whiting at ~6 inches) for much of the year.
This mark today
GoodLive right now
- WindSW 5 km/hLight
- Swell0.1mSmall
- Sea temp18°CComfortable
- High waterin 12h 28mEbbing
Primary target
Smoothhound
Safety
See hazards belowSpecies and seasons
Target list and season windows
- BassIN SEASONApril to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov)
- MackerelIN SEASONJune to September (close in)
- SmoothhoundIN SEASONMay to October (specimen-class >7 lb on spring nights with ragworm and peeler)
Pack for this mark
What to bring, and the rig that matches conditions
Fishing Five Mile Point today? Bring these.
Big bait and distance on Five Mile Point, 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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Hooks · pick
Wide-gape circle hooks 4/0
Strong wire circles for pennel mounting of peeler crab and sandeel. Smoothhound and bass standard on Wicklow marks.
Check price on Amazon.ieLead · pick
FFT Pro breakaway grip leads mixed pack
Breakaway 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
Tomorrow's conditions at Five Mile Point 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.
Practical notes
On the ground
What to bring
Baits
- Ragworm AND peeler crab (the documented best baits for the spring hound run here)
- Lugworm
- Sandeel (mackerel)
Methods
- Pulley rig at distance (hounds)
- Two-hook flapper (flatfish)
- Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May)
- Light spinning (mackerel)
Getting there
Access
One-mile-long access road from the R761. Parking limited at the end. Beach access then via the dunes.
Parking
Limited at the end of the access road; arrive early on quality conditions.
Hazards
One-mile road from the R761; parking limited. Standard shingle-beach safety.
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Related guides and tools
Species, tactics, tides, and tomorrow's plan for this mark
Field note
Spring-night smoothhound venue, the main reason to fish here, nursery beach the rest of the year.
Local insight
From the shore
The single piece of intelligence that justifies adding this mark: the specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, with fish over the 7 lb specimen size documented and ragworm or peeler crab named as the best baits. Most anglers fishing the Wicklow shingle in spring chase bass on the surf, but Five Mile Point's softer sand profile produces specimen-class hounds in the dark. Set expectations honestly outside that window: this is a small-fish nursery beach for much of the year (cod, dab, flounder, whiting all at ~6 inches). The seasonal contrast is sharp, May is the peak month for ray and plaice; the rest of the year is plain. Pair with Killoughter and the Breaches as a Newcastle cluster. The micro-geology distinction (more sand, less shingle than the surrounding beaches) is the structural reason for the species mix.
Read before you go
Species · 6 min read
Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait
Smoothhound from Irish east coast beaches, May to October (peak June to August). Peeler crab rigs, evening flood tides and Wicklow sand marks that produce hard-fighting double-figure fish.
Read guide →Tactics · 7 min read
Night Fishing from Irish Shores: Complete Guide
Fish feed harder after dark on Irish beaches. The species worth targeting at night, the Wicklow marks that fish best, and the gear and safety rules that matter.
Read guide →Tactics · 6 min read
Peeler Crab: The Complete Irish Shore Fishing Guide
How to find, identify, prepare and fish peeler crab, the bait Irish bass and smoothhound cannot ignore. Where to collect it and how to keep it fresh.
Read guide →
Nearest tackle
Where to top up
Wicklow town or Greystones tackle shops.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Ready to fish Five Mile Point?
Check tomorrow's plan for tides, conditions, and gear.