Coalfish at Wicklow Head, Brides Head.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Coalfish at Wicklow Head, Brides Head

NE face of Wicklow Head below the golf course. Reliable spinning mark for mackerel and pollack; safer than the lighthouse rocks.

The northeast face of Wicklow Head, accessed on foot from the R750 car park down past the golf course.

The safer of the three Wicklow Head rock marks, solid spinning ground for mackerel and pollack with float fishing for wrasse and coalfish.

Worm and crab over sand patches between the rocks turn up dabs and plaice in July and August.

Short: NE face of Wicklow Head below the golf course.

Reliable spinning mark for mackerel and pollack; safer than the lighthouse rocks.

Harbour walls, pier mouths and rough ground where baitfish shoals run, especially in colder months when pollack fishing fades.

Spinning mark below the golf course, reliable mackerel and pollack, safer than the lighthouse rocks.

Brides Head is the documented safer alternative to the Wicklow Head lighthouse rocks, same headland, fundamentally different risk profile.

The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide explicitly identifies this as a spinning mark below the golf course, with float fishing for the wrasse and coalfish.

The non-obvious tactical edge is the SAND PATCHES between the rocks, a worm or crab bait dropped onto these clean patches in July and August produces plaice and dabs that most anglers miss while focused on the rock species.

Bass on lures cast across the current at dawn/dusk on the flood is the lure-fishing window.

Season and tide

On Wicklow Head, Brides Head the catalogue season for Coalfish is October to February. Coast-wide, Coalfish runs September to May (Autumn and winter from piers).

Wider mark season notes: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November, peak Sep to Nov), Mackerel: June to September, Wrasse: May to September, Coalfish: October to February, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; dawn/dusk lures), Plaice & Dab: July to August (worm/crab over sand patches)

Tide guidance for this mark: Flooding tide for bass on across-current lures; dawn or dusk window. Most species accessible HW ± 2 hours.

Species tide and time pattern: Moving water around piers and harbour mouths. Night tides in autumn and winter often produce the biggest fish. Coalfish are less structure-dependent than pollack and will chase prey across open ground.

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

Tactics on this mark

Fish small metals, feathers or natural baits in the flow around harbour mouths and deep pier edges, letting lures swing through the current in autumn and winter.

Spinning (mackerel/pollack); Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish); Lures across the current (bass); Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

Gear class for this mark: rough rock. Facing NE. Confidence HIGH.

• Same methods as pollack, spinning, jigging, feathers
• More aggressive takes than pollack, heavier gear can be used
• Spinning (mackerel/pollack)
• Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish)
• Lures across the current (bass)
• Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

Baits and lures

Coalfish baits and lures: Feathers; Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastics; Metal jigs.

What this mark typically holds: Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Ragworm; Crab.

Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Ragworm; Crab

Access and ground

Walk required from the car park on the R750 to reach the rock fishing below the golf course on Brides Head. Rough but manageable terrain, sturdy boots essential.

Parking: R750 car park near Wicklow Head.

Safety: Walk-in from the R750 car park; rough cliff terrain. Less exposed than the lighthouse rocks but still requires care. Tide rip can be significant.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, short drive north.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size around 300 g to 1.5 kg on harbour and rock marks; specimen class from about Larger coalfish over 2 kg possible in deep water channels.

Very similar to pollack but distinguished by a straight lateral line (not curved), a white lateral line, and a jaw that is roughly equal (not strongly protruding). Dark green-black back, pale flanks. Young coalfish (known as 'billets' or 'cuddies') are common from pier walls.

Tip: Coalfish and pollack are often caught together from the same marks. The autumn run of coalfish through Greystones Harbour can produce excellent sport, small shoals of 500 g to 1 kg fish attack feather rigs in the harbour mouth from September onwards.

Irish shore context: record class around 7.26 kg.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Pollack, Mackerel, Wrasse. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Head, Brides Head updates on Today's plan. Pair this page with the Coalfish species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

No major concerns but keep only what you will eat fresh.

Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.

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

Next steps

Related article: Coalfish vs Pollack Ireland: How to ID and Catch Both

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