Coalfish at Wicklow Town Pier.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner/Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Coalfish at Wicklow Town Pier

Deep-water working-harbour pier. Pollack, coalfish, winter whiting; rare connection to autumn shore-tope traffic on big distance baits.

A substantial working harbour pier with deep-water access close in.

The outer pier wall drops into a channel that holds pollack, coalfish, whiting and the occasional bass.

Codling move in during winter nights.

Whiting are reliable through the colder months, confirmed across the regional guides.

The harbour mouth area produces flounder and dabs on the bottom.

Home harbour of Wicklow Boat Charters, when the boats are catching tope close in during October to November, distance casts from the pier head can connect with stragglers (shore-caught tope to over 40 lb documented in the area).

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

Mark highlight: Deep water working pier. Year-round species.

Deep harbour pier, winter whiting and pollack, occasional autumn tope traffic on big baits at range.

Whiting is a documented winter pier target here.

The wrasse fishing attributed to this pier in some guides is actually on the rocks below the castle ruins on Wicklow Head proper, not the East Pier itself; treat wrasse here as occasional.

The non-obvious tactical edge is the connection to offshore tope traffic: when Wicklow Boat Charters is catching tope close in during October and early winter, distance casts of whole mackerel from the pier head can intercept stragglers, shore-caught tope to over 40 lb has been reported in this stretch.

Pollack poaching is repeatedly raised on SAI threads, so take only what you will eat.

Season and tide

On Wicklow Town Pier 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 pier April to November), Coalfish: October to February, Whiting: October to February (night), Codling: October to January (night), Flounder: October to March, Mackerel: June to September, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Tope: October to early winter (shore-cast distance baits, low frequency)

Tide guidance for this mark: Last two hours of ebb and first of flood concentrate fish in the channel. Pollack and coalfish present at most states of tide. Mackerel feathering most productive on the morning rising tide in summer. Night sessions on the outer wall in autumn and winter produce codling, whiting and bass. Wicklow tides are 21 minutes after Dublin port.

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: low, first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak phases: mid-flood, high.

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.

Running ledger; Float rig; Mackerel feathers; Sidewinder/shad jigs; Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Gear class for this mark: pier wall. Facing E. Confidence HIGH.

• Same methods as pollack, spinning, jigging, feathers
• More aggressive takes than pollack, heavier gear can be used
• Running ledger
• Float rig
• Mackerel feathers
• Sidewinder/shad jigs
• Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Baits and lures

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

What this mark typically holds: Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits).

Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits)

Access and ground

Follow signs for Wicklow harbour from the town centre. Short drive from the main street.

Parking: Free parking on the pier and in the adjacent harbour area. Wicklow town has additional parking nearby.

Safety: Active fishing harbour, vehicle, forklift and trawler movement is the real safety issue, not slips. Stay alert for boat movements especially in the morning. Outer wall can be slippery, wear non-slip footwear. Keep away from boat launching activity.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town centre has fishing tackle shops within easy walking distance of the pier.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/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, Whiting, Codling, Bass, Dogfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Town Pier 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.