Species profile
Cod and codling from Wicklow piers and winter beaches: how tides, baits and rigs line up across the local shore marks.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good tomorrow?Quick answer
Cod and codling from Wicklow piers and winter beaches: how tides, baits and rigs line up across the local shore marks.
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Nov to Dec · catchable Oct to Dec
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.
Lugworm · Ragworm · Crab baits · Mackerel and squid cocktails
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.
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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13ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
6000 to 8000 fixed spool sea reel
Balanced line capacity for beach and mixed ground.
Pulley rig ready-made pack
Fast setup for clean ground and snag avoidance.
Crab fishing lure
Realistic crab lure for bass, works from piers, beaches and rock marks.
Need a full shopping list? Rig and terminal buyer guide with comparison table, prices and Amazon picks.
Wicklow marks
Avoca river-mouth shore complex (Ferrybank + South Beach). Bass, hounds, flatfish; historical specimen sole.
Dargle-mouth working harbour. LRF-style mixed-species pier; codling, dab, flounder and plaice with summer bass and mullet.
Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.
Sheltered marina pier, ideal for families and beginners. Good wrasse, pollock, mackerel and an established autumn squid fishery.
Accessible competition-grade town beach with reliable winter codling and close-in plaice in calm weather.
Flat shingle beach, great for beginners. Reliable flatfish year-round; codling and coalfish through the colder months.
Reputed best Wicklow beach venue. Specimen homelyn, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss in the catch record.
Specialist mark, under-targeted specimen mullet on the Vartry outflow under the rail bridge. Flounder, sea trout, bass at the same outlet.
Dublin Bay guides
Not live scored. Open a mark guide for access and tactics.
North Dublin harbour walls for summer mackerel and pollack, with winter whiting, flounder and dogfish on ledger when boats allow space.
Busy Howth harbour piers with summer mackerel feathers, winter whiting and dogfish on ledger, and pollack or coalfish along the walls. Mullet cruise the inner harbour.
Rocky bay northeast of Howth village (Cat Rock / Split Rock area): pollack, coalfish and wrasse on float or feathers, with winter codling and night conger over rough ground.
Sutton channel and Martello rock ground: bass and flatfish into the channel, with peeler crab and mussel beds nearby at low water.
Long firm-sand beach on Bull Island for bass and flatfish, with evening autumn tides the classic window. Codling after winter colour.
Long stone wall out from Dollymount / Clontarf into Dublin Bay. Flounder, dab, pollack, whiting and dogfish; bass possible but less consistent.
Wide Dublin Bay sand for bass and flounder from half flood to high, with lug beds below the promenade and cockle ground toward the low line.
East and west piers on Dún Laoghaire harbour: easy access summer mackerel, winter whiting nights, and pollack or coalfish on the walls. Inner harbour dab, plaice and mullet.
Small Dalkey harbour wall for codling, pollack and conger, with rock and sound ground toward Dalkey Island. Shore access only in this guide.
Steep shingle and sand storm beach in Killiney Bay: bass and flounder after dark, winter codling and coalfish, summer mackerel when shoals push in.
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and tomorrow's plan for this species
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Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.