Species profile
Gurnard
Gurnard from Wicklow clean ground. Catchable April to November, peak July to September. Grey, red and tub identification, moving-bait tactics and safe handling.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed August 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good today?
Quick answer
Gurnard from Wicklow clean ground. Catchable April to November, peak July to September. Grey, red and tub identification, moving-bait tactics and safe handling.
Gurnard · Running now · July to September peak on the Wicklow coast
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Jul to Sep · catchable Apr to Nov
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Clean sand and gravel in moderate depth, where fish walk the bottom on their free pectoral rays hunting shrimp and small fish.
What to use
Mackerel strip · Sandeel · Squid strip · Ragworm · Small shiny jigs
How to fish them
Fish a flowing trace over clean ground through summer and autumn, letting the lead trundle a few feet at a time so the bait moves; gurnard hit a travelling bait far harder than a static one.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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12ft beachcaster rod
A solid all-rounder for surf, casting and tide runs.
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Size 40 fixed spool sea reel
Balanced line capacity for beach and mixed ground.
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Pulley rig ready-made pack
Fast setup for clean ground and snag avoidance.
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Crab fishing lure
Realistic crab lure for bass, works from piers, beaches and rock marks.
Wicklow marks
Premier Wicklow bass beach. Specimen bass in storm conditions; smoothhound and rays in summer.
Mixed beach/rock cove south of Wicklow. Autumn night fishing for bass and pollack.
Reputed best Wicklow beach venue. Specimen homelyn, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss in the catch record.
Surf-shared cove. Honest reality: dogfish-dominated beach. Bass potential off the south rock shelf in calm conditions.
Sheltered sandy cove. Spring/autumn surf bass and a rare-for-the-east-coast spurdog fishery on summer night tides.
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and today's plan for this species
Read next
Bass Fishing Wicklow 2026: Best Marks, Baits and Tides
Where to catch bass on the Wicklow coast in 2026: the beaches and rock marks that produce, the baits and lures that work, and the tides to fish them on.
Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait
Smoothhound from Irish east coast beaches, May to October (peak July to August). Peeler crab rigs, evening flood tides and Wicklow sand marks that score.
Winter Flounder Ireland: Beach Marks and Rigs
Winter flounder on Irish beaches, October to March. Estuary mouths, short casts, ragworm ledger rigs and the flood tides that put flatfish at your feet.
Eric
Based in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, fishing the Irish coast since 2018
Target gurnard on today's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.