Species profile
John Dory
John Dory in Irish waters. Catchable May to October, peak May to October. How to identify the thumbprint flank, and why it is a southwest deep-water rarity.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed August 2026 · IFI-aligned
Is it good today?
Quick answer
John Dory in Irish waters. Catchable May to October, peak May to October. How to identify the thumbprint flank, and why it is a southwest deep-water rarity.
John Dory · Running now
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Catchable May to Oct
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Deep, clear, sheltered water over mixed ground on the south and west coasts, where it stalks small shoaling fish.
What to use
Live or fresh dead small fish · Float-fished sprat · Small sandeel · Slow-worked soft plastics
How to fish them
Present a small fish bait slowly over deep clear water in calm late-summer conditions; John Dory stalk prey and will not chase a fast lure.
Get your bait
The bait that works here comes off the shore, not out of a box.
Sandeel is raked or netted out of clean sand, and it fishes best the day you get it.
Work clean low-water sand on a spring tide from late spring through summer, when the eels are in close.
How to get and rig fresh sandeel →Kit that keeps collected bait fishable
Amazon.ie affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Bait itself is not sold here — this is handling kit only.
- View on Amazon →
Bait elastic thread
Binds soft collected bait to the hook so it survives the cast.
- View on Amazon →
Vented bait box
Keeps crab and worm alive and separated on the way home and back out.
- View on Amazon →
Insulated cool bag
Collected bait dies in a warm car. Cold and dark buys you a day or two.
- View on Amazon →
Chest waders
Low-water crab and worm ground means wet feet and cold gullies.
- View on Amazon →
Bait scissors
Cuts crab, worm and fish bait cleanly without mangling it.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
Amazon.ie affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See the fishing calendar for month-by-month targets.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we've used or would genuinely buy ourselves.
- View on Amazon →
Float rod, 2.7m
Soft enough to protect a light hooklength on a close-range fish.
- View on Amazon →
Slip float set
Sets bait depth over harbour walls and deep pier corners.
- View on Amazon →
Size 8 fine wire hooks
Small enough for bread flake, maggot and a scrap of worm.
- View on Amazon →
6lb mono hooklength
Light line for clear harbour water and shy fish.
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 john dory on today's plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.