Species profile
Octopus fishing in Ireland
Octopus as an occasional Greystones Harbour by-catch: where they hide, light-gear tactics, and how they fit Wicklow pier sessions.

Quick answer
Octopus as an occasional Greystones Harbour by-catch: where they hide, light-gear tactics, and how they fit Wicklow pier sessions.
In season
Typical size
Conservation
Occasional Greystones Harbour by-catch
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Catchable Jun to Oct
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Harbour walls, rock crevices and kelp edges. Most Wicklow reports are occasional by-catch from Greystones Harbour rather than a planned eging-style hunt.
What to use
Crab · Fish strip · Small jigs worked slowly along the wall
How to fish them
Fish close to structure on light gear. Octopus on this coast are rare enough that any take is worth noting; release carefully if you are not keeping one to eat.
Optional detail
Kit, marks and more
Bait sourcing, starter gear, Wicklow and Dublin marks, related guides. Expand when you need the shopping list or mark directory.
Open kit and marks →
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. Irish Shore Fishing earns from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate, at no extra cost to you.
- View on Amazon →
Egi jig, size 2.5
The standard autumn size for Irish pier squid.
- View on Amazon →
Budget egi sampler
Mixed colours to find what the light and the water want that night.
- View on Amazon →
Light jigging rod, 2.7m
Soft tip to work a jig in short lifts without tearing the hold.
- View on Amazon →
Braided mainline
No stretch, so you feel the weight change when one takes.
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and the daily plan for this species
Read next

Eging for Squid: The Technique Explained for Irish Piers
Eging is simple once someone shows you the rhythm: dart, sink, watch the line. The full technique for Irish piers, from jig choice to detecting the take.

Bass Fishing Wicklow: Best Marks, Baits and Tides
Where to catch bass on the Wicklow coast: the beaches and rock marks that produce, the baits and lures that work, and the tides to fish them on.

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.
Irish Shore Fishing editorial
Written and checked on the Wicklow coast.
Target octopus on the daily plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.


