Species profile
Spurdog fishing in Ireland
Spurdog from Wicklow sand and shingle marks: when they show, which night-tide windows work, and how to stay safe on shallow beaches.
Quick answer
Spurdog from Wicklow sand and shingle marks: when they show, which night-tide windows work, and how to stay safe on shallow beaches.
In season
Typical size
Conservation
See IFI records, shore fish typically modest weight but hard-fighting
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months on the Wicklow shore.
Peak Aug · catchable Jun to Sep
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- This month
Where they live
Sandy and shingle beaches with deeper gutters close inshore. Silver Strand is one of the few accessible east-coast marks that produces spurdog on summer night tides.
What to use
Squid · Mackerel strip · Fish baits on pulley or ledger rigs
How to fish them
Fish night tides on the marks that produce them. Silver Strand fishes best on summer night sessions, while Killoughter wants evening and night predator tactics on the shingle belt. Match your rigs and casting distance to the mark rather than a single generic rule.
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 →
Strong pulley rigs
One big bait, and a rig that lifts the lead clear on the retrieve.
- View on Amazon →
Fluorocarbon trace
Abrasion resistance for a heavy fish fought close in over sand.
- View on Amazon →
Baitholder hooks, 4/0
Barbed shank holds a big crab or fish bait where you put it.
Wicklow marks
Related guides and tools
Marks, tactics, bait, gear, and the daily plan for this species
Read next
Shore Fishing for Beginners: Ireland Start Guide
Start shore fishing in Ireland with one rod, one rig and a safe beach mark. Honest gear, bait and tide advice for your first sessions on the Wicklow coast.
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 spurdog on the daily plan
Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.