SPECIES PROFILE
Whiting
Winter whiting fishing on Wicklow’s shingle beaches and piers, best months, distances, baits and rigs for busy night sessions.
Eric, Greystones · Reviewed Apr 2026 · IFI-aligned
See if whiting are worth targeting todayIn season
Oct to Feb
Typical size
200 to 500 g from shingle beaches and piers
Conservation
Release advised
Season on the coast
Peak and catchable months from the catalogue season window, parsed for Wicklow shore fishing.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
- Peak
- Catchable
- Off season
- Now
Where they live
Open sandy and shingle beaches and harbour channels in winter, following whitebait and sandeel shoals inshore.
What to use
Ragworm · Lugworm · Sandeel · Mackerel strip · Worm and mussel cocktails
How to fish them
Fish multi-hook flappers at distance on calm winter nights around high water, using small hooks and modest baits to build bags quickly.
Suggested gear
Starter searches matched to tactics above
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Multi-hook rig pack
Three-hook rigs for fast whiting sport on winter nights.
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Small Aberdeen hooks size 2
Small hooks for whiting mouths in winter surf.
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Ragworm + lugworm bait
The classic winter bait combination for whiting.
Wicklow marks
Arklow South Beach & FerrybankBeach
Avoca river-mouth shore complex (Ferrybank + South Beach). Bass, hounds, flatfish; historical specimen sole.
Bray HarbourPier
Dargle-mouth working harbour. LRF-style mixed-species pier; codling, dab, flounder and plaice with summer bass and mullet.
Five Mile PointBeach
Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.
Greystones Harbour & PierPier
Sheltered marina pier, ideal for families and beginners. Good wrasse, pollock, mackerel and an established autumn squid fishery.
Greystones South BeachBeach
Accessible competition-grade town beach with reliable winter codling and close-in plaice in calm weather.
Kilcoole BeachBeach
Flat shingle beach, great for beginners. Reliable flatfish year-round; codling and coalfish through the colder months.
Killoughter BeachBeach
Reputed best Wicklow beach venue. Specimen homelyn, thornback, smoothhound and bullhuss in the catch record.
Wicklow Town PierPier
Deep-water working-harbour pier. Pollack, coalfish, winter whiting; rare connection to autumn shore-tope traffic on big distance baits.
Read next
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Whiting Fishing in Ireland: Autumn & Winter Shore Guide
How to catch whiting from Irish beaches: when they arrive, the best Wicklow marks, baits, rigs and tactics for Ireland's most reliable winter shore species.
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Winter Shore Fishing in Co. Wicklow: What to Target and When
The complete guide to winter fishing on the Wicklow coast: species, marks, tactics and essential gear for fishing through October to February when most anglers stay home.
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Ranked marks, species windows, and gear for the Wicklow shore.