Mark × species · Secondary target
Pollack at Clogga Strand.
Pollack is a regular secondary target at Clogga Strand near Arklow. Best window on this ground: small fish off rocks. Car park at the strand; short walk to the beach.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Beginner/Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Secondary target
Why fish Pollack at Clogga Strand
Last Wicklow venue. Two-zone beach, deeper water north for flatfish/hounds; rock platforms south for bass on lures.
The last Wicklow shore venue south of Arklow before the Wexford border.
Shallow sandy beach with low rock platforms at the southern end.
Two-zone beach: deeper water to the LEFT (north), low rock platforms to the RIGHT (south).
The south rock platforms deliver bass to both bait and lures, most anglers commit to one zone and miss the other.
Rocky kelp ground, harbour walls and pier pilings where current runs past structure, often tight to the wall or reef edges.
Last Wicklow strand, deeper north end for flatfish, south rocks for lure bass when swell allows.
The two halves of this beach fish completely differently and most anglers commit to one side.
Left side (north) = bait and distance for flatfish, hounds, dogs.
Right side (south) = lures off the rock platforms for bass.
Season and tide
At Clogga Strand, Pollack is worth targeting in small fish off rocks. Coast-wide, Pollack runs Year round (peaks May to August from piers and rocks).
Wider mark season: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; lures off south rocks), Flounder: year round, Smoothhound: May to October, Dogfish: year round (especially winter), Mackerel: June to September, Pollack: small fish off rocks, Sea trout: occasional
Tide guidance here: Standard surf-beach tide windows. Lure fishing for bass off the south rocks at dawn/dusk in calm clear conditions.
Moving water is essential, slack water kills pollack fishing. Last two hours of flood and first of ebb around pier and rock marks. Dusk and dawn consistently produce the biggest fish from harbour walls.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Work soft plastics or metals through the water column around structure with sink-and-draw retrieves, or float-fish sandeel just above kelp on moving water.
Bait at distance (north zone); Spinners/plugs/surface poppers/soft plastics/leadhead jigs (south rock platforms for bass); Bottom rigs for flatfish
Gear: general shore. Facing SE.
- Spinning and jigging with 10 to 20g heads
- Float fishing close to the wall with a live or dead sandeel
- Feathers for multiple fish in a shoal
- Light lure rod, pollack are an outstanding sport fish on balanced gear
- Bait at distance (north zone)
- Spinners/plugs/surface poppers/soft plastics/leadhead jigs (south rock platforms for bass)
- Bottom rigs for flatfish
Baits and lures
Pollack baits and lures: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastic shads; Metal jigs; Feathers.
What this mark typically holds: Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (hounds); Lures (bass).
Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (hounds); Lures (bass)
Access and ground
Car park at the strand; short walk to the beach. Two distinct fishing zones, deeper water to the LEFT (north), rock platforms to the RIGHT (south).
Parking: Free car park at the strand.
Safety: Standard beach safety. The south rocks have kelp and rock cover, hooked bass dive into it.
Nearest tackle: Arklow town tackle shops.
Nearest town: Arklow. Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 0.5 to 2 kg on Wicklow rock and pier marks. Specimen class: Pollack over 3 kg are realistic from deep rough ground.
Dark green or brown back, silvery-white flanks. Lower jaw protrudes noticeably beyond the upper jaw, the clearest identification feature. Lateral line curves strongly upward above the pectoral fin. Eyes large and golden.
Tip: Pollack almost always take a moving bait. Work your lure or bait at a medium retrieve and be ready for the take, pollack hit hard and immediately dive for the kelp. Keep pressure on at all times or they'll cut you off. From pier walls, drop a float-rigged sandeel straight down the wall face and let the current work it.
Irish shore context: record class around 9.53 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Flounder, Smoothhound, Dogfish, Mackerel, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Clogga Strand updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Pollack species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
There is a statutory minimum conservation reference size of 30 cm for pollack in the Irish EEZ (SFPA MCRS list). Since 1 June 2026, the 2026 pollack bye-law (Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026) limits recreational anglers to three pollack per day, then catch and release. Returning larger breeding fish is strongly advised.
Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Pollack species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Clogga Strand
Next steps
Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.
NEXT STEP
Open the full mark or species guide.
Pair pages assemble mark and species catalogue facts for this ground. Depth sessions live on today's plan.