Mark × species · Primary target
Smoothhound at Clogga Strand.
Smoothhound is a primary target at Clogga Strand near Arklow. Best window on this ground: May to October. Car park at the strand; short walk to the beach.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Beginner/Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Primary target
Why fish Smoothhound 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.
Smooth sandy beaches and clean ground where crab populations are strong; follows peeler crab movements along surf tables and gutters.
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, Smoothhound is worth targeting in May to October. Coast-wide, Smoothhound runs May to October (peaks July to August on evening floods).
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.
Evening flood tide from May through October is the classic setup, with June to August the peak. Smoothhound are most active from late afternoon through the first half of the night. Spring tides produce better fish than neaps.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Fish peeler crab on strong pulley or running ledger rigs from evening flood into dark, using long fluorocarbon hooklengths to let baits sit naturally in the surf.
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.
- Running ledger, 30 to 50 lb mono or fluorocarbon hooklink
- Size 4/0 to 6/0 strong hook, smoothhound fight hard
- Long hooklink (18 to 24 inches) to let the bait sit naturally
- No wire trace needed, smoothhound have no cutting teeth
- 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
Smoothhound baits and lures: Peeler crab; Soft-back crab; Hermit crab; Squid and crab cocktails.
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: 1 to 3 kg on Wicklow surf beaches. Specimen class: Irish specimen weight is 3 kg; the Irish record is 7.5 kg, so a shore fish over 3 kg is a genuine specimen.
Grey-brown back, paler underside. Slender, streamlined shark with two dorsal fins. No sharp teeth, smoothhound have crushing plates for eating crabs and shellfish. The Starry Smoothhound has white spots; the Common Smoothhound does not, both are caught in Wicklow.
Tip: The quality of your crab bait is everything. Fresh peeler produces dramatically more bites than frozen. Present the whole crab or a large half crab on the hook and secure with elastic thread. Fish don't need to be fed, smoothhound will travel to find good bait.
Irish shore context: record class around 12.02 kg, Wicklow, 2020.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Flounder, Dogfish, Mackerel, Pollack, 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 Smoothhound species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
Catch & Release strongly recommended for this hard-fighting shark species.
Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Smoothhound 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.