Mark × species · Seasonal
Dab at Brittas Bay (South End).
Dab is a seasonal target at Brittas Bay (South End) near Brittas Bay. Best window on this ground: October to February. Take the R750 south from Wicklow town, turn east at the Brittas Bay signs.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Seasonal
Why fish Dab at Brittas Bay (South End)
Premier Wicklow bass beach. Specimen bass in storm conditions; smoothhound and rays in summer.
One of the finest beach fishing marks in Leinster.
Brittas Bay offers a long, sandy beach with parallel gully and sandbar systems that hold bass, smoothhound and rays in summer.
The southern end, away from the main car park, is the most productive ground, cleaner sand, fewer crowds.
The beach has produced specimen bass over 10 lb in coloured rough water during easterly gales, the documented persistence-rewarded condition.
Clean sandy ground close inshore, often mixed with flounder on Wicklow surf and shingle beaches.
Premier beach mark. Specimen bass in autumn storms.
Premier Wicklow bass beach, smoothhound on summer crab baits, respect surf and undertow on big days.
Hardback green shore crab is the documented top smoothhound bait, modern UK/Irish consensus (Tronixpro, Talk Sea Fishing) is that peeler is attacked too quickly by lesser species like dogfish and pouting, while hardback lasts and selects properly for hounds.
Bait size discipline is critical: 2.5×1 inch sausage shape, bigger baits get picked up and dropped, which is the most common cause of dropped takes here.
The conditions tourists avoid (easterly gales with driving rain) are the conditions that produce specimen bass over 10 lb.
Season and tide
At Brittas Bay (South End), Dab is worth targeting in October to February. Coast-wide, Dab runs Year round (peaks February to March and November to December autumn through spring on clean sand).
Wider mark season: Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; specimen window during E gales), Smoothhound: May to October (numbers build from late May spring tides), Thornback ray: May to October, Codling: October to February, Whiting: October to February, Flounder: October to March, Dab: October to February
Tide guidance here: Flooding tide is the productive window for hounds and rays through the gullies, particularly two hours before high water until the tide peaks. After a south-easterly blow the bass fishing can be exceptional for 2 to 3 days. Documented summer requirement: ~100m casts; after storm conditions, short casts adequate.
Two hours either side of high water. Any time of day or night.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Fish short with two-hook flappers or simple ledgers, occasionally twitching baits along the sand to draw in inquisitive fish during the flood and around high water.
Pulley rig clipped down with 4/0 hook (smoothhound); Running ledger; Surface lures and weedless soft plastics (bass)
Gear: open beach. Facing ESE.
- Running ledger or two-hook flapper
- Size 2 to 4 hooks, dab have small mouths
- Short hooklinks keep baits on the bottom
- Pulley rig clipped down with 4/0 hook (smoothhound)
- Running ledger
- Surface lures and weedless soft plastics (bass)
Baits and lures
Dab baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Harbour ragworm; Sandeel strip.
What this mark typically holds: Hardback green shore crab (the documented top hound bait, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Peeler crab (when bites are quick); Whole sandeel; Ragworm/squid cocktail (rays); Bait sized 2.5×1 inch sausage shape for hounds.
Hardback green shore crab (the documented top hound bait, outlasts peeler against lesser species); Peeler crab (when bites are quick); Whole sandeel; Ragworm/squid cocktail (rays); Bait sized 2.5×1 inch sausage shape for hounds
Access and ground
Take the R750 south from Wicklow town, turn east at the Brittas Bay signs. Pennycomequick Bridge over the Redcross River is the landmark on the way in. Walk south along the beach from the main car park, the further you walk, the better the fishing.
Parking: Paid parking is available at the beach. Brittas Bay is a popular destination especially in summer so arrive early to secure a space. The car park can fill quickly on fine weekends and bank holidays.
Safety: Strong longshore drift in heavy surf, be aware of your position and do not wade. Deep gullies can fill quickly on a flooding tide; mark your route back. Very busy with bathers in summer, fish the shoulders of the day (dawn and dusk).
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town (approximately 15km north) has the nearest tackle shops. Stock up before heading to Brittas Bay as there are no tackle supplies locally.
Nearest town: Brittas Bay. Skill level: Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 100 to 250 g from East Coast beaches. Specimen class: Fish over 400 g are very good shore dabs.
Small oval flatfish, light sandy-brown upper surface with a distinctive curved lateral line above the pectoral fin (the best identification feature). Rough to the touch on the upper surface. Eyes on the right side. Much smaller than plaice or flounder.
Tip: Dab respond well to a moving bait, occasionally retrieve a foot or two and pause. In match fishing, dab are a reliable points scorer and teams actively target them alongside whiting. On quiet sessions when the bigger species aren't showing, a single ragworm on a size 4 Aberdeen is rarely ignored.
Irish shore context: record class around 0.74 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Bass, Smoothhound, Thornback ray, Codling, Whiting, Dogfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Brittas Bay (South End) updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Dab species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
No current restrictions; keep only what you’ll eat fresh.
Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Dab species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Brittas Bay (South End)
Full mark guide lists all 11 catalogue pair pages.
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.