Mark × species · Primary target

Pollack at Greystones South Beach.

Pollack is a primary target at Greystones South Beach near Greystones. Best window on this ground: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November). Walk south from Greystones harbour along the seafront path.

Full mark guide Pollack species guide

Greystones South Beach, Wicklow shore fishing mark

Mark type: Beach
Skill: Beginner/Intermediate
Catalogue rank: Primary target

Why fish Pollack at Greystones South Beach

Accessible competition-grade town beach with reliable winter codling and close-in plaice in calm weather.

A popular shingle/sand beach directly south of Greystones town with rock outcrops at the southern end and a council-installed boulder reinforcement at the Ballygannon section.

Hosts SAI/Henry's Tackle competitions, competition-grade venue.

Produces good autumn bass along the wave line, codling and coalfish through winter, and plaice close in during calm warm spells.

The southern end and the named hotspots at Hungry Acre and the Ballygannon stream are the productive ground.

Rocky kelp ground, harbour walls and pier pilings where current runs past structure, often tight to the wall or reef edges.

Falling tide after an easterly colours the shingle belt.

Town beach with real competition history, codling and plaice in winter, bass after colour in the water.

Two named local hotspots that don't show on any map, opposite the outflow pipe at the Hungry Acre, and at the Ballygannon stream where the council placed boulders to slow erosion.

Both work on the same principle: freshwater stir + structural break = flatfish concentration.

The clear-and-calm-day rule is INVERTED from elsewhere on the coast, Sea Angler reports plaice moving as close as 30 yards from shore in warm settled conditions.

Season and tide

At Greystones South Beach, Pollack is worth targeting in year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November). 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), Codling: October to February, Coalfish: October to February, Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November), Plaice: May to September (calm), Dab: October to February, Smoothhound: May to October, Mackerel: June to September, Tope: October to November (recent shore catches reported, low frequency)

Tide guidance here: Falling tide is the documented productive window for the broader shingle belt this beach belongs to. The hour either side of high water remains the bite-cluster window for close-in flatfish. Strong undercurrents, grip leads (4 to 5oz breakaway) are essential at all states.

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.

Running ledger; Two-hook flapper; Worm cocktail with spoon attractor (plaice); Lure fishing (bass)

Gear: open beach. Facing E.

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
Running ledger
Two-hook flapper
Worm cocktail with spoon attractor (plaice)
Lure fishing (bass)

Baits and lures

Pollack baits and lures: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastic shads; Metal jigs; Feathers.

What this mark typically holds: Ragworm; Lugworm (winter); Peeler crab (summer); Sandeel; Mussel (cold months).

Ragworm; Lugworm (winter); Peeler crab (summer); Sandeel; Mussel (cold months)

Access and ground

Walk south from Greystones harbour along the seafront path. The beach begins just past the harbour wall. Two named hotspots: opposite the outflow pipe at the Hungry Acre, and around the stream at Ballygannon (where county council reinforcement creates a structural break). The most productive ground is the southern 300m near the rocky outcrops.

Parking: Best option is the Park and Ride on the outskirts of Greystones, it is free. From there it is a reasonable walk to the beach so pack light and only bring what you need for the session. Avoid overloading yourself with gear.

Safety: Rocky outcrops at the southern end can be slippery at low water. Busy with swimmers and walkers in summer; fish dawn and dusk. Longshore drift can be strong after a south-easterly blow.

Nearest tackle: Greystones town centre has a fishing tackle shop within a short walk of the harbour. Well stocked for sea fishing essentials.

Nearest town: Greystones. 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 Codling, Dab, Coalfish, Plaice, Dogfish, Bass. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Greystones South Beach 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 Greystones South Beach

Full mark guide lists all 15 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.