Mark × species · Seasonal

Smoothhound at Greystones South Beach.

Smoothhound is a seasonal target at Greystones South Beach near Greystones. Best window on this ground: May to October. Walk south from Greystones harbour along the seafront path.

Full mark guide Smoothhound species guide

Greystones South Beach, Wicklow shore fishing mark

Mark type: Beach
Skill: Beginner/Intermediate
Catalogue rank: Seasonal

Why fish Smoothhound 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.

Smooth sandy beaches and clean ground where crab populations are strong; follows peeler crab movements along surf tables and gutters.

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, 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), 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.

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.

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

Gear: open beach. Facing E.

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

Baits and lures

Smoothhound baits and lures: Peeler crab; Soft-back crab; Hermit crab; Squid and crab cocktails.

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: 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 Codling, Pollack, Dab, Coalfish, Plaice, Dogfish. 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 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 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.