Mark × species · Seasonal
Coalfish at Five Mile Point.
Coalfish is a seasonal target at Five Mile Point near Newcastle. Best window on this ground: September to May. One-mile-long access road from the R761.
Quick facts
- Mark type
- Beach
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Catalogue rank
- Seasonal
Why fish Coalfish at Five Mile Point
Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark. May ray/plaice; nursery beach the rest of the year.
A beach with more sand and less shingle than the rest of the Greystones-Wicklow shingle belt, distinct micro-geology that supports a specimen smoothhound run on spring nights (over 7 lb specimen size has been documented here).
May produces homelyn ray and plaice; summer produces mackerel close in.
Honest reality check: outside the specimen-hound spring-night window, this beach acts as a nursery for immature fish (cod, dab, flounder, whiting at ~6 inches) for much of the year.
Short: Specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, the single insight justifying this mark.
Harbour walls, pier mouths and rough ground where baitfish shoals run, especially in colder months when pollack fishing fades.
Spring-night smoothhound venue, the main reason to fish here, nursery beach the rest of the year.
The specimen smoothhound run on spring nights, with fish over the 7 lb specimen size documented and ragworm or peeler crab named as the best baits.
Most anglers fishing the Wicklow shingle in spring chase bass on the surf, but Five Mile Point's softer sand profile produces specimen-class hounds in the dark.
Set expectations honestly outside that window: this is a small-fish nursery beach for much of the year (cod, dab, flounder, whiting all at ~6 inches).
Season and tide
At Five Mile Point, Coalfish is worth targeting in September to May. Coast-wide, Coalfish runs September to May (peaks October to March autumn and winter from piers).
Wider mark season: Smoothhound: May to October (specimen-class >7 lb on spring nights with ragworm and peeler), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Homelyn ray: May (peak), Plaice: May, Mackerel: June to September (close in), Flounder: October to March (nursery), Cod/dab/whiting: nursery class for much of year
Tide guidance here: Falling tide pattern for the shingle belt. Spring-tide nights for the specimen hounds. Worm/spoon for plaice in May.
Moving water around piers and harbour mouths. Night tides in autumn and winter often produce the biggest fish. Coalfish are less structure-dependent than pollack and will chase prey across open ground.
Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.
Tactics on this mark
Fish small metals, feathers or natural baits in the flow around harbour mouths and deep pier edges, letting lures swing through the current in autumn and winter.
Pulley rig at distance (hounds); Two-hook flapper (flatfish); Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May); Light spinning (mackerel)
Gear: open beach. Facing E.
- Same methods as pollack, spinning, jigging, feathers
- More aggressive takes than pollack, heavier gear can be used
- Pulley rig at distance (hounds)
- Two-hook flapper (flatfish)
- Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May)
- Light spinning (mackerel)
Baits and lures
Coalfish baits and lures: Feathers; Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastics; Metal jigs.
What this mark typically holds: Ragworm AND peeler crab (the documented best baits for the spring hound run here); Lugworm; Sandeel (mackerel).
Ragworm AND peeler crab (the documented best baits for the spring hound run here); Lugworm; Sandeel (mackerel)
Access and ground
One-mile-long access road from the R761. Parking limited at the end. Beach access then via the dunes.
Parking: Limited at the end of the access road; arrive early on quality conditions.
Safety: One-mile road from the R761; parking limited. Standard shingle-beach safety.
Nearest tackle: Wicklow town or Greystones tackle shops.
Nearest town: Newcastle. Skill level: Intermediate.
Size and identification
Typical shore size: 300 g to 1.5 kg on harbour and rock marks. Specimen class: Larger coalfish over 2 kg possible in deep water channels.
Very similar to pollack but distinguished by a straight lateral line (not curved), a white lateral line, and a jaw that is roughly equal (not strongly protruding). Dark green-black back, pale flanks. Young coalfish (known as 'billets' or 'cuddies') are common from pier walls.
Tip: Coalfish and pollack are often caught together from the same marks. The autumn run of coalfish through Greystones Harbour can produce excellent sport, small shoals of 500 g to 1 kg fish attack feather rigs in the harbour mouth from September onwards.
Irish shore context: record class around 7.26 kg.
Same-mark companions
Other ranked targets on the same mark include Smoothhound, Bass, Homelyn ray, Plaice, Flounder, Dogfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.
Live ranked advice for Five Mile Point updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Coalfish species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.
Conservation
No major concerns but keep only what you will eat fresh.
Guide conservation label: No Restrictions.
Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Coalfish species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.
Other species at Five Mile Point
Full mark guide lists all 12 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.