Smoothhound at Five Mile Point.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Smoothhound 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.

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

Local note: Specimen >7lb, spring nights

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, Smoothhound is worth targeting in May to October (specimen-class >7 lb on spring nights with ragworm and peeler). Coast-wide, Smoothhound runs May to October (peaks July to August on evening floods).

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.

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.

Pulley rig at distance (hounds); Two-hook flapper (flatfish); Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May); Light spinning (mackerel)

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
• Pulley rig at distance (hounds)
• Two-hook flapper (flatfish)
• Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May)
• Light spinning (mackerel)

Baits and lures

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

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: 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, 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 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 Five Mile Point

• Bass
• Ray
• Plaice
• Flounder
• Dogfish
• Mackerel
• Coalfish
• Cod

Full mark guide lists all 12 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Related article: Smoothhound Fishing Ireland: Beaches, Rigs and Bait

Live ranked session advice for this mark sits on Today's plan. Rules and bag limits: learn / rules.