Mark × species · Seasonal

Whiting at Five Mile Point.

Whiting is a seasonal target at Five Mile Point near Newcastle. Best window on this ground: October to April. One-mile-long access road from the R761.

Full mark guide Whiting species guide

Five Mile Point, Wicklow shore fishing mark

Mark type: Beach
Skill: Intermediate
Catalogue rank: Seasonal

Why fish Whiting 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.

Open sandy and shingle beaches and harbour channels in winter, following whitebait and sandeel shoals inshore.

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, Whiting is worth targeting in October to April. Coast-wide, Whiting runs October to April (peaks February to March and November to December on shingle beaches and pier channels after dark).

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.

Night fishing is most productive from October to February. Tides around high water and for two hours either side are the most reliable period. Cold, clear nights after a settled spell often produce the best bags.

Fishable phases: first-flood, mid-flood, high, first-ebb, mid-ebb. Peak: mid-flood, first-ebb.

Tactics on this mark

Fish multi-hook flappers at distance on calm winter nights around high water, using small hooks and modest baits to build bags quickly.

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

Gear: open beach. Facing E.

Two or three hook flapper or paternoster
Size 1 or 1/0 Aberdeen hooks
Light mono hooklinks, whiting have good eyesight in clear water
No large baits, whiting mouths are small
Pulley rig at distance (hounds)
Two-hook flapper (flatfish)
Worm/spoon attractor (plaice in May)
Light spinning (mackerel)

Baits and lures

Whiting baits and lures: Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Worm and mussel 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: 200 to 500 g from shingle beaches and piers. Specimen class: Fish over 1 kg are good shore whiting.

Silver-white with a dark lateral line and a distinctive dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin. Small mouth, slender body. Often confused with pollack, the dark pectoral spot is the key distinguishing feature. No barbel under the chin (unlike codling).

Tip: Greystones South Beach has hosted European and World Shore Championships partly because of its winter whiting fishing. The key is long casting in calm, clear conditions, whiting stay further out when the sea is flat. After a good blow they come within easy reach. Multiple hook rigs catch multiple fish, three-hook flappers are the match angler standard.

Irish shore context: record class around 2.32 kg (shore).

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 Whiting species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Bag and size limits apply; take only what you’ll eat.

Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Whiting 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.