Bass at Magheramore Beach.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Bass at Magheramore Beach

Surf-shared cove. Honest reality: dogfish-dominated beach. Bass potential off the south rock shelf in calm conditions.

Small surf cove (~1/4 mile across) between Wicklow Head/Silver Strand and Brittas Bay, with a rock shelf and deep-water coves on the south (right) side.

Predominantly a surfing beach (Brittas Bay Surf School operates here), honest catch profile from local SAI reports is 'medium-size dogfish in numbers, not much else'.

The south rock shelf has tactical bass potential on lures in the right conditions but the tide rip makes bait fishing difficult.

Short: Surf-shared cove.

Surf beaches, rocky headlands, harbour walls, estuaries and sandy gutters, most reliably in coloured, wind-driven surf and around tidal rips or white water.

Local note: Rock shelf only

Honest dogfish beach, bass only on the south shelf in calm conditions, do not expect a busy session.

Magheramore is more of a surfing beach than a fishing beach, the honest catch profile from local SAI reports is 'loads of medium-size dogfish and not much else'.

Do not oversell it.

The south rock shelf has tactical potential for bass on lures in the right conditions but the tide rip makes bait fishing difficult, in those conditions, lures are the only practical approach.

Season and tide

At Magheramore Beach, Bass is worth targeting in April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; off rock shelf on lures, conditions-dependent). Coast-wide, Bass runs April to November (peaks September to November autumn peak on Wicklow beaches).

Wider mark season: Dogfish: year round (the dominant species in honest local reports), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; off rock shelf on lures, conditions-dependent), Flounder: October to March, Mackerel: June to September (off rock shelf), Pollack: small fish off rocks

Tide guidance here: Standard surf-beach windows. Tide rip on the south rock shelf is significant, fish around it on lures rather than bait in those conditions.

First two hours of the flooding tide in surf conditions. Dawn and dusk are most productive, bright midday sun switches them off. After a good easterly blow, any stage of tide can produce fish close in.

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

Tactics on this mark

Target the first two hours of flood on surf beaches, casting short into coloured water with crab baits or soft plastics; in calm clear conditions, switch to lures around rock edges and harbour walls at dawn and dusk.

Standard ledger from the beach (dogfish dominant); Lures off the south rock shelf (bass, conditions-dependent)

Gear: general shore. Facing ESE.

• Running ledger, 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon hooklink, size 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook
• Pulley rig in heavy surf
• Soft plastics, paddle tails and shads on 10 to 20g jig heads
• Surface lures at dawn and dusk in calm conditions
• Standard ledger from the beach (dogfish dominant)
• Lures off the south rock shelf (bass, conditions-dependent)

Baits and lures

Bass baits and lures: Peeler crab (spring and autumn); Sandeel; Ragworm; Soft plastic lures; Surface poppers and walkers.

What this mark typically holds: Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (incidental).

Lugworm; Ragworm; Crab (incidental)

Access and ground

Access via the Bellvue Farm gateway off the coast road between Wicklow and Arklow, gravel driveway with big black gates. Documented as one of the worst access roads in the area. Small car park overlooking the cove. Surfers use the same access (Brittas Bay Surf School operates here). Lane is privately owned. Two more small beaches further down the same road per OS Discovery Series Map 62, local-knowledge dependent access.

Parking: Small car park at the end of the lane.

Safety: Very exposed; check forecast carefully. Rock shelf currents. Beach is shared with surfers, surf school activity affects daytime access.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 1 to 3 kg from the shore on Wicklow beaches. Specimen class: Irish specimen weight is 4.5 kg; a bass over that is a fish of the season, not a routine surf capture.

Silver flanks with a blue-grey back and white belly. Two dorsal fins, the first with sharp spines. Mouth large and slightly upturned. Young bass show faint lateral spots. Unmistakable once you've seen one.

Tip: Bass feed into the wind and surf, don't be put off by rough conditions. A short cast (30 to 50m) into coloured water consistently outperforms distance casting into the clean water beyond the surf. In calm clear conditions switch to lures and work the edges of kelp and rock.

Irish shore context: record class around 8.08 kg (17 lb 13 oz), Doughmore Strand, 2000.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Dogfish, Flounder, Dab. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Magheramore Beach updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Bass species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Bye-Law No. 826 of 2007 applies: two bass per angler per 24 hours at 42cm when retention is permitted, catch-and-release only 1 Feb to 31 Mar (Irish Sea / EU ICES 7a), no bass angling 15 May to 15 June. Most serious anglers practice full catch and release.

Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.

Confirm current bag limits and closures on the Bass species guide and /learn/rules before retaining fish.

Other species at Magheramore Beach

• Dogfish
• Flounder
• Dab
• Mackerel
• Pollack
• Thornback ray

Next steps

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