Bass at The Murrough.

Quick facts

Mark type

Beach

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Bass at The Murrough

Broad Lough / Murrough wild beach. Flounder-focused wetland shore; bass and occasional sea trout.

A wild, unspoiled stretch of steep-to shingle beach along the Murrough and Broad Lough coastal wetland (ERFB Site 28 Broadlough), south of Wicklow town.

Remote and often unfished.

The steep shingle profile means deeper water is reached with shorter casts.

Flounder and bass are the main shore targets; sea trout and occasional grey mullet appear in season.

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

Remote wild beach. Bass, mullet, grey mullet.

Wild lagoon beach, specialist mullet and sea trout potential, not a casual first-mark choice.

ERFB Site 28 Broadlough is a flounder-first Murrough shore: flatfish stack along the Broad Lough freshwater edge through winter, with bass on the steep-to surf table in season.

Sea trout and occasional mullet appear but this is not the published specimen-mullet channel: that is Kilcoole Breaches (Site 23) under the rail bridge, 12 km north.

The Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt fishes best on a falling tide per regional sources.

Season and tide

At The Murrough, Bass is worth targeting in April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov). Coast-wide, Bass runs April to November (peaks September to November autumn peak on Wicklow beaches).

Wider mark season: Flounder: October to March (primary), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Grey mullet: May to October (occasional), Sea trout: July to October, Dab: October to February, Coalfish: October to February

Tide guidance here: Multi-source consensus for the Greystones-to-Wicklow shingle belt is that these venues fish best on a falling tide (Eastern Regional Fisheries Board, Planet Sea Fishing). Flounder concentrate at the Broad Lough freshwater interface; bass along the surf table at dawn/dusk.

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.

Running ledger; Float-fished bread or flake (mullet, specialist fishery); Surface lures (bass at outlet); Single-handed fly (sea trout)

Gear: general shore. Facing E.

• 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
• Running ledger
• Float-fished bread or flake (mullet, specialist fishery)
• Surface lures (bass at outlet)
• Single-handed fly (sea trout)

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: Ragworm; Peeler crab; Bread/flake (mullet); Sandeels; Worm cocktail tipped with mackerel (summer).

Ragworm; Peeler crab; Bread/flake (mullet); Sandeels; Worm cocktail tipped with mackerel (summer)

Access and ground

Access from Wicklow town beach car park or pull-ins along the Murrough coastal road, then a walk of 1 to 4 km depending on where you start. No road on the beach itself. Productive ground is the Broad Lough / Murrough wetland edge (Site 28 Broadlough), not the Kilcoole Breaches rail-bridge outflow 12 km north (separate spot record).

Parking: Parking at The Murrough is limited and can be uncertain, options include small pull-ins along the coastal road but space is not guaranteed. Check conditions before travelling and be prepared to park further away and walk.

Safety: Very exposed to easterly winds, with patchy mobile coverage and a fast lagoon outlet at peak ebb. Never wade the outlet. Tell someone where you are going and your expected return time.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops. Stock up before making the walk in.

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 Flounder, Sea trout, Grey mullet, Dab, Coalfish, Whiting. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for The Murrough 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 The Murrough

• Flounder
• Sea trout
• Grey mullet
• Dab
• Coalfish
• Whiting
• Rockling
• Mackerel

Full mark guide lists all 11 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

Related article: What's Biting Now: Wicklow Shore, September and October

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