Bass at Wicklow Head, Brides Head.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Seasonal

Why fish Bass at Wicklow Head, Brides Head

NE face of Wicklow Head below the golf course. Reliable spinning mark for mackerel and pollack; safer than the lighthouse rocks.

The northeast face of Wicklow Head, accessed on foot from the R750 car park down past the golf course.

The safer of the three Wicklow Head rock marks, solid spinning ground for mackerel and pollack with float fishing for wrasse and coalfish.

Worm and crab over sand patches between the rocks turn up dabs and plaice in July and August.

Short: NE face of Wicklow Head below the golf course.

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

Spinning mark below the golf course, reliable mackerel and pollack, safer than the lighthouse rocks.

Brides Head is the documented safer alternative to the Wicklow Head lighthouse rocks, same headland, fundamentally different risk profile.

The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board guide explicitly identifies this as a spinning mark below the golf course, with float fishing for the wrasse and coalfish.

The non-obvious tactical edge is the SAND PATCHES between the rocks, a worm or crab bait dropped onto these clean patches in July and August produces plaice and dabs that most anglers miss while focused on the rock species.

Season and tide

At Wicklow Head, Brides Head, Bass is worth targeting in April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; dawn/dusk lures). Coast-wide, Bass runs April to November (peaks September to November autumn peak on Wicklow beaches).

Wider mark season: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November, peak Sep to Nov), Mackerel: June to September, Wrasse: May to September, Coalfish: October to February, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; dawn/dusk lures), Plaice & Dab: July to August (worm/crab over sand patches)

Tide guidance here: Flooding tide for bass on across-current lures; dawn or dusk window. Most species accessible HW ± 2 hours.

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. 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.

Spinning (mackerel/pollack); Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish); Lures across the current (bass); Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

Gear: rough rock. Facing NE.

• 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
• Spinning (mackerel/pollack)
• Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish)
• Lures across the current (bass)
• Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

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: Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Ragworm; Crab.

Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Ragworm; Crab

Access and ground

Walk required from the car park on the R750 to reach the rock fishing below the golf course on Brides Head. Rough but manageable terrain, sturdy boots essential.

Parking: R750 car park near Wicklow Head.

Safety: Walk-in from the R750 car park; rough cliff terrain. Less exposed than the lighthouse rocks but still requires care. Tide rip can be significant.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops, short drive north.

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 Pollack, Mackerel, Wrasse, Coalfish. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Head, Brides Head 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 Wicklow Head, Brides Head

• Pollack
• Mackerel
• Wrasse
• Coalfish
• Plaice
• Dab

Next steps

Related article: Sandeel Bait Guide Ireland: Find It, Rig It, Fish It

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