Pollack at Wicklow Head, Brides Head.

Quick facts

Mark type

Rock

Skill

Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Primary target

Why fish Pollack 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.

Rocky kelp ground, harbour walls and pier pilings where current runs past structure, often tight to the wall or reef edges.

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, Pollack is worth targeting in year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November, peak Sep to Nov). Coast-wide, Pollack runs Year round (peaks May to August from piers and rocks).

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.

Moving water is essential, slack water kills pollack fishing. Last two hours of flood and first of ebb around pier and rock marks. Dusk and dawn consistently produce the biggest fish from harbour walls.

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

Tactics on this mark

Work soft plastics or metals through the water column around structure with sink-and-draw retrieves, or float-fish sandeel just above kelp on moving water.

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.

• Spinning and jigging with 10 to 20g heads
• Float fishing close to the wall with a live or dead sandeel
• Feathers for multiple fish in a shoal
• Light lure rod, pollack are an outstanding sport fish on balanced gear
• Spinning (mackerel/pollack)
• Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish)
• Lures across the current (bass)
• Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

Baits and lures

Pollack baits and lures: Sandeel; Mackerel strip; Soft plastic shads; Metal jigs; Feathers.

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: 0.5 to 2 kg on Wicklow rock and pier marks. Specimen class: Pollack over 3 kg are realistic from deep rough ground.

Dark green or brown back, silvery-white flanks. Lower jaw protrudes noticeably beyond the upper jaw, the clearest identification feature. Lateral line curves strongly upward above the pectoral fin. Eyes large and golden.

Tip: Pollack almost always take a moving bait. Work your lure or bait at a medium retrieve and be ready for the take, pollack hit hard and immediately dive for the kelp. Keep pressure on at all times or they'll cut you off. From pier walls, drop a float-rigged sandeel straight down the wall face and let the current work it.

Irish shore context: record class around 9.53 kg.

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include 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 Pollack species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

There is a statutory minimum conservation reference size of 30 cm for pollack in the Irish EEZ (SFPA MCRS list). Since 1 June 2026, the 2026 pollack bye-law (Pollack Fishing Conservation Bye-Law No. 1028 of 2026) limits recreational anglers to three pollack per day, then catch and release. Returning larger breeding fish is strongly advised.

Guide conservation label: Bag Limit Applies.

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

Other species at Wicklow Head, Brides Head

• Mackerel
• Wrasse
• Coalfish
• Bass
• Plaice
• Dab

Next steps

Related article: Wicklow Head Fishing 2026: Pollack, Wrasse and Mackerel

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