Mark × species · Secondary target

Wrasse at Wicklow Head, Brides Head.

Wrasse is a regular secondary target at Wicklow Head, Brides Head near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: May to September. Walk required from the car park on the R750 to reach the rock fishing below the golf course on Brides Head.

Full mark guide Wrasse species guide

Wicklow Head, Brides Head, Wicklow shore fishing mark

Mark type: Rock
Skill: Intermediate
Catalogue rank: Secondary target

Why fish Wrasse 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 ground, kelp forest and reef structure where wrasse hold tight to cover and rarely move far from their home territory.

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, Wrasse is worth targeting in May to September. Coast-wide, Wrasse runs April to November (peaks June to September on rock marks).

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.

Wrasse feed throughout the day from mid-May to October. Neap tides allow safer access to rock marks. Sunny calm days in summer produce consistent sport. Avoid big swell which makes wrasse rock marks extremely dangerous.

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

Tactics on this mark

Fish float or light ledger rigs tight to kelp and rock, setting baits just above the weed and applying immediate side strain when a wrasse dives for cover.

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.

Float fishing, set the depth to just above the kelp canopy
Sink and draw with a ragworm or crab bait through rock gullies
Drop-shotting soft plastics around pier walls
Short-range fishing, wrasse don't venture far from structure
Spinning (mackerel/pollack)
Float fishing (wrasse/coalfish)
Lures across the current (bass)
Worm/crab on running ledger over sand patches (flatfish)

Baits and lures

Wrasse baits and lures: Peeler crab; Ragworm; Harbour ragworm; Prawns; Soft plastic worms.

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: 300 g to 1 kg from shallow kelp-ledges. Specimen class: Ballan wrasse over 2 kg are realistic on deep rock marks.

Ballan Wrasse are the most common shore-caught species, heavily built with thick lips, a humped back and vivid mottled colouring ranging from brick red and orange through to deep green and brown. Males are often far more colourful than females. Corkwing Wrasse are smaller and more slender.

Tip: Wrasse fight ferociously and immediately dive for kelp when hooked, you need to apply hard side pressure immediately to steer them away from cover. Use a relatively strong fluorocarbon hooklink (12 to 15 lb) and a small hook (size 1 or 2) to present the bait naturally. Wicklow Head Long Rock is an outstanding open wrasse mark; fish with a partner and stay clear of swell.

Irish shore context: record class around 4.59 kg (Ballan Wrasse).

Same-mark companions

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

Conservation

Highly recommended catch and release; long-lived and increasingly important as cleaner fish in aquaculture.

Guide conservation label: Highly Recommended C&R.

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

Other species at Wicklow Head, Brides Head

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.