Mark × species · Primary target

Pollack at Wicklow Head, Long Rock.

Pollack is a primary target at Wicklow Head, Long Rock near Wicklow. Best window on this ground: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November). Access from the southern side of Wicklow Head.

Full mark guide Pollack species guide

Wicklow Head, Long Rock, Wicklow shore fishing mark

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

Why fish Pollack at Wicklow Head, Long Rock

Southern Wicklow Head rock mark. Spinning for mackerel/pollack; bass on across-current lures at dawn/dusk.

The southern rock mark on Wicklow Head, named locally as 'Long Rock'.

Spinning produces mackerel and pollack; lures cast across the current take bass with dawn or dusk being the documented prime window.

Fish baits will produce occasional conger.

Short: Southern Wicklow Head rock mark.

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

Southern Head rock, lure fishing for mackerel and pollack, bass on across-current lures at dawn.

Long Rock is the southern counterpart to Brides Head and is the documented bass-on-lures mark of the three Wicklow Head sub-marks.

Lures cast across the current at dawn or dusk is the explicit Eastern Regional Fisheries Board prescription, not a generalisation, a specific tactical instruction.

Pollack and mackerel come on standard spinning gear; the bass need across-current presentation to work the tidal flow.

Season and tide

At Wicklow Head, Long Rock, Pollack is worth targeting in year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November). Coast-wide, Pollack runs Year round (peaks May to August from piers and rocks).

Wider mark season: Mackerel: June to September, Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the rocks April to November), Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov; dawn/dusk lures), Wrasse: May to September, Coalfish: October to February

Tide guidance here: Across-current lure work for bass on the flooding tide at dawn or dusk is the documented prime window for the biggest fish.

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; Lures cast across the current (bass); Float fishing; Fish-bait ledger (occasional conger)

Gear: rough rock. Facing SE.

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
Lures cast across the current (bass)
Float fishing
Fish-bait ledger (occasional conger)

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; Whole fish baits (conger).

Mackerel strip; Sandeel; Ragworm; Whole fish baits (conger)

Access and ground

Access from the southern side of Wicklow Head. Walk required. Rough terrain.

Parking: R750 car park area.

Safety: Currents remain strong on this southern Wicklow Head rock mark. Do not fish it alone in any swell; keep to settled seas and leave a wide margin around the waterline.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town tackle shops.

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

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Head, Long Rock 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, Long Rock

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.