Conger eel at Wicklow Town Pier.

Quick facts

Mark type

Pier

Skill

Beginner/Intermediate

Catalogue rank

Secondary target

Why fish Conger eel at Wicklow Town Pier

Deep-water working-harbour pier. Pollack, coalfish, winter whiting; rare connection to autumn shore-tope traffic on big distance baits.

A substantial working harbour pier with deep-water access close in.

The outer pier wall drops into a channel that holds pollack, coalfish, whiting and the occasional bass.

Codling move in during winter nights.

Whiting are reliable through the colder months, confirmed across the regional guides.

Rocky ground, pier pilings and harbour walls with crevices and snags where eels lair by day and hunt after dark. Greystones Harbour, Wicklow Town Pier, Jack's Hole and Wicklow Head Long Rock are the Wicklow marks where conger feature.

Deep water working pier. Year-round species.

Deep harbour pier, winter whiting and pollack, occasional autumn tope traffic on big baits at range.

Whiting is a documented winter pier target here.

The wrasse fishing attributed to this pier in some guides is actually on the rocks below the castle ruins on Wicklow Head proper, not the East Pier itself; treat wrasse here as occasional.

The non-obvious tactical edge is the connection to offshore tope traffic: when Wicklow Boat Charters is catching tope close in during October and early winter, distance casts of whole mackerel from the pier head can intercept stragglers, shore-caught tope to over 40 lb has been reported in this stretch.

Season and tide

At Wicklow Town Pier, Conger eel is worth targeting in Year round. Coast-wide, Conger eel runs Year round (peaks June to October on night sessions over rough ground and harbour walls. Wicklow Head fishes best around October when the herring run is on, while Brides Head and Long Rock produce only the occasional conger on whole-fish baits.).

Wider mark season: Pollack: year-round (fishes best from the pier April to November), Coalfish: October to February, Whiting: October to February (night), Codling: October to January (night), Flounder: October to March, Mackerel: June to September, Bass: April to November (peak autumn Sep to Nov), Tope: October to early winter (shore-cast distance baits, low frequency)

Tide guidance here: Last two hours of ebb and first of flood concentrate fish in the channel. Pollack and coalfish present at most states of tide. Mackerel feathering most productive on the morning rising tide in summer. Night sessions on the outer wall in autumn and winter produce codling, whiting and bass.

After dark is essential, conger rarely feed in daylight. First two hours of darkness on a flooding tide consistently produce the best results. Summer and early autumn nights are most productive.

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

Tactics on this mark

Run heavy mono traces and large hooks straight down pier pilings or into cliff-base holes after dark. The first two hours of darkness on a flooding tide are the classic pier window, but Wicklow Head only fishes safely at slack water, so match your plan to the mark rather than a generic flood rule. At Long Rock, conger are under-targeted on a second bottom rod while most anglers spin for mackerel and pollack.

Running ledger; Float rig; Mackerel feathers; Sidewinder/shad jigs; Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Gear: pier wall. Facing E.

• Heavy beachcaster or pier rod, 30 to 50 lb class
• Running ledger or simple paternoster, 50 to 80 lb mono trace
• Large strong hooks, size 6/0 to 10/0 depending on bait size
• Drop straight down beside pier pilings or into known snags
• Running ledger
• Float rig
• Mackerel feathers
• Sidewinder/shad jigs
• Distance pulley with whole mackerel (autumn tope chance)

Baits and lures

Conger eel baits and lures: Whole or flapper mackerel; Herring; Squid; Small whiting or pouting (where legal).

What this mark typically holds: Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits).

Mackerel strip; Ragworm; Lugworm; Sandeel; Whole mackerel (tope baits)

Access and ground

Follow signs for Wicklow harbour from the town centre. Short drive from the main street.

Parking: Free parking on the pier and in the adjacent harbour area. Wicklow town has additional parking nearby.

Safety: Active fishing harbour, vehicle, forklift and trawler movement is the real safety issue, not slips. Stay alert for boat movements especially in the morning. Outer wall can be slippery, wear non-slip footwear. Keep away from boat launching activity.

Nearest tackle: Wicklow town centre has fishing tackle shops within easy walking distance of the pier.

Nearest town: Wicklow. Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate.

Size and identification

Typical shore size: 2 to 5 kg from deep pier walls and cliff-base rock. Specimen class: Double-figure conger are possible from Wicklow piers at night.

Long, thick, muscular eel body with no scales. Continuous dorsal, tail and anal fin running the full length. Grey-brown on top, pale grey-white beneath. Pectoral fins present (unlike common freshwater eels). Large mouth with strong blunt teeth.

Tip: Conger live in specific lairs and rarely travel far. Local knowledge of pier marks is invaluable, experienced anglers know exactly which piling or corner holds a big eel. Once hooked, a large conger will kite into the structure immediately. Apply maximum side pressure straight away to steer it clear. At the surface, support it in the water and remove the hook with a dehooker.

Irish shore context: record class around 47.49 kg (boat).

Same-mark companions

Other ranked targets on the same mark include Pollack, Coalfish, Mackerel, Whiting, Codling, Bass. Open those pair pages or the full mark guide when you want a multi-species session.

Live ranked advice for Wicklow Town Pier updates on the daily plan. Pair this page with the Conger eel species guide for coast-wide season bars and conservation detail.

Conservation

Slow-growing and late-maturing; all conger should be returned quickly and supported in the water during release.

Guide conservation label: Catch & Release Recommended.

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

Other species at Wicklow Town Pier

• Pollack
• Coalfish
• Mackerel
• Whiting
• Cod
• Bass
• Dogfish
• Rockling

Full mark guide lists all 18 catalogue pair pages.

Next steps

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