Search above the seabed, not only along it
Dun Laoghaire’s winter coalfish offer a useful reason to put down the heavy beach rod and explore the water column with a light spinning outfit. The attraction is the method: finding a travelling shoal, discovering its depth and keeping a small lure there. A fish that follows a lure but refuses it can teach you more than another long cast into untested water.
This guide concerns coalfish, Pollachius virens, also called saithe. It uses the West Pier as a documented autumn and winter shore-fishing example, rather than promising fish on a particular evening. The practical weights, depths, tackle sizes and timings below are starting suggestions. Adjust them to the tide, wind, actual water depth and safe access on the day.
Recognise the fish and understand the opportunity
Coalfish have a dark back, silvery underside and a conspicuously pale, relatively straight lateral line. Pollack, Pollachius pollachius, have a more strongly curved lateral line above the pectoral fin and a projecting lower jaw. Do not identify either fish from colour alone: light, water and age change its appearance. Small cod and pouting also occur around the pier, so check the whole fish before deciding what you have caught.
Coalfish occur across the North Atlantic. Young fish spend time inshore, while larger fish can occupy much deeper offshore water. Their feeding changes with size: small crustaceans matter to juveniles, whereas larger fish take substantial amounts of small fish, including sandeels and herring. That supports trying both a small, gently worked soft lure and a faster fish-shaped lure. It does not mean a harbour fish will accept every imitation.
Inland Fisheries Ireland’s east-coast venue guide records small coalfish, whiting, codling and pouting at the end of Dun Laoghaire’s West Pier in autumn and winter. This is established venue guidance, not a current catch report or confirmation that every part of the pier is open. Follow harbour signs and temporary restrictions, and choose a position where you can land and return a fish without climbing down armour stone.
Read three different pieces of water
Start by looking alongside the structure, then at the boundary between relatively quiet water and moving water beyond it. Finally, inspect the open-water casting lane. Each offers a different test. The wall may concentrate small prey; a seam can carry food past fish; open water lets a shoal intercept moving prey without being directly beside the masonry.
Do not assume the deepest cast is best. Fish can be suspended halfway down or much nearer the surface. Work a short cast first, because it is easier to control and reveals how quickly the lure sinks. A long cast made before you know the bottom depth often adds uncertainty rather than coverage.
There is no dependable universal tide stage for this plan. Compare the beginning of movement, stronger flow and the slowing period within whatever safe session you have. Wind across the line can lift a lure or pull it away from the intended lane. If the line describes a large bow, shorten the cast or change angle before increasing weight. A little surface disturbance can reduce glare, but rough water is not a reason to occupy an exposed pier end.
| Water and condition | What you are testing | Starting method | Presentation | Change if it fails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear, sheltered water beside the wall | Small fish or crustacean feeders | Small soft lure on a light jighead | Short cast, controlled fall, slow level retrieve | Reduce lure size and test a higher depth |
| Defined moving-water edge | A travelling shoal using the seam | Compact metal lure | Cast across the seam and retrieve through it | Change angle before adding weight |
| Fish following near the surface | Interested but hesitant coalfish | Smaller soft lure | Steady retrieve with one brief pause | Reduce speed or leader visibility |
| Rough bottom causing repeated snags | Lure travelling below the fishable lane | Float-supported bait | Suspend the hook above the obstruction | Shorten the set depth and move sideways |
A light lure outfit with enough control
A 2.1–2.7 m spinning rod rated approximately 5–25 g and a 2000–3000 size reel make a manageable starting outfit. Use 8–12 lb braid with around 1–1.5 m of 10–15 lb nylon or fluorocarbon leader. Mono main line around 8–10 lb is a workable alternative when you prefer simpler knots and a little stretch. Reel size labels vary between makers; balance matters more than the number.
The leader protects against incidental contact, but it is not permission to drag a fish across sharp stone. Inspect it after a snag or fish. A light rod also needs a sensible landing arrangement; choose lower, accessible water or an appropriate long-handled landing net where permitted rather than lifting a substantial fish on the rod tip.
Begin with a 50–80 mm soft shad or slender worm imitation on a 3–7 g jighead with a hook roughly size 4 to 1, matched to the lure. Thread it straight: enter the nose centrally, bring the hook out on the back and leave the bend clear. A crooked body spins and makes it difficult to judge whether a refusal concerns the lure or its presentation.
Build a repeatable depth search
Make a short cast into a clear lane and close the bail by hand. Follow the fall with the rod tip while keeping just enough line contact to notice a stop or sideways movement. Count the descent. The count is a repeatable reference for this lure and cast, not a measurement in metres: current, line angle and lure shape all alter sink speed.
If a cautious first cast reaches bottom at a count of eight, retrieve subsequent casts after counts of two, four and six before returning to the deepest lane. Start with a slow, continuous retrieve that keeps the tail working. Add a small lift only occasionally, then allow a controlled fall. Long slack pauses increase snagging and can hide a take.
Cast slightly up-current when the flow is carrying the lure away from you; this gives it time to sink before passing the target. Cast more across or down-current when you need it to ride higher. Once you get a bite, repeat the successful angle, countdown and retrieve before experimenting again. One precise repeat is more useful than immediately changing colour.
A take may feel like a tap, a sudden heaviness or the lure stopping early. Reel into contact and make a short, firm sweep with a single-hook jig. Avoid a violent overhead strike on light line. Maintain steady pressure when the fish turns; if it swims towards you, recover slack before lifting again.
When a metal lure earns its place
A compact 7–15 g metal lure is the alternative for reaching a seam in wind or imitating a more active small fish. Choose a single hook sized for the lure where practical. Silver offers flash in clear water, while a darker finish offers a different outline; neither is a proven universal winter winner.
Let the lure sink to the chosen count, then retrieve steadily enough to keep it off the bottom. Try two or three short accelerations rather than continuous violent jigging. If fish follow without taking, slow down, shorten the lure or return to the softer presentation. If it catches bottom on every pause, begin the retrieve sooner.
Keep one variable fixed while changing another. Comparing a small pearl lure fished shallow with a large black metal fished deep does not reveal a colour preference. A meaningful test uses similar size, depth and speed. Record the conditions and treat any apparent advantage as local evidence from that session.
A suspended bait alternative
When fish will investigate food but ignore a moving lure, use a float to hold a small bait above rough ground. As a starting rig, thread a float stop and bead onto the main line, then a sliding float, followed by the weight needed to cock it and a small swivel. Add a 45–75 cm leader of about 8–12 lb and a size 6–2 hook. Match float and weight; the float’s marked capacity is a guide, and the finished rig must be tested in the water.
A narrow strip of legally obtained mackerel or a small piece of marine worm leaves the point exposed and presents less resistance than a bulky bait. Start with the hook a little above the estimated snag line. Increase depth in small increments only if the drift remains clean. Cast softly to avoid tangles, allow the float to settle and follow it with the rod.
Hold back gently for a moment to lift the bait, then allow a natural drift. Repeatedly dragging the float against the current makes the bait climb and can pull it away from fish. On a sustained submergence or sideways draw, recover slack and lift smoothly. Inspect after small taps; a stripped hook cannot tell you much about the quality of the mark.
A worked short winter session
For a hypothetical calm afternoon, take the light rod, a 5 g jighead and a 65 mm soft lure. Begin at a permitted, sheltered West Pier position with room behind you. Observe the current and landing route before casting. Spend the first ten minutes comparing short casts at three countdowns, then fan the same depths across two or three angles.
If one depth produces taps, repeat it with a slightly smaller body and a slower retrieve. If nothing responds, try the 10 g metal through the outer edge of the seam. After another short test, move to a different permitted position rather than spending the entire session changing colours over empty water.
As light falls, revisit the productive depth rather than automatically fishing the bottom. Finish while the route remains comfortable and safe. A notebook entry should include tide movement, wind direction, approximate countdown, lure size and whether contacts were taps, follows or hooked fish. These observations make the next outing more deliberate without pretending that one evening establishes a seasonal rule.
Local rules and a brief handling note
Check Inland Fisheries Ireland’s current sea-angling guidance and the harbour’s posted access rules before fishing. Coalfish tactics can encounter regulated species, including bass; identify incidental catches and apply their rules rather than treating every sea fish alike. This guide does not extend permissions to restricted harbour areas.
Avoid exposed masonry in swell, wear suitable flotation near deep water and keep clear of walkers and working vessels. Wet hands, support a fish’s body, remove the hook promptly and return unwanted fish without dropping them from height. The best winter position is one that permits both controlled fishing and controlled landing.