Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Saltwater › Coalfish (Saithe)

Saltwater

Coalfish (Saithe)

Pollachius virens · Saithe, Coley, Pollock (North America)

Water temp
43–55°F
Peak season
May–Sep
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
50 lb 0 oz (22.7 kg)
Coalfish (Saithe) (Pollachius virens 01.jpg)

Photo: Tino Strauss · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Coalfish are streamlined, greenish-black fish with a silvery belly, a straight pale lateral line, a protruding lower jaw and a tiny or absent chin barbel, which separates them from pollack. They range the North Atlantic from the Barents Sea and Norway to Iceland, Britain and the Gulf of Maine, where Americans call them pollock. Coalfish hunt in shoals from the surface to 650 ft (200 m), chasing herring, sandeels and sprats by day, and small fish swarm around harbor walls and kelp edges. Anglers target them for their speed and the deep, line-stripping dives of 20 lb+ (9 kg+) fish over Norwegian reefs and English Channel wrecks.

Typical size2–8 lb (1–3.5 kg); 18–30 in
Trophy20 lb+ (9 kg+); 30 lb+ in northern Norway
Table fareGood — firm but greyer than cod; best fresh, smoked or in fish cakes

Where & when

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Available year-round offshore, with the best boat fishing in Norway and over UK wrecks from May to September when shoals feed high in the water; inshore juveniles swarm in summer and autumn.

Saltstraumen, NorwayWorld's strongest tidal current; record coalfishHitra, NorwayTrøndelag island; big coalfish on reefsEnglish Channel wrecks (Plymouth), United KingdomDeep-water wrecks; coalfish mixed with pollack

How to catch

Shad jigging over structureDrop a 6–10 in soft-plastic shad on a 4–10 oz head to the top of a reef or wreck and retrieve steadily upward through the water column for 40–60 turns. Coalfish follow and hit high up, then dive; keep the drag set so they can run.
Pirk and feather rigsFish a heavy pirk with two or three large feathers or muppets above it, dropping to the bottom and working it up in long lifts. Multiple hook-ups are common when a shoal is under the boat.

Gear

Rod7–8' 20–30 lb class boat rod or heavy spinning
Reel6000–8000 spinning or 20 lb class multiplier
Line30–50 lb braid; 40–50 lb mono leader

Lures

Large soft-plastic shadMetal pirkFeathers or muppets

Baits

Mackerel stripSandeelHerring strip

Regulations

Coalfish are not usually subject to recreational bag limits in the UK or Norway, but a minimum landing size applies in EU and UK waters and Norway caps the weight of fish tourists may export. Check national rules.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 50 lb 0 oz (22.7 kg) — Saltstraumen, Norway, 1995 (Thor-Magnus Lekang). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between coalfish and pollack?

Coalfish have a straight, pale lateral line, a greenish-black back, a nearly even jaw and a whiter belly; pollack have a curved dark lateral line, a bronze-brown back and a strongly protruding lower jaw. Coalfish run in larger shoals higher in the water and fight with longer runs, while pollack hug the bottom and crash-dive.

Bite forecast — Coalfish (Saithe)

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Coalfish (Saithe).

Pin: