Pollack
Fish · Last reviewed 2026-08-10
A fast gadoid that hunts up off reefs and wrecks and takes a lure on the drop — and the sea fish most likely to convert a bait angler to lure fishing.
Safety
Barotrauma and pressure injury — Can cause injury needing treatment
Pollack are taken from 40 metres and deeper. A fish brought up quickly cannot vent its expanding swimbladder, arrives bloated, and cannot swim back down if released — so it floats and dies.
What reduces it: Retrieve more slowly from depth, use a weighted descending device to return fish that are to be released, and treat a run of fish that cannot swim down as a reason to move to shallower ground rather than to continue.
Precautions that always apply here
- Wet your hands before touching a fish. Dry hands strip the protective mucus layer that keeps infection out.
- Check the tide before you go and know your exit route. Being cut off is the commonest way a shore session becomes a rescue.
- Wear a buoyancy aid or lifejacket. Cold water incapacitates strong swimmers within a minute, long before swimming ability matters.
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Pollack are cod-family fish that behave nothing like cod. Where cod work the bottom, pollack hold above structure and rise into the water column to intercept prey, then turn and drive back down hard when hooked — a first run towards the reef that has cost a great many anglers a great deal of tackle.
That vertical hunting is what makes them such a good lure species. A pollack will follow a sinking lure down and take it on the drop, which means the productive presentation is often a slow flutter rather than a retrieve, and the take registers as the line simply stopping.
They are frequently confused with saithe, and the separation is straightforward once known: a pollack has no chin barbel and a dark lateral line that curves sharply over the pectoral fin, with no dark spot at the pectoral base.
Identification
FishingHQ holds no photograph of this species whose identity and licensing it can vouch for, so it is not showing one. Misidentified fish photographs teach identification wrongly, and a picture with an unchecked caption would be worse than none. The identification points below are what to look at instead.
- Scientific name
- Pollachius pollachius
- Family
- Gadidae
- Water
- Saltwater
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
- Regions
- Britain & Ireland, Northern Europe, Western Europe
- NO chin barbel — which separates it immediately from cod, and is shared with saithe.
- A dark lateral line that curves sharply UP and over the pectoral fin, then runs back straight.
- No dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin, which saithe has.
- Projecting lower jaw, giving an undershot profile — cod's upper jaw projects instead.
- Three dorsal fins and two anal fins, the gadoid arrangement.
Size
- Typical
- 40–65 cm and 1–3 kg for most rod-caught fish.
- Large
- Over 80 cm and 6 kg.
Exceptional: FishBase records a maximum of 130 cm and 18.1 kg. Fish of that size are exceptional and associated with deep offshore wrecks rather than inshore reef.
Lifecycle and reproduction
Pollack grow quickly. FishBase records a maximum reported age of only 8 years against a maximum length of 130 cm, which is a fast-growing profile and means a large pollack is not necessarily an old one. They mature at three to four years.
Pollack spawn in late winter and spring in deeper offshore water over the shelf, releasing large numbers of buoyant pelagic eggs into the water column — a broadcast event with no nest, no guarding and no parental care of any kind. Eggs and larvae drift in the upper layers before the young fish settle onto shallow inshore ground, kelp and rough bottom, and work progressively deeper as they grow, which is why small pollack are a shore fish and large ones are a boat fish, and why inshore kelp condition matters to a stock that is fished over wrecks a long way out.
Feeding and senses
Active mid-water predators taking small fish, sandeels and crustaceans, hunting upwards from structure and typically ambushing prey silhouetted above them. FishBase places them at a trophic level of 4.3, higher than cod. The upward-hunting habit is why lures worked above the fish outfish baits fished on the bottom for this species.
Vision dominates, consistent with a fish that hunts upwards against the light. Pollack feed strongly at dawn and dusk and in the low light over deep reef. They are also responsive to vibration, which is why a soft plastic with a working tail outfishes a static one.
Through the year
Inshore reef holds pollack through spring, summer and autumn, with fish moving deeper in winter. Depth range is 40 to 200 m with the fish usually between 40 and 100 m, so shore-caught pollack are the shallow end of a much deeper distribution.
Distribution
North-east Atlantic from Iceland, the Faroes and Norway south to the Bay of Biscay, with records from the southern Baltic. The global IUCN category is Least Concern, assessed in October 2013 — an older assessment worth noting, given that management measures for pollack in some areas have tightened considerably since.
This is a biological range — where the species occurs, not a prediction that you will catch one. To browse the fishing geography FishingHQ holds, start at fishing places.
Why anglers care
A principal lure species from boat and rock mark alike, and the species that most rewards fishing a lure on the drop. Also a common first large fish for a shore lure angler, because inshore reef holds plenty of moderate-sized pollack within casting range.
Handling and returning
No teeth or spines of consequence. The barotrauma problem is real and severe: pollack taken from depth arrive with the swimbladder expanded and frequently cannot return. If fish from deep water are to be released, bring them up slowly or use a descending device; if that is not practicable, fish shallower ground rather than releasing fish that will float.
Going further
- What does pollack eat? — feeding biology, kept separate from what anglers infer from it.
- Pollack vs Saithe — how to tell them apart.
Structure, depth and why shore pollack and boat pollack are different fish
Pollack are a mid-water ambush predator tied to vertical structure, and the single most useful thing to understand about them is that the fish an angler meets from the shore and the fish met over a wreck are the same species at different life stages in different water.
THEY HOLD ABOVE AND BESIDE STRUCTURE RATHER THAN ON IT. Reef, pinnacle, wreck, kelp edge and steep rock all work the same way: the structure interrupts current, prey is carried past it, and pollack sit off the structure facing into the flow and rise to intercept. They are not a bottom-feeding fish in the way cod are, and a bait or lure fished hard on the bottom is frequently below them.
THE UPWARD STRIKE IS THE DEFINING BEHAVIOUR. A pollack takes from below and turns down hard immediately afterwards, driving for the structure it came from. That is why the fight is characteristic, why the first run is the one that costs tackle, and why fishing too close to a reef loses fish that fishing a rod length off it would land.
DEPTH SEPARATES THE FISHERIES. The species occupies roughly forty to two hundred metres, typically forty to one hundred, so shore-caught pollack are the shallow fringe of a much deeper distribution. Juveniles use shallow inshore ground, weed and rock, and move to deeper reef and wreck as they grow. That is the whole explanation for why small pollack are a shore fish and large ones are a boat fish, and it is not a statement about angler skill.
LIGHT MATTERS. Pollack feed most confidently in low light and coloured water and are noticeably harder to deceive in bright clear conditions, which is consistent with an ambush predator relying on prey not seeing it coming.
AND ONE MANAGEMENT NOTE. Measures for pollack in some areas have tightened considerably in recent years, and the older conservation assessment for the species does not reflect that. Check the current position for the area you are fishing.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Depth range, habitat association, distribution, spawning mode and recorded maximum size for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat, life history and seasonal occurrence of the species in north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch and effort — International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That management advice for these species is issued per stock rather than per species, and that stock status differs between areas.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The pollack year, and the depth they move through
Pollack do not disappear in winter; they move down, and the seasonality of the fishery is mostly a statement about how deep the angler can reach.
THE PATTERN. Inshore reef holds pollack through spring, summer and autumn, with fish moving into deeper water in winter. The shore fishery therefore has a season and the deep-water boat fishery has much less of one, because the fish have moved into the depth the boats were already fishing.
SPAWNING PULLS THEM DEEPER STILL. Pollack spawn in late winter and spring in deeper water, so the coldest part of the year combines the seasonal depth movement with a spawning one. Fish are in poorer condition after spawning and improve through the feeding period that follows.
WHICH MAKES LATE SUMMER AND AUTUMN THE PEAK for shore and shallow-reef fishing: the fish are inshore, they are feeding hard, and they are in their best condition of the year.
WITHIN THE SEASON, LIGHT DOMINATES THE DAY. Dawn, dusk and overcast or coloured conditions consistently outfish bright still middays on the same ground. That is widely observed and it fits an ambush predator that hunts upward against the light.
WHAT NOT TO GENERALISE. The months. This pattern is driven by water temperature and by the timing of spawning, both of which shift with latitude across a range running from Iceland to Biscay. The transferable statement is: shallow when the water is warm, deep when it is cold, deeper still around spawning.
AND A NOTE ON PRESSURE. Pollack are strongly associated with specific pieces of structure and do not disperse readily from them, which means a small area can be fished down and does not repopulate quickly. Rotating marks matters more for this species than for a mobile one.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Depth range, habitat association, distribution, spawning mode and recorded maximum size for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat, life history and seasonal occurrence of the species in north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch and effort — International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That management advice for these species is issued per stock rather than per species, and that stock status differs between areas.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
How pollack spawn, and why the juveniles are somewhere else entirely
Pollack reproduction is straightforward in mechanism and consequential in one specific way: it separates the young fish from the adults completely.
THE STRATEGY. Spawning takes place in late winter and spring in deeper water, with pelagic eggs released into the water column. There is no nest and no parental care. Eggs and larvae drift, and the survivors settle into shallow inshore ground.
AND THE NURSERY IS THE SHALLOWS. Juvenile pollack use shallow rock, weed and kelp — the ground shore anglers fish — and move progressively to deeper reef and wreck as they grow. That ontogenetic movement is why the size of pollack an angler catches is largely a function of the depth being fished, and it means the shallow inshore ground is nursery habitat rather than merely small-fish habitat.
WHICH GIVES THE INSHORE FISHERY A DIFFERENT CHARACTER FROM THE OFFSHORE ONE. An angler catching numbers of small pollack from the rocks is fishing a nursery, and returning those fish has a value that returning an adult from a wreck does not exactly duplicate.
MATURITY COMES AT A SIZE, NOT AN AGE, and varies with growth conditions. A fish's contribution to the next generation begins only once it has moved out to the deeper ground, which is a reason to treat the inshore small fish carefully rather than as an inexhaustible nuisance.
WHAT THIS SECTION DOES NOT DO. It does not identify spawning concentrations. Deep-water spawning aggregations of any gadoid are the point at which a stock is most exposed, and describing how to find them is not intelligence this platform provides.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Depth range, habitat association, distribution, spawning mode and recorded maximum size for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat, life history and seasonal occurrence of the species in north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch and effort — International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That management advice for these species is issued per stock rather than per species, and that stock status differs between areas.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
How big pollack get, and where the big ones actually are
Pollack size figures are unusually misleading unless the depth is attached to them, because the size distribution of this species is a depth distribution.
THE ORDINARY FISH is forty to sixty-five centimetres and one to three kilograms. That covers most rod-caught pollack and nearly all shore-caught ones.
A GOOD FISH is over eighty centimetres and around six kilograms. From the shore that is exceptional; from a deep offshore wreck it is a good day rather than a remarkable one, and the difference is the ground rather than the angler.
THE RECORDED MAXIMUM is 130 centimetres and 18.1 kilograms in FishBase. Fish approaching that are associated with deep offshore wrecks and are genuinely rare. Quoting the maximum beside a shore fishery describes two different populations as though they were one.
SO THE USEFUL VERSION OF THE QUESTION IS "how big do pollack get where I am fishing", and the answer is set by depth and structure. A shallow inshore reef holds juveniles and sub-adults; a deep wreck holds the large fish, because that is where they have moved to.
GROWTH IS MODERATE AND THE LARGE FISH ARE OLD, which combined with strong site attachment means a wreck that has produced several big pollack can stop doing so, and will not replace them quickly.
AND THE MANAGEMENT POSITION HAS CHANGED for this species in some areas within the last few years, which is unusual for a fish long treated as unproblematic. Check the current rules rather than relying on a remembered position or an older assessment.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Depth range, habitat association, distribution, spawning mode and recorded maximum size for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat, life history and seasonal occurrence of the species in north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch and effort — International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That management advice for these species is issued per stock rather than per species, and that stock status differs between areas.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Unhooking a pollack, and the injury that happens on the way up
Pollack are not a dangerous fish to hold, and most of the harm done to them happens before anybody touches them.
THE BAROTRAUMA IS THE REAL PROBLEM. Pollack have a closed swim bladder and are frequently taken from forty metres or more. Brought up quickly, the gas expands, and a fish arriving from depth may be visibly distended and unable to submerge. A pollack released at the surface floating will not survive, and a large proportion of deep-caught fish returned casually die.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. Where fish are being released from depth, recompression with a weighted descending device is the intervention with evidence behind it. Where that is not practical, the honest response is to stop fishing that depth for fish you intend to return, or to keep what you catch within the rules and stop when you have enough. A fish that will not go down is not exhausted; it is injured.
THE FISH ITSELF IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. No cutting teeth — small gripping teeth that will graze rather than cut — and no venomous spines. The gill covers are hard-edged. Support the fish horizontally and use pliers.
THE SHORE FISHERY HAS THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM. Shallow-caught fish do not suffer barotrauma, and they are mostly juveniles. Those are fragile in the ordinary way: wet hands, minimal air time, and back into water rather than dropped down a rock face.
AND RETURNING FISH FROM HEIGHT IS ITS OWN INJURY. Rock and pier marks frequently mean a drop of several metres, and a fish that hits the water flat is damaged. A drop net or a lowered return is worth the trouble, and where neither is possible that is a fact about the mark rather than about the fish.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Depth range, habitat association, distribution, spawning mode and recorded maximum size for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat, life history and seasonal occurrence of the species in north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Do we need species-specific guidelines for catch-and-release recreational angling? — Biodiversity and Conservation 14:1195–1209, 2005 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: That capture depth and the resulting pressure injury are a principal determinant of post-release survival, and that recompression improves outcomes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
A fish that rises off the ground to take, and lures designed around that one behaviour
Pollack lure fishing is organised around a single, distinctive behaviour, and once that behaviour is understood the lure choices explain themselves.
A POLLACK LIFTS OFF STRUCTURE TO INTERCEPT AND THEN DIVES BACK. The fish holds close to a reef, wreck or kelp edge, rises into the water column to take something passing above, and returns immediately and powerfully to the ground. That downward run on being hooked is the species' signature and it is the thing every tackle and lure decision has to accommodate.
SO THE LURE MUST BE PRESENTED ABOVE THE GROUND, NOT ON IT. Fishing a lure along the bottom for pollack loses tackle and misses fish; fishing it a few metres up puts it where the fish are looking. That is why the traditional approach is to drop to the bottom, count up, and retrieve slowly upward — a search of the water column above the structure rather than of the structure itself.
A SLOW, STEADY, RISING RETRIEVE IS THE CLASSIC PRESENTATION and it works because it mimics something swimming up and away. Pollack follow and take from below, which is also why takes so often come as the lure is well off the bottom and why a retrieve that stops kills the take.
SOFT PLASTIC SHADS AND JELLYWORMS ON WEIGHTED HEADS DOMINATE for good mechanical reasons: they can be fished at a controlled depth, they have a tail action at slow speed, they are cheap enough to lose on rough ground, and a long slim profile matches the sandeel and small fish pollack eat. Weight is chosen to reach depth in the tide rather than for the fish.
METALS AND JIGS COVER DEEPER WATER AND STRONGER TIDE, and shore fishing over kelp uses lighter versions of the same logic — a lure that swims just above the weed rather than in it.
BAROTRAUMA IS THE REASON DEPTH MATTERS BEYOND THE FISHING. Pollack from deep water suffer swim bladder expansion and frequently cannot return, so a lure choice that works shallower ground is also a choice about whether fish can be released. Where deep-water pollack are being caught and released, the outcome is often poor whatever is done, and that is worth knowing before deciding what to fish.
WHAT MAY BE RETAINED IS A MATTER FOR THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY; pollack retention has been restricted in some areas and the position changes.
Practitioner consensus
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat angling practice, including tackle selection and the reasoning behind it.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: The widely restated sea angling practice for this species, recorded as a consensus position rather than as an original observation.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Wreck, reef and kelp: three grounds and the methods each one permits
Pollack are caught in three quite different situations and the method in each is dictated by what the ground will tolerate.
DRIFTING A WRECK IS THE CLASSIC BOAT METHOD. The boat drifts over the structure and a lure or bait is dropped, allowed to reach depth and retrieved slowly upward, exploiting the fish's habit of rising off the wreck to intercept. The whole technique is a search of the water column above the structure, and the drift is what covers the ground. Getting the drift right — its line, its speed, and how the tide sets it over the wreck — is more consequential than the lure.
REEF AND ROUGH GROUND FROM A BOAT is the same logic in shallower water, and it permits lighter tackle and more frequent contact with the bottom. Here the depth is manageable enough that fish can often be returned, which is not always true of deep wreck fishing.
SHORE FISHING OVER KELP IS THE THIRD AND IT IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. Pollack come into kelp-covered rock ground, particularly at dusk and after dark and particularly in the cooler months, and the method is a lure or a float-fished bait worked just above the weed. The constraint is snagging, so weedless soft plastics and float presentations dominate, and the fishing is done from rock marks that are themselves a safety consideration.
BAIT METHODS WORK AND ARE UNDERUSED. A live or fresh sandeel, a fish strip or a large worm bait fished on a flowing trace above the ground takes pollack well and takes larger ones in some conditions, and the flowing trace exists precisely to keep the bait off the ground and moving.
DEPTH IS THE WELFARE VARIABLE ACROSS ALL THREE. Pollack from deep water suffer barotrauma and frequently cannot be returned successfully, so the choice of ground is also a choice about whether released fish survive. Anybody intending to release should be thinking about depth before method.
AND RETENTION MEASURES FOR POLLACK HAVE CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS IN SOME AREAS. What may be kept, where and when is a matter for the competent authority, and FishingHQ does not state what any current rule is.
Practitioner consensus
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat angling practice, including tackle selection and the reasoning behind it.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: The widely restated sea angling practice for this species, recorded as a consensus position rather than as an original observation.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Tackle for a fish that runs straight down into the thing you are fishing over
Pollack tackle answers one behaviour, and once that behaviour is understood every element of the outfit explains itself.
THE FISH DIVES FOR THE STRUCTURE IT CAME OFF. A pollack rises into the water column to take and then goes straight back down, hard, into reef, kelp or wreck. That first run is the whole fight and it is the only part that matters. If the fish reaches the structure the line is cut.
SO THE DRAG SETTING IS THE CENTRAL DECISION AND IT IS A GENUINE DILEMMA. Locked down, the hook pulls or the line parts against structure. Too loose, the fish reaches the wreck. The setting most experienced anglers use gives line grudgingly under a heavy load and is set before the drop rather than adjusted during the run, because there is no time.
BRAID CHANGED THIS FISHERY AND THE TRADE IS REAL. Low-stretch braid transmits the take at depth, allows a hook to be set through fifty metres of line, and cuts water resistance so less lead is needed. It also removes the shock absorption that a diving fish is applying directly to the hook hold, which is why a length of monofilament or fluorocarbon leader is standard rather than optional — it is doing a mechanical job, not a visibility one.
THE ROD IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN LIFTING AND CUSHIONING, for the same reason. Enough backbone to turn a fish off the bottom, enough tip to absorb a headshake at depth.
WEIGHT IS SET BY TIDE AND LINE DIAMETER, exactly as it is for cod, and getting the lure to the right depth on the drift is most of the technique the record's lure section describes.
AND DEPTH IS THE WELFARE VARIABLE THAT OVERRIDES ALL OF IT. Pollack from deep water suffer barotrauma and frequently cannot be returned successfully. If fish are to be released, the tackle decision that matters most is the choice to fish shallower ground. Retention measures for pollack have changed in some areas in recent years and are a matter for the competent authority.
Practitioner consensus
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat angling practice, including tackle selection and the reasoning behind it.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: The widely restated tackle practice for this species, recorded as a consensus position rather than as an original observation.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
What a pollack does around spawning, and why the fish you catch in March is a different animal
Pollack spawning behaviour is worth separating from pollack spawning, because what the fish DOES around the reproductive period changes where it is and what condition it is in for a substantial part of the year.
THE FISH LEAVES THE GROUND IT IS NORMALLY FISHED ON. Mature pollack move off the inshore reef and kelp they occupy for most of the year and gather in deeper water over the shelf to spawn in late winter and spring. That is a genuine relocation rather than a change of depth on the same mark, and it is why inshore rock and shallow-reef fishing for the larger fish falls away over that period while boat fishing in deeper water can improve.
AGGREGATION IS PART OF IT, and it has the consequence aggregation always has: fish that are normally dispersed over a large area of ground become concentrated and predictable, which makes them easier to locate and easier to deplete locally. Pollack are not a formally protected aggregating species in the way some reef fish are, and the mechanism is the same.
CONDITION FALLS SHARPLY AND STAYS DOWN FOR A WHILE. Spawning is expensive, and post-spawn pollack are thin, poor-conditioned fish that fight less hard and are markedly less good on the table. A pollack of a given length in early spring may weigh considerably less than the same fish in autumn, which is worth knowing before drawing conclusions about a mark from a spring session.
FEEDING BEHAVIOUR CHANGES AROUND IT TOO. Feeding activity reduces through the spawning period and then rises sharply afterwards as fish recover, which is a substantial part of why late spring and early summer produce such reliable inshore fishing as the fish return to the shallower ground.
THE SMALL FISH DO NONE OF THIS. Immature pollack remain inshore on kelp and rough ground throughout, which is why shore fishing for small pollack continues year-round while the larger fish are absent — the two size classes are on completely different schedules.
AND THE PRACTICAL CONCLUSION IS ABOUT RESTRAINT RATHER THAN TIMING. A concentrated, poor-conditioned, reproductively active population is the worst moment to fish hard, and retention measures for pollack have changed in some areas in recent years for reasons connected to stock condition. What applies anywhere is a matter for the competent authority.
Scientific evidence
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Spawning period, depth distribution and seasonal movement of pollack in British and north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Spawning season, depth range, maturity and seasonal distribution for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Where to go next
Similar and related fish
- Lesser sandeelPollack hunting over sandy ground and reef edges take sandeel heavily, which is why they hold in mid water above clean sand rather than on it.
SaitheCongeners in Pollachius, taken over the same ground on the same tactics and confused constantly. The lateral line separates them: straight and pale in saithe, dark and arched over the pectoral in pollack. The lower jaw projects clearly in pollack and barely in saithe.
What these connections rest on (2)
Scientific evidence — 2 connections
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Lesser sandeel
Recorded diet evidence identifies Ammodytes marinus as a food item of this predator at species level. The edge is written at that granularity and no further.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Food items recorded for this predator, including Ammodytes marinus.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Species account describing the diet of this predator in the region where Ammodytes marinus occurs.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Saithe
A congeneric identification comparison naming both binomials, resolving the naming collision that gives both species the name 'pollock' in different English-speaking regions.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That Pollachius virens and Pollachius pollachius are congeners of the North-East Atlantic with overlapping distributions and depth ranges.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: The morphological separation of Pollachius virens from Pollachius pollachius by lateral line form and by the degree of lower-jaw projection.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
How it is caught
- Saltwater fly fishingThe other British shore fly quarry and the opposite problem: deeper water over structure, a counted-down sinking line, and a fish that dives for kelp the moment it is hooked.
- Drift fishingThe standard boat approach over wreck and reef, presenting a lure or bait on a long trace as the boat passes the structure.
- JiggingWorked vertically over wreck and reef, exploiting the upward strike and the fish's habit of holding above the structure it relates to.
- Kayak fishingInshore reef and kelp edges hold pollack within a short paddle of many launches, and a kayak drifts slowly enough over them to fish a lure vertically without power.
- SpinningFrom rock and pier for the shallower inshore fish, which are the juveniles and sub-adults rather than the deep-water adults.
What these connections rest on (5)
Practitioner consensus — 5 connections
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Saltwater fly fishing
A species joined to a method genuinely used for it, on the strength of the biology that makes the method work rather than on the fact that somebody has tried it.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Diet, habitat association, depth range, feeding behaviour and seasonal movement recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
A statement about how a species is fished, which is angling convention rather than biology and is labelled as such.
- Still Water Fly-Fishing — Andre Deutsch, 1952 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Fly-fishing practice from a practitioner tradition: line control, depth management, retrieve and the reading of water.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners: ground, tackle, presentation and seasonal timing.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
What anglers actually use a method or a lure for, recorded as convention.
- Still Water Fly-Fishing — Andre Deutsch, 1952 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Fly-fishing practice from a practitioner tradition: line control, depth management, retrieve and the reading of water.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary UK sea angling practice as reported by practitioners: ground, tackle, presentation and seasonal timing.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Drift fishing
An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Jigging
An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Kayak fishing
Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established sea-angling technique and its application to this species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this species and method.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Spinning
An established way this species is taken recreationally in north-west European waters, recorded because it is true rather than because it satisfies a gate.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Shore and boat practice in north-west European sea angling for the species and method described, presented across multiple independent contributors.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated practice connecting this quarry to this method, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Gear for this fish
- Jigs and jig headsThe jighead is doing the fishing, not the tail. Pollack hold at a depth set by light and tide, and the weight is chosen to reach that band and hold it against the drift — which is why the same shad on the wrong head catches nothing.
- Metal jigsWhere tide runs hard over a wreck a metal jig gets down when a jighead will not, and the erratic flutter on the drop is taken on the fall rather than on the retrieve.
- Soft plasticsA soft shad on a jighead, counted down and retrieved slowly upward, is the defining pollack presentation. It works because a pollack holds hard against reef or wreck and lifts to intercept prey rising above it — so the lure has to leave the structure the fish is sitting in rather than swim past it.
What these connections rest on (3)
Practitioner consensus — 3 connections
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Jigs and jig heads
A practitioner claim about which lure family answers this species' feeding or holding behaviour.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat lure practice for the species in north-west European seas.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated lure selection for this species, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Metal jigs
A practitioner claim about which lure family answers this species' feeding or holding behaviour.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat lure practice for the species in north-west European seas.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated lure selection for this species, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Soft plastics
A practitioner claim about which lure family answers this species' feeding or holding behaviour.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Established shore and boat lure practice for the species in north-west European seas.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- General angling website restatements of established technique — Various (Credible secondary source)Relied on for: Widely restated lure selection for this species, recorded as practitioner consensus rather than as tested fact.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Where it lives
What these connections rest on (1)
Scientific evidence — 1 connection
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Kelp forest
A habitat claim about where the species is found, held to a scientific standard.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat association of Pollachius pollachius with rough and weed-covered ground.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded habitat for Pollachius pollachius.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Where you will find it
- AngleseyThe rock-mark fish of the exposed north and west coasts, over kelp and boulder ground.
- Brittany and the French Atlantic coastOver the kelp edges, reef and boulder ground of the headlands and islands, where deep water lies close in and the tidal stream delivers food past a fish holding in the slack.
- Cardigan Bay and the sarnauOver the weeded crests and flanks of the sarnau and around the hard headlands, which is rough-ground fishing a long way from any rock coast.
- Pembrokeshire and the south-west Wales coastOver the kelp and gully ground where deep water comes close against hard rock, which puts a normally boat-caught fish within reach of a shore ledge on this coast.
- Portland Bill and the Portland RaceHolds on the rock and in the eddies, rising into the flow to intercept and dropping back, and is strongly associated with deep water close to structure.
- Scottish sea lochsAssociated with the kelp margins and steep rock sides of a loch, where deep water lies within a few metres of the shore — which is why a kayak can reach serious depth a short paddle from a slipway here.
- ShetlandHolds the kelp and rock close inshore where deep water comes against the shore, which is what makes Shetland shore fishing unusual in Britain.
- Skye and the Inner HebridesHolds on kelp-covered rock and reef throughout the sea lochs and sounds, and is the mainstay of small-boat and shore fishing in the islands.
10 more
- Strangford Lough and the Ards coast Fishing regions
- The Atlantic coast of Ireland Fishing regions
- The Causeway and Antrim coast Fishing regions
- The Firth of Clyde Fishing regions
- The Isle of Man Fishing regions
- The Isles of Scilly Fishing regions
- The Moray Firth Fishing regions
- The north-east England coast Fishing regions
- The Welsh coast and Anglesey Fishing regions
- The Yorkshire coast Fishing regions
What these connections rest on (18)
Scientific evidence — 18 connections
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Anglesey
A distributional claim about where a species occurs, which is a claim about the world and rests on the reference literature rather than on angling report.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Cefas science, advice and data on marine and freshwater environments — Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: UK marine fisheries science: distribution, survey data and the biological basis of management advice.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Brittany and the French Atlantic coast
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the fishes of north-west Europe, including the continental coasts and seas named.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Cardigan Bay and the sarnau
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts, estuaries and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Pembrokeshire and the south-west Wales coast
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Portland Bill and the Portland Race
A distribution association between an animal and a described water body, which is what the `inhabits` predicate is for — the kind of water rather than a named mark.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, depth and ground preference of fishes in British and north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and depth range recorded for the species.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified
Scottish sea lochs
A claim that a place contains the ground and conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine and estuarine fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Shetland
A distribution association between an animal and a described water body, which is what the `inhabits` predicate is for — the kind of water rather than a named mark.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, depth and ground preference of fishes in British and north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and depth range recorded for the species.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified
Skye and the Inner Hebrides
A distribution association between an animal and a described water body, which is what the `inhabits` predicate is for — the kind of water rather than a named mark.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and ground type of fishes in British and north-west European waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and depth range recorded for the species.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified
Strangford Lough and the Ards coast
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts, estuaries and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Atlantic coast of Ireland
A claim that a place contains the ground and conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine and estuarine fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Causeway and Antrim coast
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts, estuaries and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Firth of Clyde
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Isle of Man
A distributional claim about where a species occurs, which is a claim about the world and rests on the reference literature rather than on angling report.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Cefas science, advice and data on marine and freshwater environments — Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: UK marine fisheries science: distribution, survey data and the biological basis of management advice.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Isles of Scilly
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts, estuaries and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Moray Firth
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts, estuaries and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The north-east England coast
A claim that a place contains the ground and conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine and estuarine fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Welsh coast and Anglesey
A distributional claim about where a species occurs, taken from reference works on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and habitat association and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, depth range and feeding behaviour recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Yorkshire coast
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of the marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including which coasts and ground types a species occupies.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, depth range and habitat association for the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Understanding this fish
- Fly fishing for pollack over rough ground and kelpThe fight is a race for cover rather than a fight for line, and every tackle decision follows from the first three seconds.
- Pollock and pollackWhat a British angler means, and not what an American recipe means.
- Saltwater fly fishing: what changesThe case for a sinking line in the salt. Pollack hold over rough ground and rise to take, so the fly is fished down and brought up rather than across — a vertical problem that a floating-line freshwater technique has no answer for.
What these connections rest on (3)
Practitioner consensus — 2 connections
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Fly fishing for pollack over rough ground and kelp
A mechanism edge between a record and the explanation beneath it. Fly craft rests on established practitioner knowledge rather than on experiment, and the support level says so rather than borrowing an authority it does not have.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Diet, habitat association, depth range, feeding behaviour and seasonal movement recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Saltwater fly fishing: what changes
A fish or a water joined to the fly-fishing mechanism it is a worked example of, written only where the subject's own behaviour or physical character is what the record explains. The direction is the one the predicate table allows and the one the graph already uses 176 times, and it is also the semantically correct one: the mechanism explains the fish, not the reverse.
- Sea Angler — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: British sea angling practice including shore fishing for bass, pollack and mullet, the ground each is found over and the presentation each takes.FishingHQ's interpretation of what it saysCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and feeding biology of coastal and tropical marine species, from regional identification guides prepared for fishery purposes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Life history, feeding biology, habitat requirement and seasonal behaviour of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded environment, depth range, feeding biology and distribution of the species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Scientific evidence — 1 connection
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Pollock and pollack
The spellings do not distinguish the species and the commercial names cross over.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, morphology and nomenclature for Pollachius pollachius, Pollachius virens and Gadus chalcogrammus.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Check the rules before you fish
Fishing laws, bylaws, access rules, seasons, bait restrictions and permitted methods vary by location and can change. Check the current rules from the relevant authority and the water you intend to fish before fishing.
Check with:
- Current national or regional law for where you are fishing
- Current local bylaws
- The relevant fisheries authority
- The landowner, club or fishery whose water it is
- Any restrictions specific to the species or the method you intend to use
Sources for this page
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Family (Gadidae), maxima of 130 cm and 18.1 kg, maximum age 8 years, depth 40–200 m usually 40–100 m, trophic level 4.3, the absent chin barbel and sharply curved lateral line as the separation from P. virens, and Least Concern assessed 16 October 2013. Read in the Sprint 2 review.States this directlyPassage read and verified
How FishingHQ labels evidence is explained in the evidence policy.