They’re big, fight hard and are available right now. What’s not to like about winter pollack fishing?
Discover the thrill of catching big pollack on balanced gear
Pollack are a very sporting fish to target, especially through the late winter when the inshore cod fishing has died a death. Heading offshore to the wrecks and reefs can provide a fun-filled day afloat when conditions allow, and it’s a sure-fire way of beating the winter blues.
The initial dive from an angry pollack is the main reason why so many anglers love to fish for them. Nothing beats the feeling of retrieving a lure, feeling the pollack plucking at its tail, then your rod tip hoops over and line screams from your reel as the hooked pollack dives for the sanctuary of the wreck or reef – it’s electric.
Because the takes and runs from big pollack can be so violent, it’s essential that you tackle up to get the best sport, while still having enough beef to stop the fish before it smashes you up.
Most anglers tend to use a rod in the 12lb to 20lb class, with a suitable multiplier reel loaded with 20lb braid. However, in recent years with the huge advances in lure rod and reel technology, it is much more fun and sporting to fish with a balanced lure rod and fixed-spool reel combination. Something like an 8ft or 9ft lure rod rated between 20-60g is perfect, with a 4000-sized fixed spool reel loaded with 20lb braid to match.
It’s a good idea to use a mono shockleader on the end of your braid because braid isn’t very abrasion resistant, and when fishing over wrecks and reefs, you’re going to encounter a lot of abrasion! Go for 8ft of 20lb or 25lb clear mono or fluorocarbon.
LURE SELECTION
There have been huge developments in lures for catching pollack during the past decade. Now, we’re spoilt for choice. There’s not a lot between them, but some styles do work better than others on any given day. It’s for this reason that you should go armed with a large selection of styles and colours when winter pollack fishing.
To start off with you’re going to need some trusty artificial eels, like the Eddystone or Red Gill patterns. I also do very well using Sidewinder Sandeels, Fiiish Black Minnows and Crazy Sandeels, as well as some more obscure lures such as the Delalande Shadka II and HTO Artic Eel. I particularly like the weighted soft plastics that are rigged weedless when wreck fishing, purely for the fact that they really do help minimise tackle losses when the fish are right tight to the wreck.
As a general rule there are a handful of colours that work extremely well for pollack. If you have a selection of pink, black, orange and red lures in your tackle box, you won’t go far wrong.
Don’t discount small pirks and slow jigs either. Sometimes working a metal lure close to the wreck or reef can be far more effective than retrieving a soft plastic lure.
SIMPLE RIG
Over the years I’ve tried pretty much every single rig imaginable when fishing lures over wrecks and rough ground for pollack. However, they really don’t come much more simple than the one I’ll show you here, and with minimal components it takes a matter of seconds to make again if you get snagged and snap off.
In the past, it was a given that if you went out on a wrecking trip for pollack and cod then you would be using a flying-collar rig with a French boom and a 12ft-long hooklength. These days I just don’t bother with all that ‘finesse’. I find I catch just as many, if not more fish with this simple set-up.
It was Whitby charter skipper Paul Kilpatrick who first showed me this set-up many moons ago, and I’ve never looked back. I would say I use this for 99 percent of my wreck and rough ground lure fishing. With your mainline tied to the top eye of the swivel and your hooklength
tied to the bottom eye, which leaves the ‘link’ connection free to clip on your lead weight. The length of hooklength is entirely up to you, but I find that 3-4ft is ample, and even with it being that short, it doesn’t seem to put off the fish.
You can use this rig with both weighted and unweighted lures, so it’s perfect for modern weighted artificials such as the Savage Gear Sandeel, Fiiish Black Minnow and Sidewinder Sandeel, as well as the more traditional Eddystone Eel, Delta Eel and Red Gills.
The secret to this rig’s effectiveness is simplicity. There’s very little in the way of rig components to tangle, which in turn helps make this rig as tangle-free as they come – provided you drop it down correctly. What I mean by this is that you gently flick the rig away from the boat, just a few feet, so that the lure hits the water behind the lead weight. You can then let it all descend towards the seabed, safe in the knowledge that it isn’t going to tangle on the way down.
THE METHOD
The method for catching pollack is very straightforward. Simply lower your rig and lure down to the seabed, then wind in at a steady pace for, say, 30 turns, and drop the lot back down to the seabed. Keep repeating this process until a fish hits your lure.
The skipper will probably keep you up to speed about where the wreck is in relation to your line, so take note and wind up off the bottom when you hear “We’re coming up to the wreck now”, or you may lose the lot.
Another essential before you start fishing is to set the drag on your reel. The initial run from a decent pollack will tear yards of line from your reel, and if you’re not ready for it you could get smashed up. Set your drag so that you can pull line from the reel under pressure. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the more you practise the easier it gets. If you have the drag too tight, you’re looking at a smash-up, if it’s too loose then the fish will take you back down to the safety of the wreck or reef. As a rule, it’s better to have a slightly tighter drag.
The biggest mistake that anglers make when fishing for pollack is striking. Nine times out of 10 you will feel a pollack nipping at the tail of the lure as you retrieve. It’s at this point you have to keep telling yourself to just carry on winding. Don’t be tempted to strike, even when your rod tip starts to hoop over. Striking will simply pull the lure out of the pollack’s mouth and you will miss it. It’s such a common mistake that most anglers still do it a few times before they get into the swing of things.
When you feel the fish plucking at your lure, keep winding at the same speed. You can speed up a bit if you like, which often provokes the pollack into taking the lure. As you keep winding you will gradually feel the weight on the end of your line get heavier, then all of a sudden your rod tip will hit the surface of the water and line will start to pour from your reel – that’s the real buzz of winter pollack fishing. ■
“The biggest mistake when fishing for pollack is striking”