HOW TO TIE THE LINK SWIVEL RIG
THE METHOD
Catching pollack is really quite simple, apart from the losing tackle aspect. Drop your rig and lure down to the seabed, then wind in at a steady pace for say 30 turns, and then drop the lot back down to the seabed and repeat. You’ll need constant guidance from the boat skipper to tell you where the wreck is, so take note and wind up off the bottom when you hear “We’re just coming up to the wreck now”, from inside the wheelhouse!
Be warned though, the initial run from even a single-figure pollack can strip yards of line from your reel, and if you’re not ready for it you could be in trouble. Set your drag so that you can pull line from the reel under pressure. If you have the drag set 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. It’s better to have a slightly tighter drag than a loose one.
One of the biggest mistakes that anglers make is striking. You will often feel a pollack nipping at the tail of the lure as you wind in, and it’s at this point you have to keep telling yourself to just keep 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 realise what’s going on. 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.