Pollack and Coalfish

[northsea]

Just very curious to find out why it is that Pollack grow so much bigger close to shore than Coalfish yet Coalfish can potentially grow huge?

 

Is this because Coalfish tend to move to deeper waters once they get a particular size?

 

Any feedback on this one with be greatly appreciated.

[glennk]

Just very curious to find out why it is that Pollack grow so much bigger close to shore than Coalfish yet Coalfish can potentially grow huge?

 

Is this because Coalfish tend to move to deeper waters once they get a particular size?

 

Any feedback on this one with be greatly appreciated.

 

Thats an interesting subject and you do seem to catch a lot bigger coalies further to sea. This is also the case with quite a few other species.

 

Howevere the UK shore record for coalfish is not so much smaller than the UK boat record which sort of suggests some big ones do come near the shore from time to time.

[northsea]

Thats an interesting subject and you do seem to catch a lot bigger coalies further to sea. This is also the case with quite a few other species.

 

Howevere the UK shore record for coalfish is not so much smaller than the UK boat record which sort of suggests some big ones do come near the shore from time to time.

 

Yes that is an interesting point there.

It's just where I am coleys never grow bigger that say 3 or 4lbs whereas the pollack can be more than double that close in.

 

Thanks for the reply.

[Brian Carragher]

20 mile further North up the coast from Whitby and its just the same, we don't see any big coalies inshore like we used to but we can get some nice pollock up to 8lb ish fairly close in

[glennk]

20 mile further North up the coast from Whitby and its just the same, we don't see any big coalies inshore like we used to but we can get some nice pollock up to 8lb ish fairly close in

 

 

Hi Brian,

 

What size coalies did you use to get from the shore. The biggest I ever managed was around 4 pounds which I thought was a decent fish until I saw the picture of the shore record. The coalies have sort of made a comeback in the last 3 or 4 years. Before that there was a period where they looked like they had been wiped out. I do get a feeling that this is one species where very few of the bigger fish swim within shore casting range.

Edited April 23, 2009 by glennk

[Brian Carragher]

When I shore fished we used to catch coalies up to about 6lb but all I hear about now is little billet (immature coalies for those not from the NE) but have'nt shore fished properly for a good few years now after spending too much time messing about on boats

 

The pollack though have been showing well over the last few years and are coming out of relativley shallow water and some of the best pollock fishing has been at low water behind the rocks just off Redcar ( ideal yakking grounds if anyones interested). Last summer we were catching them sometimes two at a time on light gear, 15lb mainline and brown undies seemed to work for me so I'm waiting for them to show again this year

 

Just as a side issue if you want any updates on fishing on the inside grounds that are yak reachable I'll pass them on when fish show, Saltburn under the cliffs has been fishing well for codling to the yak lads (mike shields) and they've been getting a few so its time to push the pebble off the beach and have a little go with the light line gear again

[Guest challenge]

Had a 350 box haul of coales back in1989 trawling on the fulmar pipeline. We got a mark and took the fish in less than two minutes going through the mark. There wasn’t a fish less than a stone in wait. It was an incredible site (to a commercial fisherman) but what amazed me was that there was no small at all among the shoal we had gone through and caught. It was as if all the fish were of the same size in such a huge shoal.

[glennk]

When I shore fished we used to catch coalies up to about 6lb but all I hear about now is little billet (immature coalies for those not from the NE) but have'nt shore fished properly for a good few years now after spending too much time messing about on boats

 

The pollack though have been showing well over the last few years and are coming out of relativley shallow water and some of the best pollock fishing has been at low water behind the rocks just off Redcar ( ideal yakking grounds if anyones interested). Last summer we were catching them sometimes two at a time on light gear, 15lb mainline and brown undies seemed to work for me so I'm waiting for them to show again this year

 

Just as a side issue if you want any updates on fishing on the inside grounds that are yak reachable I'll pass them on when fish show, Saltburn under the cliffs has been fishing well for codling to the yak lads (mike shields) and they've been getting a few so its time to push the pebble off the beach and have a little go with the light line gear again

 

Hi Brian,

 

The redcar scars do look interesting although my efforts in that area will likely concentrate on the very shallow areas with the prey fish being bass. It looks the perfect environment. Have you managed any from that area at all ?

[big_cod]

Glen i remember tony from rods and reels getting the coalie record on dark island with the late alan boocock i think it was 28lb at the time alan was the first charterboat to pioner those offshore wrecks before any other charterboat had dropped a line on them i went jigging with alan he lived just round the corner from me its absolutly unbeleivable when you think back what the fishing was actually like big coalies were common i can remember getting them going into double figures on the aeroplane ground of whitby in the mid 90ss the biggist i have had from the shore is 4lb how big was the coalie which was caught off filey brig a few years ago was it 20lb or something like that i know it was a very big coalie.

 

paul.

Edited April 25, 2009 by big_cod

[Brian Carragher]

Hi Brian,

 

The redcar scars do look interesting although my efforts in that area will likely concentrate on the very shallow areas with the prey fish being bass. It looks the perfect environment. Have you managed any from that area at all ?

 

Glenn

 

Nearly forgot to reply to this one, will put a reply together and send it by PM probably tomorrow

 

I'm just getting my gear together for a trip out of Whitby tomorrow on Trot On, just been arranged as a last minute thing at about 7 47pm by a mate of mine Chris Vasey

 

If you're about tomorrow have a look down and see if us townies can fish or not