Species · Sea · Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Haddock
A deep-water member of the cod family, most often fished over sand, mud and wrecks in 80-200 metres. Haddock shoal heavily in late winter and spring and are very much a boat target - shore-caught fish are rare.
Where and when
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Deep sandy and muddy ground, offshore banks and wrecks |
| Best time | Daytime/Night |
| Category | Coarse |
Baits and tactics
- Tactics: Boat fishing, Leger, Pennel rig
- Baits and flies: Lugworm, Sandeel, Mackerel strip, Squid
Tackle that suits
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Hooks | 1/0-2/0. Strong forged. Pennel rig with two hooks for large baits |
| Mainline | 0.30-0.35mm. 15-20lb. Heavy mono for beach casting |
| Hooklength | 0.28-0.35mm. 12-18". Heavy mono snoods - haddock are not leader shy |
| Shotting | 4-6oz grip leads for beach casting in strong tides. |
| Field notes | Minimum landing size is 30cm; Pennel rigs hold large lugworm and squid cocktails securely; Winter is prime - haddock move inshore in the cold months; Cocktail baits work best - lugworm tipped with a squid strip; Cast to the third breaker for haddock over the sandy bottom; They feed in large shoals - find one and expect repeats |
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