Pollack Fishing

Pollock are largely daytime sight feeders. Yearlings eat microscopic crustaceans such as copepods. Adults feed on large pelagic crustaceans such as shrimp and small fish such as herring, sand lance, cod, haddock and hake. Juvenile pollock occasionally are seen chasing schools of smelt through estuaries in the fall. Unlike the more bottom dwelling cod, pollock will pursue schools of small fish at any depth, occasionally driving them to the surface of the water where frantic splashing can bee seen as the prey attempt to escape.

Pollock are aggressive, strong fighters that frequently strike at fast moving lures. Anglers pursue pollock from party boats, private boats or shoreline. Inshore fishing lasts from spring to very late fall, depending upon water temperatures, the presence of bait fish and the fortitude of the angler. The larger pollock tend to gather in deeper, more offshore waters, while younger fish ("harbor pollock") frequent areas of the shoreline. In deeper water, pollock are taken with the same tackle and rigs as those used for cod. A medium/heavy 7 to 9 foot "cod rod" and a 4/0 conventional reel spooled with 40 to 50 pound test Dacron line are commonly used by anglers. Lures are especially effective on pollock. A 10 to 20 ounce Norwegian type jig with a dropper/teaser tied about 3 feet above the jig is a particularly popular rigging. Attaching the teaser to a 2 way swivel by a split ring or bead chain helps make the action more effective and does not weaken the line as a dropper can. When fishing with this rig, allow it to settle to the bottom; then alternately retrieve a small amount of line, jig the lure, and allow it to flutter downward before repeating the sequence. Pollock most frequently strike during the flutter downward. While most pollock are caught on jigs and teasers, they are also taken with bait, such as clams with entrails hanging off the hook or 1 by 3 inch strips of fish.

In inshore areas, pollock are particularly active around breakwaters and other structures during moving tide. Early morning and evening produce the best results, but pollock can be caught throughout the day. Smaller inshore pollock are often pursued with lighter spinning outfits spooled with 12 to 15 pound test monofilament line. One quarter to 2 ounce lures such as streamers, lead heads, mackerel jigs, Kastmasters and small plugs that resemble sand eels all catch fish. A small strip of squid or other bait added to a metal lure can increase the angler's success.