Haddock| Fish Species Guide | Angling Direct

Haddock

Haddock

aka Melanogrammus aeglefinus

A member of the cod family, haddock have small mouths small barbule on its chin and can be identified for its black ‘thumb print’ mark behind its pectoral fin. At home on sandy and gravelly seafloors, haddock are distributed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly along the coasts of both North America and Europe. This offshore species, boasts 3 dorsal fins, a grey-brown body that blends into a white belly, a black lateral line and black marks above each pectoral fin.

FactHaddock swim in groups and can be described as "sprinters". These can swim very fast when it needs to escape from the predators, meeting speeds of 0.3–0.9 m/s. This speedy swimming can only be achieved for short distances over a small period of time.

Stats

Habitat

Habitat

Steep-sloping, rocky beaches in deep water, over sand and mud.

Bait

Bait

Ragworm, lugworm, mussels, cockles, shrimps, soft-backed crabs & strips of mackerel/ herring.

Fishing Tackle

Fishing Tackle

Native or Invasive

Native or Invasive

Native

Where

Where

Found across Europe, common in cold deep water in the British Isles, Baltic Sea, and Iceland's coasts to Greenland.

Catch Experience Catch Experience

At the time of writing, Haddock (Melanogrammus Aeglefinus) is rated as "Vulnerable", so anglers need to take this into consideration and, ideally, avoid targeting them until numbers recover. Haddocks are constantly on the move for food, and anglers will need to move their boast semi-regular to keep up with shoals of feeding haddock. Haddocks will usually feed at the bottom of sloping beaches and, more commonly, in rocky outcrops. Standard effective baits used vary from ragworms, lugworms to shellfish and mussels. Inshore fishing will require a basic setup using a two boom paternoster rig, which ultimately allows having two baited hooks right on top of the weed bed moving along with the current. The useful trick about this setup is that booms remove the chances of the lines tangling and allow natural movement using the current, making the experience pleasant. For boat fishing, using a boat leger rig tend to be one of the simplest and successful ways. The bait is presented on the weed bed with a setup having space between the hook and swivel to about 1m, allowing the line to move without hitting the weight, which would scare the fish. Once caught on the hook, expect a bit of a pullback, but they are usually easy to reel in. To release them safely, a general basic twist and turn gently work fine. Having a disgorger is always advised and giving them time to rest before releasing them back to reduce stress. However, due to their conservator state, it is essential to release them back with the least possible damage, Which is why considering the setup is essential.

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