Also known as
- Cod US
- Codfish US
- Scrod US
- Rock Cod US
Identification
North Atlantic's iconic temperate predator — robust, elongated, heavily muscled for endurance pulling rather than burst speed. Sustained dogged runs and structure-bound battles test 10-15kg gear. Both sexes share similar build.
- Greenish-brown to sandy back with pale spots, fading to silvery-white belly
- Three separate back fins and two bottom fins — a distinctive body plan
- Single well-developed chin whisker on lower jaw
- Upper jaw extending noticeably past the lower jaw
Where it holds
- Inshore
- Offshore
- Rocky Shores
- Sandy Shores
Behaviour
An opportunistic cold-water predator that hunts on or just above bottom — vision in clear daylight, scent-and-vibration in turbid water and through the long northern winter. Schools concentrate around wrecks, rough ground, kelp edges, and current-fed drop-offs where prey gets pinned. Feeds hardest in cool 4-8°C (39-46°F) water and through dawn and dusk. Undertakes long pre-spawn migrations between offshore wintering grounds and traditional spawning aggregations.
Diet: Herring, Capelin, Sand Eels, Mackerel, Squid, Shrimp, Crabs
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Bottom Fishing
The traditional and most productive method on both sides of the Atlantic. Fish whole squid, mussel and clam baits, peeler crab, lugworm, or fresh-cut mackerel on a paternoster or running leger over wrecks, rough ground, and gravel-edge structure. Heavy 200-400g leads hold bottom in current; 6/0-8/0 circle hooks improve hookup and conservation. Baits sit hard on the seabed where cod patrol — pick up off the bottom briefly to provoke takes. Productive day or night, dawn and dusk peak.
Jigging
Vertical-jig diamond jigs (180-560g), Norwegian pirks, and large soft plastics over wrecks, reefs, and rough ground. Drop to bottom, work the jig 1-3m off with a slow lift-flutter cadence — cod overwhelmingly strike on the drop. Hammered chrome and white pearl outproduce coloured finishes in clear water. The dominant Norwegian, Icelandic, and Barents Sea method; equally popular for US wreck fishing. 50lb braid with a 60-80lb hard mono leader extracts fish from structure quickly.
Surf Casting
The traditional UK and Irish winter beach approach. Long 4-5m surf rods cast pulley-rigged whole peeler crab, frozen black lugworm cocktails, and squid-and-mackerel wraps 80-150m beyond the breakers into gutters and over rough ground. Settling seas after a north-east blow are the gold-standard conditions — cod push into shallow scoured water close to shore. Heavy 150-200g breakaway leads hold ground in surf.
Drift Fishing
Drift baited rigs and jigs across long stretches of rough ground, gravel banks, and offshore wreck fields to locate scattered fish in unfamiliar water. Sounder up the marks first, then drift downwind across the structure with enough lead to ride the bottom contour. The dominant method on Norwegian and Icelandic charter days when fish are spread across vast banks rather than locked to a single wreck.
