The combination of the gulf stream and the Arctic ocean, together with Norway's strict commercial sea fishing policy has resulted in an increase of big coastal cod and halibut populations.
Our Customers frequently report 30 40 50lb cod each season and 60 to 70lb cod are caught occasionally. Haddock can also weigh into double figures, huge halibut exceeding 300lb are also reported in these waters, usually in late summer into early autumn. Big coalfish also arrive inshore from Trondheim to Tromso areas in late summer these can exceed 30lb
In Norway you can catch all year round, March to October is the best time if you like long hours of daylight and warmer weather. Choose late May to mid September if you can cope with cold weather 0 to –8C. March and April can produce some monster cod though not as prolific in numbers. The bigger halibut tend to show in September/October. Specimen coalfish to 30lbs usually show July to September. Take a medium class spinning rod with fixed spool reel loaded with 30lb braid and a selection of lures for sea trout salmon and coalfish.
To get the best out of your sea fishing trip to Norway it is essential to use a boat, self use or skippered. You don’t have to travel far, most marks around 30 to 70 metres deep produce great sea fishing action. We find 300 - 400 gramme pirks and 10 ounce shads ideal for cod and halibut. Green and blue chrome popular colours. Large shads are effective for cod and halibut in colder water conditions. Casting 150 gramme to 200 gramme pirks account for quality coalfish. 50lb braid with a 70lb mono leader to 20lb class rods is the correct tackle here.
Tackle Tips
Do not be tempted to fish with lures and heavy 50lb class outfits. This is unnecessary and you will loose fish, as invariably they are far to stiff to use with non strtch braid and tend to rip hooks out. Always ensure all lures are rigged with very strong split rings and swivels, and if targeting big Cod, Coalfish, Ling or Halibut be sure to upgrade your trebles to 10/0 & 12/0's. Slim line Jigs are becoming increasingly effective when fitted with either trebles or assist hooks. Finally makes sure your knots are 100% reliable, especially leader to braid knots, always ensure that the reel clutch is correctly set, otherwise youwill loose fish.
4 piece travel rods are the best rods to use in , which are not only much more conveniant for travel, they reduce your baggage weight.
Chrome, Silver/Green and Silver/Blue are the most effective colours in northern waters. Shads, pirks and jigs all work well. The Colour is important.
Very strong swivels and split rings are critical, a number of large fish are lost each season to poor gear. Halibut to 400 pound plus have landed on rod and line. Cod have been caught to 126lb commercially. The record on rod and line is over 70lb with many 50lb+ fish coming out every year.
Rods and reels.
- Penn Powerstix Pro 20/30lb - £49.99
Rovex Altus 20 Star Drag. - £59.99
Deal Price £100
- Shimano Exage 20/30lb - £79.99
Shimano TLD15 - £98.99
Deal price - £170.00
- Conoflex Traveller Boat 30lb - £179.99
Shimano Tyrnos 16 - £181.99
Deal Price - £330
- There is also a Daiwa Saltist 2 speed Lever Drag which is absolutely perfect while using braid. Its £279.99
The terminal tackle and bits is pretty straight forward. You will need the following at a minimum –
- Large shads. The Savage Gear cutbaits are the best. I would recommend a minimum of 4 packets per person. The best colours are Herring, Redfish, Puffin and Glow.
- Braid. 50lb to 80lb is generally seen as an average strength. The Power Pro is the best we sell at £29.99. They also do a Power Pro Depth hunter which allows you to find out what depth of water the fish are at and get straight back to them on the next drop. We do have other braids in stock from £16.99 (Spiderwire EZ Braid) that will definitely do the job.
- Swivels. Okuma Norweigan snaps and Gerry’s size 2 power swivels are all you will need.
- Leader/Snoods. I would recommend you use Stren Flurocarbon. Its quite pricey at £9.99 per spool but its bloody good stuff and wont let you down.
- Rigs. We do a selection of high quality rigs specifically made for Norway, (Minimum 4 rigs per person) They all target the fish in different ways. There is an effective live bait rig where you hook a small coal fish first on a grub and there is a bigger hook above it for the Cod that eats your bait fish. The best rig we sell is the Imax Nordic Squid rig. It has a flashing light in the end of the squid. They are deadly.
- Pirks/Jigs. (Minimum 4 Jigs) You will need a selection of Chomat Pirks, Sea bouncers and Williamson Abyss Jigs. All around the 300G weight. The colours don’t make much difference out there its mainly the action they produce. You will also need Strong Split rings.
- Hooks. Trebles make sure they are 10/0 or 12/0. Assist hooks stay with the 8/0 size.
You don’t need to buy mountains of terminal tackle because its rare that you loose anything because you wont fish at the bottom but the above is a good start
Click here for our range of travel rods
Click here for our range of Lever drag reels
Click here for our range of Braid
Click here for our range of Pirks & Jigs
Click here for our range of Shads
Click here for our range of Rigs
Click here for our range of Mono's and Braid's
Click here for our range of terminal tackle
Click here for our range of hooks
Fishing Tips
Big Cod - In spring/early summer big shads produce due to the bigger cod being lazy. As the water warms in the summer the big Cod take the pirks with zest. Drifting over underwater reefs and structures, you can often drift for 30 - 90 minutes at a time find the bait fish and you will find the Cod. You can fish in 30m to 200m deep.
Big Coalfish - Coalfish patrol the mid and upper levels. During the daylight hours of night time in the north they drive the baitfish shoals to the surface. The method is to drop your pirk down into the bait fish and make a fast retrieve, the big coalies smash into the pirk with aggression so a lightly set drag is essential. Use smaller hooks than you would for Cod and pirks generally in the 200g - 250g size. Red/Black and Silver are good colours.
Halibut - They can strike at any time, when winding up small Cod and Coalies or when pirking near the sea bed. If targeting them use a coalie dead bait or a large shad. There are lots of known halibut areas and 200 kilo fish have been landed, with fish exceeding 400 kilos for comercial fisherman. If you hook into something huge that stripes your spool, its usually a monster halibut.
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