The cod lives more pelagically and is faster and more willing to fight than ordinary coastal cod. In March and through April, the cod is close to the coast. Fish racks hang tongue of gutted and head-cut cod. This summer, it will travel to Spain, Portugal and Italy where it is enjoyed as bacalao. We wanted to try a slightly different “Lofoten fishing”, and made the trip to Å. Rain in southern Norway and glorious spring weather in the north did not make the joy any less! The journey went via Bodø and Svolvær by plane and rental car to Å. The alternative is 13 hours in your own car from the Oslo area, and then a three-hour ferry ride from Bodø to Moskenes.
Equipment Prepared
Once accommodated in Å Rorbuer, the rods and tackle were prepared for the next day. The fisherman’s cabin facility has a number of excellent boats for the angler, and Thomas, a young enthusiastic angling guide from Germany, was to take us out on the first day. With a breeze from the east, we chose the leeward side of Lofoten, we went out from Ramberg to fish on Lofoten’s northwest side. With a packed lunch and SPF 12, we gave ourselves the adventure in violence. The cod is usually found close to the bottom. However, during the spawning season and during spawning migrations, it is more often pelagic. It seeks out water layers that have the right temperature and salinity and spawns there when the time is right. The fishing had been unusually difficult, and experienced fishermen swore that there had hardly been cod on the “inside”, i.e. in the Vestfjord.
“Standard fish”
We used 3-400 g shiny jigs and assorted rubber crochets or ready-made crochets with feathers and rubber bodies as hangers. The first drop gave a nice coastal cod, then a cod of 3.5 and 6 kg. This is the “standard fish”, although a lot of fish of 10-20 kg and even heavier are also caught. But after a while, we are satisfied, and we move to new hunting grounds.
Haddock should be fished with slightly smaller hooks and natural bait. However, jig is also effective and we landed several specimens. We fished close to bottoms at depths of 80-90 m and also occasionally let the jig hit the bottom a little to attract attention.
Species diversity
Part of the point of the trip at this time of year was to test the species diversity. We asked skipper Thomas to find a peak of approx. 50 m where we could fish our way down towards deeper water, preferably down to 150-200m. The wish was immediately fulfilled and with a chart plotter and echo sounder as aids, we could also predict the direction of operation down from the ground.
Geir jigged carefully and released more line regularly to follow the slope as it got deeper. An effective way to fish for halibut from a drifting boat. A towing tackle with two 14/0 circle hooks baited for demersal fish such as catfish, halibut, ling and tusk was rigged. Now the big ones were to be taken! The haddock fillet was fished close to the bottom. The sinker was occasionally placed on the bottom for 10-20 seconds before it was lifted further in the direction of operation. The circle hooks are fished passively and the “strike” is just a controlled tightening of the line that causes the hook to slide out into the corner of the fish’s mouth.
After a short time, fish snap on both rods… Big, right?
Usable tusks often kick well away for the first few meters, then they calm down, and the rest is mostly a transport leg until they come to the surface. But don’t be fooled if it looks dorky, and watch your fingers when handling the fish on deck. The body is powerful and slippery. The teeth are razor-sharp, albeit small. The tusk twists like an eel and it is easy to get teeth or hooks in the fingers. Do not reach into the helmet arches, these are also sharp. Give it a couple of strong blows to the head.
If you have a “hook-out” or small “high”, it is a good help to take out the hook.
Deeper descent
The next drop went much deeper and resulted in a lusuer. Not exactly a heroic achievement as the fish was miles away from the Norwegian record, only 20 grams heavier than a postage stamp and caught on 30 lbs of equipment! Fierce, on the other hand, can be called “deap sea trolling for saithe”. Norwegians tend to be quite traditional in relation to fishing methods, although both surfcasting and fly fishing have gained ground in recent years. Trolling fishing in the sea, as it takes place for King Salmon in Alaska or for salmon and trout around Bornholm, is largely unplowed ground in Norway.
Good results
Our guide Thomas has developed this fishing for saithe and with good results. Thomas uses 20 to 25 foot high-speed boats rigged with downriggers that take weights up to seven kg.
Large wobblers set down at a depth of 30-60 metres lure the big coalfish to strike. We have often experienced small saithe being taken by cod or large saithe. Unfortunately, you often lose these when the hook has not been free or the big fish only holds the small fish in the middle.
With a large wobbler with good treble hooks and a trolling speed of 1.5-2.5 knots, you avoid the small saithe.
Is the coalfish tempting?? Moskenes municipality based on, for example, Å, Reine, Ramberg or picturesque Nusfjord are good cards.
Moskenesstraumen
On the second day, we got to join the experienced fishing skipper Oddleif Nilsen. Moskenesstraumen was to be experienced! Saltstraumen is undisputedly the world’s strongest ocean current, but Moskenesstraumen is wide, with many reasons. It is known from Jules Verne’s book as the place where the “Nautilus” went down after sailing around the world with Captain Nemo.
We tackled up with jigs and bait tackle to continue our hunt for species diversity and big fish. Such large ocean currents produce and attract large amounts of small fish and the large fish become BIG.
It is not allowed to take rental boats completely out into the current on your own. Even on quiet days, the current can pull up vertical water walls of up to one and a half meters and powerful whirlpools can capsize and suck down small boats… No fish there!! If you must, you rent a larger boat with a local fisherman on board.
Oddleif guided us safely through the strongest current and passed “Hell”, a fitting name? Soon we could try out the halibut spots. Tore was really on the chopping block and the circle hooks were safely set in large tusks and small slings up from the depths. A tusk doublet of 5 and 6 kg is not common on sport fishing equipment in strong currents, and the 30 lbs rod had to work a bit.
Halibut?
Just above the bottom of a steep slope, Geir’s rod jerked sharply. The reel gave line when the fish made some fresh runs. There must be some size of fish that are going to take out line on deep sea fishing equipment and this was one of them! Halibut? The fish calmed down a bit and let themselves be pumped up from the depths. After another couple of outbursts, a huge lyre appeared.
Whooow!! The new pb was moved from 4.5 to 7.5 kg. Such a large lyre is not everyday and this one was in good condition. With the help of the current, it gave a match that will be remembered for a long time.
Lofoten is definitely the area to experience fishing and coastal culture. In winter, you are enchanted by snow-capped mountains that rise vertically out of the sea. The same mountains that smile bright green at you in the summer. Experiencing majestic Lofoten in alternating snow, sun or rain, winter or spring is just as impressive and fascinating as the variety of fishing.
Text: Tore Gismervik, Geir Sivertzen | Photo: Remi M.J. Eilertsen/ Aurora Borealis Multimedia AS
