Spring up here in Northern Norway can offer all four seasons in one day, but the last two days have been nothing but summer! When all forecasts promised sun, no wind, and 10 degrees Celsius, we took all the boats to an area that recently delivered a good catch of cod. But in the last few days, there has really been a significant arrival of larger cod in the deep slopes!
All the boats went out fairly early on Saturday, and the forecasts turned out to be even better than promised! When we arrived at today’s fishing spot, the sea was like a mirror, and as soon as we stopped the boat, the sonar was full of fish. Every boat crew dropped their pilkers and jigs, and immediately there was a flurry of action on the rods! I could hear laughter and excited guests everywhere as cod after cod bit. During certain periods, we had multiple quadruple bites on the boat, and the average size of the fish was certainly not bad! They were only fish in the 6-12 kilo range, and several fine top fish also came up from several boats. Several cods around 15-16 kilos, and a real beast in Kristian’s boat weighing a whole 21 kilos! This fishing continued as long as we could handle, but after a few intense hours, most were already satisfied, and wanted to focus last on the halibut.
It proved to work well, because just 1 hour into the fishing we had several encounters among the boats and two fine halibuts of 112 cm and 117 cm came up for our Swedish guests. The fishing was conducted in very shallow water, and we saw several fish in shallower waters. But it’s not given that one can lure them all… However, they are there, and there’s nothing more thrilling than luring up a halibut that you can see under the boat!
Several boats chose the next day to go back to the same place, and it was no worse that day either! Boats 1, 2, 4, and 6 followed the same successful recipe as the day before, and it proved to be a good choice. The fishing was just as crazy, and the average just as good. It was clear that the cods were actively chasing baitfish all day, and one had to seek out these schools to succeed. And when one found such a school, it obviously hit the gear immediately as soon as they went down! The Brits in boat 4 also had a crazy day of cod fishing, but also caught a very fine bonus halibut of 140 cm during the cod fishing!
We’ve really had some wonderful days this week, and we hope that the weather can keep up for a while longer. Unfortunately, it looks like the wind will pick up a bit more tomorrow, but we’re crossing our fingers that we can get out on this fantastic fishing again! Follow us on our social media and website for upcoming reports!
Tight Lines // Jørgen, Douglas, Kristian, and Marcus
CONTACT US
If you, like many others, have ever dreamt about fishing the prolific waters of Vesterålen and would like to know more information on how you can join us, you can contact our sea fishing specialist, Paul Stevens, on 01603 407596 or email at paul@sportquestholidays.com.
