The Cod is, without doubt, one of the sea fishing favourites. A popular eating fish and sportfish in equal measure. Cod populations are present throughout Europe, but being a cold-water species, they are more common around the northern European waters of the UK, Scandinavia and Nordic regions. The population of Atlantic Cod does extend across the Atlantic to North America, Greenland and Canada.
A shoaling species, moving in large, size-structured aggregations, their diet consists of small fish, molluscs, crustaceans and sea worms. They’re not fussy, and with their colossal bucket mouth, they will consume most things they come across if in a feeding mood. When on a Cod fishing trip from the shore, a big smelly bait of worms, squid, fish, or crab is most effective, but boat fishing for them a large shad or pirk, imitating a baitfish will see the best results.
Even though the Cod aren’t known for their explosive fighting qualities, you’ll certainly know when you’ve hooked one, and the famous ‘Cod Nod’ from a hooked fish is something that all sea anglers can recognise.
The current record for the rod and line caught Cod is a fish of 103lb, landed in Northern Norway. However, there is evidence that commercial trawlers have landed fish much bigger than 100lbs. However, wherever you’re fishing in the world, a boat caught Cod of 30lb is a good one, and so is a 10lb fish from the shore.
Below are the top destinations in the world for Cod fishing trips.
Our fully guided trips to Camp Steinfjord in Norway allows solo anglers the chance to experience the fantastic fishing the country is famous for, wetting a line for specimen sized Cod, Halibut and Coalfish without having to pay a single angler supplement. We have both Skrei Cod weeks and mixed fishing weeks available, depending on what you're looking for.
Welcome to Vesterålen located in the north of Norway surrounded by some of the most stunning landscapes the country has to offer. Known locally as the 'Kingdom of the Whales' it is home to a huge population of different species of Whales, as well as abundant numbers of Cod, Coalfish, Halibut and numerous other saltwater species.
This spectacular sea fishing destination is exclusive to Sportquest Holidays and includes everything you need for an action-packed weeks fishing. Å on the Lofoten Islands is famed for its giant Cod and Halibut fishing, as well as a range of other backup species like Coalfish, Plaice and Wolffish.
Ever fancied going to Norway to do battle with some of the hard fighting fish that this part of the world is known for and struggled to get your friends to join, well now is your chance to come on your own and fish with like minded anglers. The waters around Lofoten Islands are a magnet to the mighty Halibut plus all the usual species.
They say the most remote fishing is the best! Well, they are not wrong. Havoysund is the most northerly part of Norway you can reach and is the go-to place for and sea anglers. The sea around Havoysund is teeming with Norway’s prime species, put this with an outstanding camp and guides and you have the best fishing in Norway.
We are extremely delighted to be able to offer you a guided fishing trip to Å in Norway which is on the stunning Islands of Lofoten. This trip is guided by a Nordic Sea Angling Guide, that will be with you every step of the way helping you to get the most out of your sea fishing holiday.
Camp Steinfjord is a modern, forward-thinking Norwegian Sea fishing camp, with everything designed with anglers in mind. Its exclusive to Sportquest Holidays in the UK and offers travelling anglers some excellent mixed fishing for Skrei Cod in the spring, resident specimens year round, Halibut, Coalfish, Plaice and Wolffish to mention just a few.
If you have been looking for a fish packed holiday set amongst some stunning surroundings then look no further than the Lofoten Islands, dubbed as one of Norway's fishing jewels. The area around the camp is famous for large Halibut and Cod and one only needs to travel a short distance to find some of the best, most productive fishing grounds.
We are extremely pleased to be able to offer you yet another fantastic opportunity to fish this part of the world as a single angler or small group and would like to welcome you to Vesterålen. Located in the north of Norway surrounded by some of the most stunning landscape Norway has to offer. This destination is an excellent area for a mixed species trip.
A great fully guided trip to Havoysund Norway. Truly an outstanding place in Norway with it being the most northerly part of Norway you can get to, you will agree with us that the fishing is World class. It is mainly known for the outstanding Halibut fishing on offer and is ideal for single anglers wanting to experience Norway.
Boat fishing is not for everyone and with that in mind, we have worked hard to bring you something different. This exclusive shore fishing destination will give you the opportunity to catch one of the many sizeable Halibut which frequent these waters well within casting distance, as well as a wide range of other species that Norway is famous for.
Everybody in the sea fishing community has heard of the island of Sørøya in northern Norway, primarily famed for its incredible Skrei Cod fishing, for some of the most significant specimens on the planet, including the current world record. However, through the years, it has developed into a true ‘all-year-round’ destination, allowing anglers to enjoy some incredible mixed fishing.
Exclusive to Sportquest Holidays, this lovely little nest of cabins in Sandbakken, northern Norway are set on the edge of a stunning fjord that offers anglers the chance to do battle with some of Norway’s largest species. Sandbakken is renowned as a fantastic mixed fishery and produces good numbers of Cod, Coalfish and Halibut.
Our luxury, all-inclusive sea fishing holiday to the famous island of Soroya in Northern Norway is designed for those anglers looking for the very best. In conjunction with our partners Big Fish Adventure we're able to offer you some of the best fishing, most advanced boats, knowledgeable guides and luxurious accommodation.
Saltstraumen Brygge in Bodø offers some of the best sea fishing in Norway. From the world-famous Strait with its huge tide and shallow water which attracts many Halibut to feed to its deeper water marks famous for holding huge shoals of Cod and Coalfish. Plaice fishing is also very good due to the sheer amount of shallow bays.
If you are looking for a family fishing holiday then Mefjord is the destination for you. Not only is this an anglers paradise with super-sized specimen Cod, Halibut and Coalfish coming out of the waters at various times of the year but there are also a huge variety of activities on offer to keep the whole family entertained.
Enjoy Skrei Cod fishing on the famous island of Sørøya in Northern Norway, for some of the biggest Cod found anywhere in the world. Big Fish Adventure on Sørøya is exclusive to Sportquest Holidays and offers travelling anglers the chance to experience a Cod fishing holiday of a lifetime, with the chance of battling with a potential world record.
Rognsund, located in Rognsundet in the southwestern part of Seiland, is Norway's eighth most significant island and the second-largest in Finnmark, behind only Sørøya. A beautiful island destination, the sheltered waters are home to abundant numbers of Cod, Halibut, Wolffish, Ling, Redfish, and some of the very best fishing spots get found within a stone's throw of the camp.
Suðureyri is on the west coast of Iceland and perfectly situated for sea fishing, just inside on of the western fjords, this town has everything the travelling angler can look for. Whether you choose to target the huge Cod or the massive Halibut, we are sure that you will find Iceland to be a real treasure.
Ever fancied targeting huge Halibut and Cod in Iceland? Well we are pleased to offer you this fantastic opportunity to do battle with such fish in the comfort of your very own boat. Either choose to be fully guided or DIY, the option is yours. We provide the very best boats that come fully equipped with all the electronics to make your stay perfect.
Mikkelvik Brygge is protected by the large islands of Rebbenesøya and its smaller neighbour Hersoya. As a result, the coastal waters close to the camp are generally calm, whatever the weather and very few fishing days get lost throughout the season. It's famed for its Skrei Cod fishing, as well as its fantastic Halibut and Plaice fishing.
When staying and fishing at Båtsfjord Brygge, you will soon get immersed in the full beauty and experience of Norway’s Finnmark coast. Situated at the end of the sheltered Båtsfjord inlet, the accommodation is just a stone’s throw away from some of the best fishing spots, which have a deep history of producing some giant Cod, Halibut and Coalfish.
Aa-gård fishing camp is situated in Lavangen, in Troms og Finnmark county, in northern Norway. Thanks to the protection from the surrounding mountains and topography, the destination is almost one hundred percent' weatherproof' - whatever the weather, it's possible to fish nearly every day of the year.
We were exceptionally proud to be involved with the Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing Christmas Special to Norway in 2022. Being the first time the programme had ventured outside the UK, it took a tremendous amount of work to produce the itinerary and cater for the thirteen-strong production team, but it was a fantastic couple of weeks away. If you enjoyed the programme, here is more information on Paul and Bob's trip and the itinerary it followed.
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Name: Atlantic Cod
Also known as: Cod, Tommy Cod, Codling
Scientific name: Gladus Morhua
The Cod is an unmistakable fish. The colouration of a Cod is usually green to brown on its back, with a distinct mottling leading down to a white belly. They are renowned for their bucket mouth, the top jaw of which overextends the lower jaw, which comes with the fish’s most distinct feature, a single barbell. The lateral line of this species is very distinct and runs from behind the gill plate to the base of the tail. They can live for up to twenty-five years and reach sexual maturity between two and eight years of age.
They are a shoaling species and move in large, size-structured aggregations. The larger fish often act as scouts and lead the shoal’s direction, particularly during post-spawning migrations inshore for feeding. They are considered an apex predator in most regions and are generally free from predation. However, Juvenile Cod may serve as prey for adult cod, which sometimes practice cannibalism.
To learn more about Cod, visit our YouTube channel.
Cod are a prevalent species, a favourite amongst sea anglers worldwide and one of the most fished-for species. They used to be found in considerable numbers in the Northwest Atlantic, but overfishing dramatically reduced their populations, and now, the most significant numbers of fish are found in the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea.
They are caught around the UK coast from the beaches and boats, with famous areas like the English and Bristol Channel, Chesil Beach and the Humber, a handful of the well-known regions. Often, as you travel further north, up the North Sea, as the water temperatures cool, the Cod numbers increase.
Although Cod are still a viable target in the UK, their numbers have declined, and the stocks are far from what they used to be. This has seen a vast increase in anglers looking further afield for their fishing, especially to camps and lodges in Norway and Iceland. The cold arctic waters of both these countries offer some of the best Cod fishing in the world, both in terms of the numbers of fish and excellent average size. Both also allow anglers to wet a line for fish of record proportions.
Our top five Cod fishing tours:
Soroya Big Fish Adventures Norway
Luxury Guided Skrei Cod Soroya Norway
Sea Fishing Lofoten Islands Norway
Cod Fishing In Iceland
Mefjord Brygge Sea Fishing Norway
You can target and catch Cod using various methods, and the most effective will depend on where you are fishing. In the UK, 99% of all cod fishing is done with bait, whether from the beach or boat. Cod are hungry, greedy fish and a big lugworm, squid or crab bait, mounted on a pennel rig and ledgered hard on the bottom is the most popular, effective tactic. As the inshore coastal waters are often murky, with a heavy tide run,
using a sizeable fresh bait will leak out lots of attraction for the fish to home in on. Live bait, like a small Whiting or Pouting, will work on the right day, but this requires a good population of Cod in the area you’re fishing.
Lure fishing is the preferred tactic when fishing in Europe, especially Norway or Iceland. Their waters are far more accurate for this method, as they tend to be much clearer, allowing the Cod to feed on sight instead of just smell. Silver pirks bounced along the bottom of the seabed or on top of underwater plateaus were traditionally the most popular and effective method; however, over the years, this has changed, with anglers now preferring to use rubber shads. Shads, like the Westin Big Bob and Savage Gear Cutbait Herrings, have been made famous for their effectiveness in catching Cod, especially fish of giant proportions.
If you’d like to read more about fishing for Cod in Norway, read our blogs:
Sea Fishing Tips For Cod Fishing In Northern Norway
A Beginners Guide To Cod Fishing In Norway
Cod vary significantly in size depending on their location. Around the waters of the UK, they average between 1lb and 5lb, but in Norway and Iceland, the average stamp is much bigger, between 5lb and 20lb. In the UK, a 10lb to 20lb Cod would be considered a specimen, whereas fish of 30lb to 50lb would be in Norway and Iceland. Cod well over 100lb have been landed by commercial anglers, while the largest ever caught on rod and line is 103lb, landed by a German angler in Norway.
The largest ever landed by a British angler was caught by Bert Williams on a Sportquest-hosted trip to Soroya and weighed in at 90lb (41kg). The fish made many national newspapers and saw Bert win various prizes. You can read more about it here: Bert Williams’ 90lb Cod Wins Sportquest Holidays Fishing Competition.