Exclusive to Sportquest Holidays, we bring you a very sheltered and exciting fishing trip to North Norway. Containing a lovely little nest of cabins in the fantastic destination of Sandbakken. Set on the edge of a stunning fjord that offers anglers the chance to do battle with some of Norway’s largest species. These include Coalfish, Halibut and Cod. Fishing at this location is perfect for those that are not as confident about controlling a boat on Norway’s vast open seas. This destination is exceptionally weather-protected, which means when the winds are blowing on the open sea, you will still be able to get out and get some fishing done. There are many little bays, and fish-holding features close by that will provide you with some fantastic fishing in North Norway. This is especially true in April when the destination of Sandbakken gets a terrific run of big Coalfish.
Location
Sandbakken Fishing Resort has an idyllic location on the shores of the Solbergfjorden in Sorreisa beneath 1000m high mountains. Solbergfjorden, which is protected from the open sea by the Island of Senja, which is one of Norway’s largest Islands and gives you a tremendous amount of protection from the open ocean. This North Norway fishing destination is also effortless to get to with the transfer time from the airport being short and on main roads. The fjord is located directly outside the cabins where you will mainly be fishing with depths from 5m – 150m. This part of the fjord gets a huge run of Coalfish around April and can run into May. Once these Coalfish have dispersed the Cod will start to feed and each year there are Cod over 50lb caught. Head over to our YouTube channel to see what the fishing in North Norway is really like.
Fishing
Be prepared when fishing North Norway as this area is well known for its record size Coalfish, huge Cod, Haddock, Halibut and Wolfish. The best time for the main run of Coalfish is April this is when large shoals of hungry Coalfish turn up and these ravenous fish are eager to smash shads and lures. In this month the average size is around 20lb which is far greater than the rest of the year. The cod fishing is good all year round as this is fjord fishing and the Cod you will be targeting are the resident Cod not migratory. When fishing at Sandbakken we would suggest looking for fish-holding features such as pinnacles of around 60 – 90m with deep areas either side, this is normally a good starting area for the Cod.
All of your fishing will be done whilst drifting, the drift at this area when the wind is low is very slow so it is a good destination to go to if you are not used to controlling a boat under drift. The main tactics for the Cod will be using silver chrome pirks around the 300g size. If you want to target the larger Cod then use a 20cm+ shad lowered to the bottom instead of the pirk. Halibut can be caught on both shads and dead baits slowly drifted behind the boat.
Another great reason to visit Sandbakken is the many bays you will find that is a great place to target the resident Plaice and Dabs. These fish are best targeted using baited rigs with smaller hooks, rigs such as flappers and flowing traces are the norm here with worms and prawns being the ideal baits. You can also try and target Halibut if you wish using fish baits on anti-twist leads, these must be fished at a depth above the bottom and fished on the drift, the Halibut will rise off the bottom and readily gobble down these baits resulting in arm wrenching action. We also host multiple fishing trips to Norway, you can view these tours here. If you have any questions about our hosted and non-hosted trips, get in touch.
Boats
The fishing at Sandbakken is conducted from our self-drive boats. All of which are Silver Viking 18 feet, with a 40Hp, four-stroke electric start engines. The boats are very roomy and steady at sea ideal for up to four anglers. The boats are moored right outside the accommodation on our custom-built jetty. As these are all self-drive, you can fish as much or as little as you like, no time limits on these trips, if you want, you can fish until you drop. We have an upgraded boat available at an additional price. You can upgrade your boat to a Kvernø Aluminium 19 feet, 60Hp engine and fitted with a GPS and a fish finder. All boats come with full safety equipment, life jackets and a 24hr mobile telephone number for any difficulties while fishing.
Other Activities
As this destination is fairly remote, other activities are limited. There are some beautiful walks around the surrounding hills and nearby mountains. There are a couple of bicycles to hire at the resort and these can be organised when you arrive. The local town, Finnsnes, is a short 30-minute drive. Here there are many shops, restaurants and bars.
Contact Us
For more information about fishing North Norway, contact our experienced team on 01603 407596. They will be happy to answer any queries you have. Make sure to explore all our Sea Fishing Holidays and all our destinations available in Norway. Remember, you can also request a free brochure.
