Pollack off Sussex | UK Boat Record, Size & Season

Pollack (Pollachius pollachius). Dark brown-gold back, lower jaw sticking out past the upper, no chin barbel and a lateral line that curves sharply over the pectoral fin. — Pollack (*Pollachius pollachius*). Picture: Tino Strauss, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Picture credits

In short

Pollack has a dark brown-gold back and a lower jaw that sticks out past the upper. Pollack are caught most of the year over Sussex wrecks and reefs, with mid January to May the good-numbers window. British boat record: confirmed.

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About the pollack

Pollack has a dark brown-gold back and a lower jaw that sticks out past the upper. There is no chin barbel, and the lateral line curves sharply over the pectoral fin. Those clues help tell it from a cod.

It can reach 130 to 140cm. Shore fish average about 2kg, and a good boat fish is around 5kg. Pollack live on rocky ground, reefs and wrecks, often hanging above the structure, from the surface down past 100m.

Off Sussex, pollack arrive from mid January and are caught in good numbers through to May, then through the season. They are caught most of the year over Sussex wrecks and reefs, and winter fishing over wrecks is a main target.

On a boat trip, that means drifting wrecks with artificial lures, light tackle with lures, flappers and jigs, or live baits. Because pollack often hang above the structure, they are not always hard on the bottom. The British boat record is 29lb 4oz, taken off Dungeness in Kent in 1987.

On the boat

Pollack are caught by drifting wrecks with artificial lures, or with light tackle using lures, flappers and jigs. Live baits work too. Off Sussex they arrive from mid January and are caught in good numbers to May, then through the season. Winter fishing over wrecks is a main target. The Brighton wreck charter page gives mid January to May as the good-numbers window.

British boat-caught record

Confirmed record

Weight: 29 lb 4 oz (13.267 kg)
Where: Dungeness, Kent
When: 1987
Angler: W S Mayes

Confirmed British boat-caught record: W S Mayes, 29 lb 4 oz (13.267 kg), Dungeness, Kent, 1987. The list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024. This record is on the official British Record Fish Committee list, so it is a confirmed record, not a claim.

How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.

Care and rules

The minimum size for pollack in UK waters is 30 cm. The record gives no other protection or eating notes for this species. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.

Did you know?

The British boat record pollack, 29 lb 4 oz, came from Dungeness in Kent in 1987. Planet Sea Fishing says a good boat fish is around 5 kg.

Questions about the pollack

What is the British boat-caught record for pollack?

Confirmed British boat-caught record: W S Mayes, 29 lb 4 oz (13.267 kg), Dungeness, Kent, 1987. The list gives the year only, not the full date. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024. This record is on the official British Record Fish Committee list, so it is a confirmed record, not a claim.

Is pollack caught off the Sussex coast?

Yes. Pollack are caught most of the year over Sussex wrecks and reefs, with mid January to May the good-numbers window.

When is the best time to catch pollack?

Off Sussex: Arrive off Sussex from mid January and are caught in good numbers to May, then through the season. Winter fishing over wrecks is a main target.

How big does a pollack get?

Shore fish average about 2 kg; a good boat fish is around 5 kg. Can reach 130-140 cm.