Coalfish species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (3/10)

Coalfish junior fishing guide

Pollachius virens

A clear, plain-English guide to coalfish for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Coalfish catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (3/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

1–4 lb common inshore; much larger offshore.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

Coalfish

Beginner baits

Black lugworm, Blow lugworm, Cockles …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Piers, rock marks
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first coalfish with confidence

Catch your first Coalfish in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Use piers and deep harbour walls

    Coalfish often shoal around deep man-made structures. Pick well-lit areas with railings for evening sessions.

  2. Step 2

    Feathers, lures or small baits

    Mini-feathers, small lures or simple baited flappers all work. Fish midwater or close to the bottom, varying depth until bites arrive.

  3. Step 3

    Teach species differences

    Use Coalfish to teach how they differ from Pollack (lateral line, body colour). Promote quick unhooking and releases of smaller fish.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Beachcaster

Beginner tip: Teach safe casting with no one behind, and keep juniors away from the waterline in rough conditions.

IDEAL

Rod: 12–13 ft beachcaster or surf rod (4–6 oz rating).

Reel: 6000–8000 size fixed spool reel or medium multiplier.

Line: 15–18 lb mono with 40–60 lb shockleader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Two-hook flapper or clipped-down rig"
  • "Size 1–2/0 hooks depending on target"
  • "Grip leads in strong tide"]

Extras

  • ["Rod rest"
  • "Headtorch"
  • "Disgorger and long-nose pliers"]

Standard beach / surf setup for flatfish, whiting and general shore fishing.

Surf Rod

Beginner tip: Teach safe casting with no one behind, and keep juniors away from the waterline in rough conditions.

IDEAL

Rod: 12–13 ft beachcaster or surf rod (4–6 oz rating).

Reel: 6000–8000 size fixed spool reel or medium multiplier.

Line: 15–18 lb mono with 40–60 lb shockleader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Two-hook flapper or clipped-down rig"
  • "Size 1–2/0 hooks depending on target"
  • "Grip leads in strong tide"]

Extras

  • ["Rod rest"
  • "Headtorch"
  • "Disgorger and long-nose pliers"]

Standard beach / surf setup for flatfish, whiting and general shore fishing.

About the Coalfish

Coalfish resemble pollack but are darker, with a straighter lateral line and often shoal in big numbers. They provide fast sport on light tackle.

Junior tip

Use small lures or feather rigs from piers and headlands. Let the rig sink then retrieve smoothly through the shoal.

Logged a Coalfish recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

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