Ling species guide • Sea fish • Tricky (9/10)

Ling junior fishing guide

Molva molva

A clear, plain-English guide to ling 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 Ling catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Tricky (9/10)

Suited to more experienced juniors or adults.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

5–20 lb common on wrecks; much larger possible.

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

🐟

Beginner baits

Maggots, worms, bread

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

Typical venues: Deep wrecks, reefs and very rough ground.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first ling with confidence

Catch your first Ling in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Choose deep wreck marks

    Ling live in deep, snaggy wrecks and rough offshore ground. Only fish these areas with experienced adults.

  2. Step 2

    Use strong tackle

    Heavy mono traces, large hooks and strong rods are required. Ling fight hard and live tight to structure.

  3. Step 3

    Keep pressure on

    Once hooked, keep firm pressure to stop them diving back into the wreck.

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.

Boat Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

Downtide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

Uptide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

About the Ling

Ling are long-bodied, powerful relatives of the cod with large mouths and strong teeth. They live around wrecks and rough ground and are mainly a boat-angling target.

Junior tip

Only fish for ling from charter boats with suitable heavy gear and guidance. They live in snaggy ground so strong tackle and good boat control are essential.

Logged a Ling 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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