Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the pouting fish
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See the fishing tripsThe Pouting fish
All year
25 cm
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The Pouting fish belongs to the Gadidae Family. Its longevity is short: 4 years for a maximum size of 45 cm and a weight of about 1kg. Breeding takes place in March-April and is fished all year round.
This small fish, generally 20/30 cm, rarely 45 cm, has an oval body, flattened laterally. Beige/pinkish white, slightly coppery, it can, especially when it is close to a poorly lit area (cave, wreck), have four to five wide dark vertical stripes. These bands may be absent in sunlight or on dead fish. The lower jaw is slightly set back, giving the pouting fish a characteristic profile with a small "nose". The eye is quite large, and a barbell is clearly visible under the "chin". The pouting fish has, like other Gadidae, three dorsal fins and two anal fins. A black spot is clearly visible at the base of the pectoral muscles.
The Pouting fish lifestyle
The Pouting fish are carnivorous and feed on small crustaceans, worms and, depending on their size, fry and small fish.
The Pouting fish breeds in March-April, depending on water temperature (8° - 9° C). Juveniles, gathered in schools, move to coastal waters for their rapid growth. Sexual maturity is reached after one year, when they are already about twenty centimeters tall.
The Pouting fish Habitat
From a few meters deep to more than 200 m, the pouting can be found on all types of bottoms, provided that it has a nearby shelter: cave, fault, wreck. Pouting live in schools, in small groups or in fairly large schools (several hundred individuals). The young are more coastal while the adults are more over 30 m.
It is found in the North Sea, English Channel, North-East Atlantic, South Norway to Morocco, Western Mediterranean.
The Pouting fish angling
Although it grows rapidly (about 1 year) and there is no minimum catch size, it reaches its sexual maturity size when it is 25 cm long. It is therefore recommended to fish it at this size, when it has reproduced at least once. Fishermen catch it by trawl but it can also be fished by line, to be supported, from shore or by boat. Voracious, it is easily caught with worms, shellfish meat (shells, knives, etc.), crustaceans, pieces of fish or cephalopods. In the despair of some fishermen, it is not uncommon for him to bite into certain baits considered more noble (squid, shrimps, etc.) and more reserved for fishing for sea bass, mackerel or local fish.
Easy prey, the pouting is ideal for an introduction to fishing and is also a very good lively way to search for sea bass.
