Tom with current limit of harbor pollock. Six harbor pollock, especially 10- to 12-inch individuals, provide the makings for a hearty meal of fish. ©Photo by Tom Seymour |
“What’s that?” my friend asked, pointing at some swirls in the water at the edge of the town dock in Bar Harbor. We stopped and watched for a while and soon, long, dark shapes became apparent. It was a school of fish, hundreds of 8- to 10-inch fish that acted with one accord, darting in and out from the protective cover of the pilings.
This was late December, but a spinning rod and some mackerel jigs remained stowed in the trunk of my car. Along with these was a bucket, used for transporting clams. If those fish, whatever they were, chose to bite, it looked like some great fun in store for me.
Casting a jig toward the edge of the school elicited an immediate strike. The fish fought well for its size, boring down toward bottom and even making the drag slip during its short, but punchy runs. Later, lifting it from the water, I was amazed to see the burnished copper sides of a 10-inch harbor pollock.
Action lasted for a half hour and then the tide drew the fish out, away from the pier. In the end, my efforts yielded a pail just chock-a-block full of harbor pollock. This happened around 1978.
Pollock, Pollachius virens, and “harbor pollock,” are one and the same species. Harbor pollock are younger, smaller fish that spend much of their time inshore. They are particularly fond of structure, places like piers, jetties and floats. There, they hunt in concert with dozens and even hundreds of their kin, slamming baitfish.
While harbor pollock are present during the warm months, they don’t attract much attention from fishermen. That only makes sense when bigger game such as striped bass, mackerel and sometimes, bluefish are present. But in winter, when pelagic species have left inshore areas for their seasonal homes on the middle Atlantic shelf and stripers seek warmer waters to the south, harbor pollock have the field to themselves.
So why don’t more people take advantage of this wintertime sport fishery? For one thing, open-water fishing in November, December and January has little appeal for those who dislike being cold. Now, even on calm, sunny days, the slightest breeze has a stinging bite. And on less-than-perfect days, unhooking fish quickly leads to numb, frozen digits.
Also, harbor pollock, while plentiful, are not a regular item on supermarket displays. The average consumer knows little about them and therefore, does not perceive them as a fish worthy of pursuit. Besides, as mentioned earlier, harbor pollock are relatively small, as far as saltwater species go. Well, that statement needs some revision.
The average size of harbor pollock pretty much depends upon how far out to sea the harbor is. That may sound simple, even silly, but it’s a fact. A pier on one of Maine’s offshore islands provides shelter for harbor pollock that average more than twice the size of those swimming in harbors off the mainland.
So here we have a fish, relatively un-known, that offers red-hot fishing in winter, a time when most people have stored away their fishing tackle. For those like me, who would rather go fishing than do most anything else, pollock represent an important asset.
Pollock Gear
Pollock fishing re- quires no specialized gear. Any old rod will do, as long as it casts a reasonable distance. For the most fun, a light, or even an ultralight, outfit makes sense. But if all you have is a medium-weight rod, by all means use it.
Terminal gear requirements are few, as well. Pollock bite on most artificial lures, as long as they are relatively small, say no longer than one inch. Swedish Pimples, Kastmasters and even, small versions of the famous, Mooselook Wobbler all take pollock. Panfish jigs work well, too, Squirmin’ Squirts and Crappie Magnets are two top pollock killers.
To begin fishing, first select a pier or float where you won’t interfere with commercial fishermen loading and unloading their gear. Plenty of town landings are large enough to accommodate both commercial and recreational interests. Then, try and arrive on an incoming tide, perhaps a little less than halfway in. If fish are not present, keep casting and have patience. If this place holds pollock, they will eventually swim by.
Bait, too, works well for harbor pollock. One of my fishing buddies uses small bits of shrimp to good advantage. Since I frequently dig soft-shelled clams for my own use, it’s easy for me to save cracked and broken clams for pollock fishing. Even in summer, harbor pollock remain on my mind, so I simply put broken clams, still in the shell, in a bag and place them in my freezer. Removing the clams from the freezer the night before a fishing trip and placing them in the refrigerator to thaw, insures that my bait will be ready for use the next day.
Fishing Methods
Since most fishing is done in sheltered harbors, heavy weight isn’t necessary. I use several, small, split shot as sinkers, placed above a single, number 8 hook. A small bit of clam neck or rind, hooked once, works fine.
Because harbor pollock often lurk under docks and floats, it makes sense to begin fishing directly alongside the float. Just drop the bait down and wait for that telltale, jabbing bite. These fish are well-known nibblers, so it may take some time to figure out how long to allow them to bite before attempting to set the hook.
People used to catching more acclaimed fish species may find that harbor pollock fight much better than expected. There are several reasons for harbor pollock’s excellent performance. First, as with most school fish, they must exert considerable power in order to fight the ever-changing tide. And since they are hunters, they must utilize speed for when they charge into a school of baitfish. And finally, their streamlined shape and tendency to keep their mouth tightly closed when hooked, both contribute to their battling abilities.
When pollock begin biting, they do so in a big way, slamming lures and baits with wild abandon. Accordingly, it’s easy to inadvertently keep more than the legal bag limit. Current Maine marine recreational sport fishing regulations allow a daily bag limit of only six pollock per day, each less than 19 inches long, in Maine territorial waters. So it pays to release all but the largest fish, or those that are deeply hooked and would likely die.
Such stringent regulations on such an abundant resource seems burdensome, especially since so few recreational anglers pursue harbor pollock. Hopefully, the bag limit will eventually return to a more reasonable figure. Fishing regulations are always subject to change, so make sure to check with Maine Department of Marine Resources before going fishing.
Pollock Recipes
Even so, six harbor pollock, especially 10- to 12-inch individuals, provide the makings for a hearty meal of fish. Harbor pollock lend themselves to several, different cooking methods. I’ll describe three of these here.
Filleted pollock, sautéed in butter, are one of my all-time favorite dishes. To fillet, make sure to use an extra-sharp fillet knife. Begin by slicing down just behind the head, nearly to the backbone. Then turn the knife and slide it down the backbone all the way to the caudal fin, or tail. Turn the fish over and repeat the process.
Next, place the fillet, skin down, on the board and with a fingernail, hold down a bit of skin, while sliding the knife the length of the fillet. This results in a complete, skin-free fillet, with the belly meat intact. However, this also includes the ribs. For most people, the thin, hairlike ribs are insignificant and are not worth removing. Those who dislike any bones at all might wish to cut around the ribcage and remove it and any clinging ribs, before cooking.
I like to coat my fillets with a mixture of flour and seasoning, my favorite being Old Bay. Any brand will suffice, though, and that includes any of the seasoned salt mixtures. Melt butter in a frying pan and slowly cook the fillets until they just begin to brown. Then flip over to brown on the other side. Then remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
Next, harbor pollock can be treated in the same way as a brook trout caught from a stream or pond. Eviscerate the fish, remove the head and rinse in cold water. I like to roll the fish in the same mixture mentioned above for fillets. Whole pollock take longer to cook through than fillets, so allow extra cooking time. Drain on a paper towel. When eating, the skin slips off quite easily and the meat flakes off the backbone the same as when eating a trout.
The last recipe was given me years ago from a woman who lived in Castine in the early, 20th century. She got it from old-timers there and it is supposedly a time-honored method of preparing harbor pollock. This involves salting the fish, also known as “corning.”
Fillet the pollock as described above. Then, sprinkle common table salt on the bottom of a glass bowl. Place a single layer of fillets atop the salt and sprinkle these with another thin layer of salt. Continue until the fillets are used up. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator. Leave it there overnight.
The next morning, remove the now-salted fillets from the bowl and freshen by rinsing in cold water. Put about a half-inch of water in a cast-iron frying pan and bring to a simmer. Drop the corned fillets in and cook until they turn white and begin to flake.
Since harbor pollock flesh tends toward the soft side, this corning process was much favored, since it firms up the fillets.
However you prepare them, do enjoy this seasonal treat. And if you find harbor pollock a worthy game fish, remember that they will be at the same place, during the same tide, for most of the winter. Above all, have fun.
