Pollock

Pollock get mixed up with Atlantic cod and haddock since all three share the same waters and a similar body shape. The easiest tell is the lower jaw: pollock have a lower jaw that juts out past the upper jaw, while cod and haddock have the opposite, a chin barbel and an upper jaw that overhangs. Pollock also lack that barbel entirely, or show only a tiny stub of one, whereas cod carry an obvious whisker under the chin.

Color is another giveaway. Pollock run olive green to dark bronze on the back with a lighter, silvery gray belly, and the lateral line is pale and sits high on the body before curving down. Haddock have a straight black lateral line and a dark thumbprint patch above the pectoral fin that pollock never show. Cod are more mottled brown or gray with a straighter, less forked tail than pollock, which have a noticeably forked tail similar to a mackerel's, another quick way to separate them from their slower, blunter-tailed cousins.

Pollock live in cold saltwater along the North Atlantic coast, from the Gulf of Maine north into Canadian waters. Anglers find them around rocky ledges, offshore banks, wrecks, and current-swept points, often suspended well off the bottom rather than hugging it like cod.

Smaller pollock, sometimes called harbor pollock, show up closer to shore around piers, breakwaters, and rocky shorelines, especially in fall. Larger fish stay offshore over structure in deeper water, from fifty to several hundred feet down.

Pollock feed on small baitfish like herring and sand eels, along with squid and small crustaceans. They are active, fast-swimming predators that chase schools of bait through the water column, which is why they respond so well to jigs and lures worked with speed.

Jigging is the standard method. Drop a diamond jig or a heavy metal jig to the bottom near structure, then work it up through the water column in sweeping lifts, since pollock often hold well above the seafloor. Bucktail jigs tipped with a strip of squid also work.

From shore or a pier, cast a metal spoon or jig and retrieve it steadily, varying the speed until you find what triggers strikes. Pollock fight hard and dive for structure, so use a rod with enough backbone to turn a fish before it wraps you around a rock or wreck. Fall through early winter is prime time as fish move closer to shore, while summer fishing tends to be better offshore over deeper banks.