When a pollack takes your bait, you will often find that the float starts to disappear, pauses, as if it is making up its mind as to whether or not to resurface, then moves deeper into the water. Don’t delay with your strike, but try to hit it fairly quickly. If you do delay then the fish will probably swallow your bait so that the hook sticks in its throat. Obviously this will cut down the chances of the fish being put back alive, so it is better to strike quickly and hook it in the mouth, from where it can be released with the minimum of damage. You can, of course, take pollack for eating, but if you do then you need to eat it fairly quickly. The flesh deteriorates after death so that it becomes inedible within 24 hours. That aside it is reasonably good to eat, especially if lightly seasoned with herbs to give it a slightly better flavour. Spinning for pollack can be very rewarding, but there is no need to spend a fortune on tackle. Keep it simple, with just a bead, weight, bead, tubing – which helps to stop the tackle tangling – bead, swivel and a long trace (approximately 2 metres) to the lure. As for the lure itself you have a wide variety to choose from, with red gills, latex shads, westenders and jelly worms (small ones) all taking a number of fish. To work the tackle I like to keep a steady, fairly slow, retrieve going, working the lure as close to the bottom as I dare. Sometimes, obviously, you are going to get caught, but if you use a trace that is lighter than the main line then you should be able to break free without losing the rest of your gear. However if you touch the bottom and pull free then you will need to give your hook a couple of strokes with your sharpener to keep the point nice and keen. The diagram below should make the tackle clear.
			Cooking Tip Some people like to bake pollack in cider, with a few diced carrots and onions added to improve the flavour. Others like to gut the fish, then fill the cavity with a mixture of breadcrumbs, the zest of an orange and a light sprinkling of cinnamon, rolling it up in silver foil and then baking it in the oven for approximately 1½ hours. Both methods work very well, although the second sounds a little strange when you add the serving sauce, which is basically a white sauce with a touch of lemon added to contrast against the cinnamon.