Three different methods are generally used for sea fishing in northern Norway, as the number of species is high and fishing opportunities are varied.

Jig fishing

The first and perhaps most common are shads. These come in an abundance of different models and sizes but what they have in common is that they consist of a heavy lead/tin/zinc head with a rubber body and an integrated hook.

Shads are used for an active fishing style and require a drift on the boat, unless you are spin fishing with lighter shads. The shad has a natural action in the water but with the help of the rod and reel you can create an irregular movement pattern where the shad dives, rises, wiggles to the sides and acts like a wounded baitfish. This is what usually triggers the fish to bite and therefore makes jigging an active fishery. There are lots of different models and sizes to choose from. The most common is to use a shad between 200-400 g around 20-25 cm. This works for most species such as cod, coalfish, halibut, wolfish and ling. Larger shads (500-730 g) are most often used for skrei fishing where the cod periodically prefer really large baits and in addition, the large shads tend to selected out the largest individuals from the shoals. Smaller shads (100-200 g) can be used to advantage when fishing in shallow water or when spinning with heavier gear. The latter is particularly effective for halibut and coalfish and is an incredibly fun fishing method. The smallest shads between 30-60 g are mainly used for spinning for pollack but can also be used for fishing for smaller cod and coalfish too.
You will find a wide range of sea fishing shads here.

The vast majority of shads need to be rigged with a stinger hook attached to the back of the shad to secure the bites that only comes further back. Some models have this included while others require you to rig an extra hook yourself. We recommend tying your stingers with a soft kevlar material that is knotable and does not impede the movement of the bait. This needs to be durable as it often comes into contact with the fish’s teeth. If the fish is really on the bite, you can remove this stinger hook as it is usually enough with the original hook on the shad.
You will find both hooks and materials for making stingers here: Hooks – Lines

Pilker

The next category of baits are the classic pilker. Used mainly when fishing for cod and coalfish but will also regularly catch halibut, ling, wolfish and more. A lure that is easy to fish with, catches a lot of fish and can be used with advantage in heavy drift and rough conditions at sea.

The most commonly used pilker are between 200-500 g, but when fishing in really deep water, even heavier ones may be necessary. There are different models of pilkers, with varying characteristics. Classic spear pilkers sink quickly but have relatively little movement, while a curved pilker sinks more slowly but has more movement during fishing. You have to try this out, and decide which model is right for the moment, based on external circumstances.
You will find a wide range of pilkers here.

Baitfish rigs

Last but not least comes the baitfish method. A broad category that includes many techniques depending on the species being targeted. The most popular fishing method in Northern Norway today is undoubtedly the whole baitfish method, where a whole, dead fish is used as bait. This is a very effective method, not least for halibut, both large and small, but also works very well for large cod. The baitfish, which are most commonly smaller coalfish, mackerel or herring, are easily caught.

using a sabiki rigs with 3-5 small hooks with feathers, squid or flash material on it.

NB. Fishing with livebait is not allowed in Norway!

The easiest way to fish with baitfish is to use a banana-shaped sinker with a trailing leader. The advantage of a banana-shaped sinker is that they do not rotate in the water, thanks to its design and allows drift fishing over large areas, without getting tangled.

We recommend and use Halibut Anti Twist Rig in 350 g – 450 g.

You can use the rig included in the package, but we strongly recommend rigging your baitfish with a circle hook instead for several reasons.

• Better hookup ratio
• Losing less fish
• Safer landing of fish
• Gentler on fish
• Easier when doing catch & release

A circle hook has properties that allow it to attach itself to the corner of the mouth of the fish. This requires, however, that instead of making a hook-set with the rod, you tighten the line at a steady pace and let the hook twist into place at the angle of the jaw. If the fish has swallowed the bait and is swimming away, this will often happen naturally, otherwise you will have to crank the hook into place. This often requires a little more patience from you as an angler, but in return you lose less fish once it is hooked and is a much better from a Catch & Release point of view as the fish is not damaged by this. Even if the fish swallows the baitfish completely, the circle hook will first get a hold in the mouth, where it is securely anchored, thanks to its design.
You can find a wide range of circle hooks here.

Other fishing styles with bait in northern Norway is usually done in deeper water for redfish, ling, tusk, skate, etc. For this we often use suspension tackle, such as a “paternoster-rig” with hook links where you attach small pieces of fish, fillets or a whole fish. We tie these ourselves by hand and sell them at the campsites up in northern Norway.

If you want to tie your own tackle, we recommend using luminous accessories such as squids, beads and light tubes that attract fish at depth. These tackle can be tied with both regular single hooks and circle hooks.

In shallower waters, bays and straits are teeming with life in the form of smaller flatfish. These are most easily targeted with tackle filled with beads, spinner blades, glow-in-the-dark rubber tubes baited with shrimp, artificial worms (with flavor and scent) or small pieces of fish.
We have collected tackle and lures for this in this category.