Blue whiting
Micromesistius poutassou
Also known as: Couch's WhitingPoutassouBacaladillaMerlan Bleu
BenthicBoat
Deepwater
Score
—
Prime time
Year-round; daylight
Depth
150–1000m
Platform
Boat
Season
JanMarJunSepDec
Peak Jul–SepGood Oct–Dec
Depth range
150–1000mDeep
Best fishing techniques
Trolling60%
Sabiki under lights60%
Findr bio
Deep water, tight schools, no time for small talk. Most of my shoal gets turned into fishmeal — land me fresh and you'll taste why that's a waste.
How to catch
Favourite hangouts
Deep waterOpen sea
Recommended baits
Feather rigsSquid
Diet
Small fishKrillShrimpCephalopods
Effective techniques
Sabiki / Bait CatchingJigging
Gear
Best times
DuskNight
One of Europe's biggest catches by weight, yet most of the haul never reaches a plate — it's ground down into fishmeal and oil.
Field notes
Where to find them
NE Atlantic shelf edge and deep water
Where they hang out
Shelf edge, moderate to deep
Prime time
Year-round; daylight
Tide game
Low
What they're into
Small fish/squid strips on multi-hook rigs
Temperature vibe
Cold-water species
Fave weather
Moderate seas workable
Fun fact about me
Deep-shelf traveller in schools too big to count — safety in serious numbers.
Dinner material?
6/10Edible, nothing special
Play by the rules
Check regional groundfish rulesNational/regional fisheries authority
Looking after them
Least Concern