SEA ANGLER
UK &IRELAND SPECIALIST SPECIES HUNTING
Also known as the stone bass, or bass groper, the Atlantic wreckfish is a highly prized trophy fish for any species hunter. Dave Lewis explains where, when and how to give yourself the best chance of joining the wreckfish club
The Atlantic wreckfish, Polyprion americanus, is a large fish with a deep, robust body and a large head with a protruding lower jaw. The two dorsal fins are joined. The back and flanks are dark brown in colour with darker spots and blotches fading to yellowish on the belly.
Occasionally they are bluish grey on the back with a paler silvery sheen on the underside. The Atlantic wreckfish has a worldwide distribution and is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to South Africa, including the Mediterranean. The current IGFA record is held with a fish caught in New Zealand that weighed 190lb. The current UK record is more modest at just 11lb 14oz 12dm, caught from a wreck in the English Channel.
Adult Atlantic wreckfish occur in and around caves, over reefs and areas with densely scattered boulders and shipwrecks; a habitat which has led to the species’ common name. The adults are deep water fish which have been recorded at depths between 200 and 600 feet. It is normally a solitary species but the adults gather to breed during the summer. The juveniles form shoals for protection from predators and swim and hunt small fish in mid-water.
WHERE TO FIND ONE
British sea anglers typically come into contact with wreckfish when drifting offshore for shark. Wreckfish are prone to taking up residence beneath floating debris such as logs or pallets and not infrequently take up temporary residence beneath the hull of a drifting boat. Each summer wreckfish are caught by anglers fishing off the south west coast of England and Wales, and both the south and west coasts of Ireland.
The presence of a wreckfish is usually given away when a fish suddenly darts from beneath the boat to grab a piece of chum or a discarded bait. Encountering wreckfish is very much a hit or miss affair. As far as I am aware there is no way to actually increase your odds of locating one, but if you want to catch one the
