Bottom fish

These species do not roam open water: they hold within a small radius of shelter and hunt short distances from it. Fishing therefore means putting a bait inside that radius, usually straight down beneath the boat, with a lead heavy enough to hold against the tide.

Relief does all the sorting. A wreck, a ledge, a rocky plateau or a jumble of boulders each holds its own population, and two marks fifty metres apart will not give the same fish. The sounder here is less for spotting fish than for understanding the structure they live on.

It is demanding fishing for tackle. Chafe on rock, snags and hauling powerful fish up from depth call for strong line, checked often, and a rig built to break where you chose rather than wherever it happens.