Norwegian record European hake: 14.55 kg

About European hake

The European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is a slender, rather pike-like predator. It has a big mouth with sharp, backward-curving teeth, and both mouth and gill cavity are black inside. The back is blue-grey to dark grey, the flanks silvery and the belly pale. Hake range from Norway and Iceland south to north-west Africa and throughout the Mediterranean. In Norway they are found along the coast and in fjords, most commonly in the south and west. They usually keep near the bottom at about 50 to 500 m but often rise higher at night. Adults hunt herring, sprat, mackerel and other fish, while young hake feed on shrimps and krill. Typical fish are 50 to 80 cm, with a maximum of around 1.4 m. Anglers usually meet hake in deep fjord water on jigs or fish baits, often while targeting cod or saithe. Norwegian Red List 2021: Least Concern (LC).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Saltvann
• Best month: Juli
• Red list status: LC (2021)

See the species guide

Biggest European hake in FishComp

10.55 kg (73 % of the record) by Frode Lothe. See the catch

How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.