Angler
Anglerfish live on the seabed all around Ireland's coast and turn up as a genuine surprise catch for boat anglers working deep ground. They're not a primary target species, but their sheer size and prehistoric appearance make them memorable.
Commercial trawlers take them in the Irish Sea and off the west coast; sport anglers encounter them while bottom-fishing for other species over sandy or muddy ground.
Scientific Name: Lophius piscatorius
Also known as Monkfish, Fishing Frog, Sea Devil, Toadfish, Lophius
- Massively broad, flattened head with an enormous upward-facing mouth lined with curved, inward-pointing teeth — unmistakable at boatside.
- Body tapers sharply behind the head; loose, scaleless skin covered in fleshy fringe-like flaps along the sides and around the head.
- Colour is variable — typically mottled brown or greenish-brown on top with a white underside, blending into sandy or muddy bottoms.
- A modified first dorsal spine acts as a built-in fishing rod, with a fleshy lure at the tip. Can reach 200 cm; most rod-caught fish run considerably smaller.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Irish waters; recorded all around the Irish coastline, with concentrations noted on the north, south, and east coasts as well as the west.
- Lives on sandy, muddy, shell, and gravel seabeds from around 18 m down to 550 m, occasionally deeper offshore.
- The Irish Sea supports a significant commercial fishery for this species; sport encounters tend to come from deeper boat marks off the west and south coasts.
- Two species of anglerfish are present in Irish waters — Lophius piscatorius being the larger and more commonly encountered of the two.
Key Locations
- Irish Sea — supports a notable commercial fishery and is where boat anglers most commonly encounter anglerfish as bycatch on deep bottom marks.
- West coast deep-water marks off Connacht — the Atlantic shelf edge and deeper inshore ground hold fish, though targeted sport fishing is rare.
- South coast offshore ground — deeper marks off Cork and Waterford produce anglerfish alongside other bottom species during boat sessions.
Specific Spots
- Flat sandy or muddy ground in 30–100 m is the classic zone — anglerfish lie motionless and wait, so featureless bottom is productive rather than a deterrent.
- Edges of deeper channels and drop-offs concentrate prey fish, which in turn draw anglerfish to the transition between soft bottom and harder structure.
- Wrecks and rough ground nearby can hold them, but the fish itself typically sits just off the hard stuff on the adjacent soft seabed.
Angler FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Angler?
Large whole fish baits, mackerel, herring, or pouting, fished hard on the bottom are the most reliable approach; the bigger the bait, the more likely it is to attract a fish that eats spurdogs for a living.
When is the best time to fish for Angler?
No strong seasonal pattern for sport catches, anglerfish are present in Irish waters year-round and depth moderates temperature swings. Summer and autumn boat-fishing trips targeting other bottom species produce the most encounters, simply because more anglers are afloat in settled weather.
How do you catch Angler?
Anglerfish in Ireland are almost always caught incidentally by boat anglers bottom-fishing for species like cod, rays, or flatfish over sandy and muddy ground. Deliberately targeting them means anchoring over soft-bottom marks in 30–100 m and presenting large fish baits hard on the seabed, then waiting.
What do Angler eat?
Primarily eats fish, cod, whiting, flatfish, sand eels, and even spurdogs and rays have been found in their stomachs. They also take crabs, lobsters, and squid. For boat anglers, large whole fish baits or big fish-strip baits on the bottom are the direct implication.
Where do Angler live?
Native to Irish waters; recorded all around the Irish coastline, with concentrations noted on the north, south, and east coasts as well as the west. Lives on sandy, muddy, shell, and gravel seabeds from around 18 m down to 550 m, occasionally deeper offshore.
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