Among the most popular fishing trips is certainly sea bream fishing: here are some suggestions for conquering the most “prestigious” marine prey
The arrival of the warm season is an excellent excuse to organize a fishing trip along the coasts of Liguria. You depart from the moorings of Marina Porto Antico with rods and reels and head out to the open sea.
One of the fish that can be caught from spring until late autumn, and especially during the hottest months of summer, is the sea bream. It is one of the most coveted prey of sport fishermen both for the flavor of its meat and because it is considered a “technical” fish: it is not guaranteed to catch one even when you are certain of its presence in the fishing area. Generally it is a wary fish, but at the same time curious, so with a few small precautions it is not impossible to bring home at least one.
Here are some simple tips for trying to catch this coveted prey.
How to recognize sea bream
Sea bream is a bottom-feeding fish of the Sparidae family, very common in the Mediterranean Sea and also present in Liguria. It owes its name to the golden line that crosses the snout at eye level, its body is oval with compressed sides, it has a gray color with silver reflections, while on the back it takes on blue-golden reflections.
It is an aesthetically very beautiful fish especially thanks to its silver livery; the sea bream’s mouth is characterized by thick lips with powerful jaws. Thanks to its teeth, sea bream is able to feed on mollusks as well, managing to open the shell without too much effort.
Where to look for sea bream in Liguria
Sea bream lives in areas with sandy or sometimes rocky bottoms, mostly at a depth of about thirty meters. It prefers mixed sand-stone bottoms, but it is not uncommon to find it also on more rocky bottoms, inside ports or near piers. There is certainly a high probability of finding sea bream in areas where mussel farms are present, which they are fond of.
When to fish for sea bream: better during the day or at night?
The most suitable period for sea bream fishing goes from spring to late autumn although the most “fruitful” months are those of summer. There is no better time than others for sea bream fishing and much depends on the season. On average, sea bream is a daytime fish, especially in spring and autumn, while it is very common to catch it also at night in midsummer.
Which baits to use
Sea bream can be caught bottom fishing with a wide variety of baits. Certainly live crab, mussels and limpets are much loved by sea bream, while among worms, lugworms are particularly suitable. When it takes the bait, it first turns it around in its mouth, chews it and moves away, but if it senses even the slightest resistance it immediately abandons the bait and flees. It is therefore important that the line is not under tension and a sliding weight can facilitate the bite.
How to fish for sea bream
For sea bream fishing it is very important to equip yourself with the right equipment: it is better to choose robust rods and reels that can accompany its powerful runs and you can adopt different fishing techniques. Bottom fishing for sea bream should be done with surfcasting or beach-ledgering rods, with casting powers that can vary from 60 to 150-180 grams based on where you fish.
The rig for sea bream is quite simple to make: you can fish with a mini-spreader of 30-35 cm in the center of which you block a micro-swivel to which the leader is connected, even more than 2 meters long. Sea bream is extremely suspicious and often the thickness of the leader can make the difference. It is advisable to use robust hooks because sea bream, thanks to its powerful mouth, is able to open hooks.
In short, if you feel like trying your hand at sea bream fishing, all you have to do is set sail from the moorings of Marina Porto Antico.
