Scientific names
Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801)
Morphology
The lean fish has a fusiform body, slightly flattened on the flanks. Its back is rounded and supports two distinct dorsal fins, one spiny and the other long and soft. It has a large mouth with a yellow-orange interior and small, pointed teeth.
One of the characteristics of the lean is the presence of pairs of luminous black and yellow dots aligned along its lateral line. The back of Argyrosomus regius is dark gray with violet highlights, its flanks and belly are light silvery, and its tail, pectoral and dorsal fins are orange-yellow.
Meagre fishing grounds
The meagre is caught from the shore on the beaches near the baïnes and on the dykes and quays. By boat, you need to find rocky bottoms with well-marked holes, chipped wrecks and drop-offs.
Fishing techniques
Prefer slow bottom action, with shads moving on their own in the current or waddling at low amplitude with soft jerkbaits (slugs and finess shads), spoons and jigs. The lure can be replaced by a horse mackerel or a mackerel used as a dead hand. In terms of livebaits, horse mackerel, shad, mullet and mackerel are excellent for targeting small fish. When surfcasting or landing from docks or boats on rocky plateaus, use a 2-stack 40 cm rig with white baits: chipiron - a juvenile squid - and dwarf cuttlefish, a species close to the common cuttlefish.
Reproduction
They spawn in April or May and grow at a rate of 15 cm per year until 2 years of age, weighing 1 kg at 3 years. They reach sexual maturity at 70 cm.
Size and weight
- Catch size (legal minimum): none, I recommend 60 cm
- Size at sexual maturity: 80 cm
- Average size: 50 to 65 cm
- Maximum size: 2 m (60 kg)
- French record: 41 kg (Meschers, Poitou Charentes, 26/06/1992)
Note the 40.75 kg in 2004 in Aquitaine. - World record: 48 kg (Mauritania, 30/03/1986)
Good to know
The meagre emits low-pitched sounds (rumbles, squeaks). Artisanal fishermen in the Gironde estuary can detect these sounds by ear.
