With bait or lures
Turbot feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, but also on fish. Thus, it is quite natural to offer him a live fish. In the same logic, it is possible to imitate this live fish with an adapted lure, which we propose here.
Turbot with soft lures
The lures are particularly well used when the current is strong, above 1.5 knots. Contrary to bass fishing with soft lures, we must not try to make the lure float. Our lures must be well leaded, even if it means that the leaded head scratches the bottom permanently. The diffusion of the sediment left behind the lure dragged on the bottom makes it more attractive. I recommend a non-vibrating lure such as a slug. It is necessary to use a hook with a large opening that goes well beyond the soft material in order to hook the turbot efficiently when you touch it.
The ideal soft lure
Choose a soft slug or sandeel of 15 to 25 cm, weighted with a dart head, i.e. with a pointed nose, weighing 35 to 70 g.
Scratch fishing is the most efficient. It consists in scratching the lure on the bottom and giving from time to time a blow of the scion to take off the lure of some centimeters. The touch of the turbot is heavy, it gives a vertical blow of head which marks frankly the stop of the lure. The fight then is more or less heavy according to the size of the flatfish.
The heavy jig in case of strong current
When the current is really at its maximum, for example more than 2.5 knots of intensity, the jig allows to fish efficiently by following the relief of the sandbar in front of the boat. Large turbot can be caught this way. It is not the most amusing fishing because of the weight of the jig which can exceed 200 g, but it allows to occupy this phase of strong current.
