Where to fish for tassergal?
The tassergal generally moves in schools of several individuals, creating food competition which is the source of its aggressiveness. They can be found near river mouths, just outside harbours and sometimes even on rocky shores. Its ability to easily sever any type of fluorocarbon or nylon line makes some anglers unhappy.
Careful with your teeth
Its jaws are equipped with very sharp teeth which interlock perfectly when its mouth is closed, and anything unfortunate enough to venture into these jaws will be cut off cleanly, whether it's a fish or our line! That's why lure fishing for this fish makes so much sense. A lure in constant motion will limit cuts and give rise to very violent attacks.
Fishing with surface lures
The tassergal can be fished with surface lures such as stickbaits or poppers. A fast animation will trigger the natural aggressiveness of this fish which will attack our lure several times until it finally bites. I personally use the Prorex Crazy Stick in 11 cm, but you can also choose longer lures to better target larger individuals. When fishing on the surface, it's not uncommon for the tassergal to candle out of the water at the start of the fight in an attempt to get rid of the lure. Once in the water or on the boat, a landing net is highly recommended to avoid any risk of flirting with the lure's hooks or even the predator's sharp teeth.
A predator to target at night too
As this fish is also a nocturnal predator, the use of soft lures and hard lures fished one metre below the surface will trigger fish on the prowl. The Tide Minnow, often used for barracuda fishing, also works well to imitate a garfish. Lurking in the shadows, waiting for easy prey that would have the audacity to cross the tassergal's hunting territory.
