Fishing from the shore, fish for every season
The only fishing technique practicable from the shore is surfcasting and its followers will be pleasantly surprised by the beautiful fishing that can be done all year round with their favorite fishing technique.
In each season, however, different species approach the coast. The sea bass or wolfish, as it is called in the south, the most fished fish in the region, is present near the coast from September to February. The saupe, the sar, the joël they are fished all year round. Mullet and eel are to be sought from March to December. The garfish is fished from April to September, the marbled and the bogue from April to October. Bream and bream are present from April to November. Flatfish such as plaice or sole are caught from February to April. Finally, mackerel is mainly present from May to August.
All the necessary bait is available on this huge beach. The real start of the fishing trip begins with the collection of worms and shells. The fishing is done in an extraordinary brightness and the solitude lovers will be at their ease, there will be only the birds to keep them company.
Fishermen may be surprised by the wind that blows regularly, but they should know that it does not have a negative effect on the fishing results. They will also be surprised by the power of the waves which come to bump on the slope of the beaches, waves worthy of the Atlantic.
The mounts must be very solid, because it is not uncommon to also hook some nice sized stripes.
The different fishing spots on the Camargue shoreline
To reach the fishing spots, long walks are necessary either from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or from the beach of the big Palun near the mouth of the Grand Rhône. This beach, the only one easily accessible by car, thanks to a paved road, is a bit too much visited as soon as the summer season is back. On the other hand, it is an excellent place for fishing during the winter months.
Finally, to finish with the coast, Port-Gardian, which is the port of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, is to be visited for its exceptional population of liches. It is necessary to take advantage of it, because such concentrations are rare on our coasts. In Port-Gardian, several fishing spots are to be prospected. The Great Raft for its wolves and bugs, the Great Beach for its flatfish, the estuary and the beginning of the course of the Petit Rhône for its wolffish, mullet and flatfish, especially in strong winds. On the harbor breakwater, conger eels are caught while fishing with a trolling boat, as well as numerous mackerels and garfish while fishing with a drifting float.
Fishing on the Camargue shore by boat
For boat fishing enthusiasts, it is also an excellent area, because unlike the shores that are entirely made up of sand, a substrate that is of course found offshore in vast expanses, it has bottoms composed of seaweed meadows and rocky spurs.
We fish wolffish with the small troll or the machine gun, but also the capelin of the Mediterranean Sea from February to May, by fishing with anchored support or drifting. From May to October, horse mackerel and gurnards are added to the species already mentioned.
For those who have a powerful enough boat, the period from the beginning of June to the end of October allows them to track two types of sharks of often impressive size: the blue shark and the thresher shark, remarkable by the length of its tail. They come within a few miles of the coast.
Faced with the exit of the small Rhone in this area, fishing for bonito and liche always attracts many boats. These species are fished on 10 meters depth, which is quite rare. And further out, not to say on the high seas, we fish for albacore tuna.
Taking on bluefin tuna
For those attracted by the Big Game, the months of August and September allow to satisfy their passion during the passage of the big bluefin tuna. Majestic fish weighing 150 to 200 kilos or more. With a little luck, their trail may cross the path of a swordfish...
A paradise for all the big game fishing enthusiasts who will not need to go to Florida or Australia to experience great emotions. However, it is necessary to have very specialized equipment, and the boat is not the least expensive. This kind of fishing cannot be improvised, hence the need to practice with specialists.
