Get properly equipped
Gone are the shorts, tee-shirts and bare feet, back to warmer clothes!!! The priority is the extremities, and above all preventing certain parts of the body from getting wet right from the start of the session. To protect yourself from sea spray, choose the right clothing .
Change your habits to adapt to the season
Following the seasons and looking for the species of the moment means developing good habits. If sea bass are still present on our coasts until late November, early December, we'll have to reduce fishing pressure on this species, which waits until December to reach its spawning grounds. Fortunately, this fish will be replaced by other active species during this cold season.
Pagfish are still around until around the end of October, and will leave for the open sea as soon as water temperatures drop below 14-15°C. Bream are active throughout the winter, until early spring, when they take on a bluish hue that corresponds to the spawning period and the time when they should be left alone. This is a good time to do a few tenya or kabura sessions. Prawns, pieces of cephalopods and scallop beard are king baits for these fish.
Early autumn is also a good time to bring out the jigs, whatever the method, cages, tataki bichi-bachi. Cephalopods are in full swing and the season looks promising. Both north and south, cuttlefish, squid and octopus are very present on our coasts, making for great fishing.
Pollack season
The king fish of autumn/winter, until around mid-February, is undoubtedly the pollack. This is the time to bring out the big, brightly-coloured soft lures. Pink, orange, neon yellow, the Pollachius Pollachius loves flashy... It's time to take advantage this year, as we still don't know what the legislation will be for this species in 2024. After years of disastrous management, we've hit the wall, and of course, leisure activities will be the first to be affected by any restrictions on this fish.
Other species to catch
If you're looking for pollock, you're bound to come across cod, especially during the winter months in Finistère, as this fish likes cold water. Fishing methods are the same as for pollock, except that they tend to stay close to the bottom, for those who like to fish under the sand... A few species are likely to encounter your lures, the old ones, which are very present throughout the winter. On some days, they're the only ones active. Pout are also present, as are gurnards.
Of course, no autumn/winter outing is complete without a thorough knowledge of weather forecasts and the right equipment for the conditions you'll encounter on the day of the outing. If you follow these few tips, you'll be able to spend some great days on the water without it being a hassle. Having fun on the water is the most important thing, so get equipped and don't put your kayaks in winter storage.
