Recommended equipment
A fairly long telescopic rod, 4 to 5âeuros¯m, light and powerful, will enable you to control the line and fight nervous fish. For the reel, a size 2500 to 3000, fitted with 30/100 nylon, well balanced to avoid unnecessary effort. Finish with a 60âeuros¯Ã 80 cm leader in 26/100 or less if the water is clear.
The float should be sliding and tapered for discretion in calm seas (8 to 12âeuros¯g), more stocky and supportive in rough seas (15 to 25âeuros¯g). The choice of hook is not to be taken lightly: a strong iron hook, special for sea bream or chinu, n°4 or 2 depending on the size of the bait will be necessary.
Effective baits
- A variety of baits can be used for float fishing:
- Marine worms (American, chickweed, bibi)
- Shrimps, crabs, mussels, shellfish pieces
- Crushed sardines for priming
Fishing technique
The best way is to fish from a fixed position, baiting regularly with a groundbait based on flours and crushed sardines to attract sparids. Of course, you'll need to adapt the float's lift to sea conditions and try to place the bait flush with the bottom or in the water layer frequented by fish, often near rocks or dykes.
Shoeing should be done quickly, as the bites can be very hard, especially on sar.
Tips and advice
- Use a long-handled landing net to secure the catch.
- Balance the float so that the fish feels no resistance.
- Bait little but often to keep the fish on the move.
Fishing in choppy water
Float fishing from shore gives very good results when the water is choppy. This is because the various sparids come closer to the shore to feed and are less wary. You'll need to fish close to dykes, rocks, oyster beds or surf zones, where sparids naturally find food stirred up by the agitation of the water.
In such conditions, fishing will be carried out using a stubby, buoyant float with sufficient lift to keep it visible and stable despite waves and current. In addition, a long leader will be necessary so that the bait will fly naturally close to the rocks or in the turbulence zone, where the sparidae come to feed under the foam. In this particular case, try using strong, attractive baits such as marine worms, shrimps, shellfish, pieces of sardine or cuttlefish.
Float fishing for sparids is accessible, fun and highly productive if you adapt your equipment and baits to current conditions.
