New Resident

[fasterfourever]

I have come to live on Gozo permanently and would like to know the techniques used to catch fish from the shore.
I am used to ledgering on the bottom around Scottish waters but this method has not produced any fish for me from the shores of Gozo.
I have fished from Hondoq Bay, Dahlet Qorrot, Marsalforn Pier and Reqqa Point but so far no luck.  I have seen people spinning but so far seen no fish with that technique either.  What am I doing wrong.
fasterfourever

[placebo]

use paternoster method or running ledger method using thin lines in the region of 0.16mm to 0.20mm

in gozo unfortunately not many shops stock live bait so look for at least red shrimps from fish shops.

the best bait is either yabbies or ragworm but i do not think they have them in gozo except from ragworms (only in summer)

try asking Seafront shop owner or Teddy from Victoria Gozo (shop opposite Arcadia some 100mtr down the road)

else you can log on to our webpage www.ksfamalta.org and maybe you can get more information and thecniques.

[fasterfourever]

thanks placebo, I'm trying all the normal ledgering and paternostering tactics but I'm not even getting a bite.
I have been float fishing as well and also and spinning but nothing takes.
Been using sardine and red prawn/shrimp.
Do you know the depth at xwieni salt pans or xlendi tower.  Xwieni seems to be around 100 meters deep right from the edge and never fished xlendi yet.
I have caught small things using pole and small baits (lizard fish and some fish with blue marks on their bellies) at hondoq bay but I wish to target bigger fish species to enhance my experience.
I believe that I am fishing in the best areas because i am invariably surrounded by local anglers when I fish although they are perhaps understandably tight with any information on best practice for the particular area.
Can you be a bit more exact about location of "Seafront shop", have found teddy and staff to be very helpful with lure and bait info but so far no fish are coming to me.
I have always been the one who had to try extra hard for fish so I dont expect things to be different just coz I now fish the med but it would be encouraging if I could find a technique that worked.
I think this forum is spot on with its presentation and delivery.
Tight lines everyone. fasterfourever

[placebo]

if u intend float fishing try IMGARR port near the yacth berths for mullet. i suggest bread flake as bait.
sorry but i never fished Xwieni salt pans. Xlendi is good for bottom fish and bream locally known as KAHLI but that will need some old school beacause it is a very tricky fish.

I advice you start paternoster using 0.18 monos on hooks and 0.20 - 0.25 line in reel. Use size 10 hooks or smaller. Preferably use ragworm as bait (ask teddy). i am not sure if he gets ragworm in winter but in summer i'm sure he's stocked every week. There are also some new frost dried ragworm in the market you can get from Teddy and they are also good. I used such bait last summer in Gozo in Mgarr harbour and was quite succesful as I landed a plenty of 100gms to 500gms breams using the running ledger method.

Seafront - i think is closed in winter. It is a small shop located in a side street in Marsalforn near the Elektra hotel / guesthouse. If u manage to discover who is the shop's owner I can assure he will give you good tips on spinning with lures from Qbajjar (saltpans area just off marsalforn area)

Qbajjar is also good for bottom fish. you can target 500gms to 1.5kgs parrto fish and other breams and rock bottom fish. There's also a plenty of Bogues (vopi) which are very good to eat (deep fried)

keep on trying and i am sure you will discover the right methods in the near future, but do not expect you will get very big fish! A good place to try some spinning is for klamari (squid) from the MGARR rock pier. You have to use squid jigs. The correct method is to cast using a med action rod and retrieve very slowly.

Gozo is a fisherman's paradise when you discover the correct methods/ bait as it is not overfished like Malta. We always get good record catches when we fish the area in competitions.

in the meantime tight lines,
cya

adrian...