Fishing with vopi next to fish farm

[fiz100]

Hi guys,

was just wondering whether fishing with vopi from next to one of the fish farms in St. Paul's Bay/Ghadira area is successful. If yes, what sort of tackle do you use/size of hook and do you use the whole fish as bait or cut in pieces?
What fish should you expect to catch? Thanks

[jean]

Do you mean fishing off a boat? If you are going to be fishing of a boat ot trawling then I'm not the right person to give advice yet if you are going to be fishing of land try the following.

I have never really tried vopi, basically dont really like trying to catch them. I usually use sardines which i fillet and hook up. Basically sardine is a very oily fish and that oiliness lets of a scent which attacts nice predetars when bottom fishing, or fishing in mid water. On the other hand, if you are going to be fishing with live bait and have the patience to catch them, go to a port and try and catch some small mullets (bobin). These fish also have the same kind of oiliness and the advantage is that they are very very hardy, so when you hook them they stand to live longer. Just watch out that when you hook them you dont hit the spinal bone (the big one along the whole fish). It you want you can try use one of those bibi needles. You can either use a two hook system on the same line and hook one from the mouth and an other from the area close to the tail. Or with a one hook system, try hooking just under the dorsal fin since predetars usually tend to get the fish that would be injured right from the middle. If you are going to be bottom fishing with a single hook, paternoster style, then see that the hook will be way off the ground/ way up from the lead, since predetors tend to be more top/ midwater swimming fish.

[placebo]

Do you think trolling with live bobin can give good results when trolling from a boat? Have anyone ever tried them?

i tried other baits such as sawrell and kahlija and have proven good, but what about bobin?

i tried bobin a couple of times but never got a strike!

what do you think? I was thinking that such fish are not smelly such as sardines, squids ....and the long list......

in the same time thay are very east to catch and plentiful. They would cost a hell lot of time trying to catch sawrell and other baits early morning.

[jean]

The use them quite successfully in italy, even with mullets (around 20 cm in size) for trolling. The place a small hook on the mouth and another on the do back and trol with them. The also use them for surfcasting trying to catch fish like the pesce serra and barracudas. I never treid them for long, but they seem to produce good results.

[placebo]

i have tried them for a couple of times but a good friend of mine from MXlokk always told me they are not good. To tell u the truth he never convinced me and i must try some harder. Usually i catch sawrell in early morning and always had good results.

the only problem is that sawrell is not very good and after some 15mins you have to change fish as normally it dies!

if i suceed with small mullet it will be surely better as they are more resistant to hooks.

yep for serra they are surely good as that fish eats everything even dead bait!

[jean]

On the website 2anglers.it they mention them as good bait. Both the live ones and also pieces wrapped with the silicone line around a hook. For the latter they put the flesh on the outside (unlike sardines with the skin on the outside) and they state that the oiliness of the fish attacts predetors.

I never tried them as dont have the patience to catch them but would love to give them a shot. Moreover, would love to catch a serra on the rod cause they say its a hell of a buzz. Whats the ideal conditions to catch this fish?

One other thing I would like to ask, I know that for spinning the ideal is sunrise/ sunset. Yet was anyone successful fishing from 11pm onwards? where is best and what spinners? 

[placebo]

hi jean tks for info.
it's not that difficult to catch the small bubin! I use a big glass jar (the typical nescafe big one) and use a piece of cloth instead of the lid. i do a small hole in the cloth and use some flour on the cloth. i go to shallow places where there is bubin and that is some fun!

i keep bubin alive overnight using an aerator.

regarding spinning i have some places but it's only from JAN to MAY that i do spinning! in summer i leave everything and do only boat fishing.

I go to Marsa Ras Hanzir or else Sengle point. Those 2 places i find very good. Although i do not catch monsters nowadays!

I've been spinning for around 10 years now and that was a time when no one ever had a clue that lures worked in Malta from shores! that was a time wehn i used to catch some big ones my friend!

I know also that zurrieq is a very good place and also Ghar Lapsi. I notice that such places are good because there's some street lights which make the area perfect for spinning.

If u intend testing your lures go in sunrise or sunset. Personally i never caught in other times of the day - maybe beacuse i never tried!

As lures there's a big variety that u can use.

This year i got some lures from CHina (ebay) and are perfect models of the rapala XRap and yozuri's. I got them for a very cheap price and were very succesful!

try get some lures from EBAY for a good price and go test in our waters!

If u want to buy some good ones from local shops there's the yozuri and rapalas which are surely very good. i love to be in the range of 8 - 10gms and not deep sinkers.

So if you are going for rapala try the XRAP or original floaters.

if you're choosing YOzuri - go for clown minnow or else the pin's minnow.