trolling time

[Simon G]

as most of you know the sea is warm now and the big palagic preditors are in so trolling with live bait or lures is a must now

any ideas about which lures or bait for which fish
eg red head for dentex

Simon G

[The Angler]

I am not an expert trawler myself but I am quite positive and have heard of very good results on the use of Downriggers. In my opinion the best live bait to use with the downrigger is the garpike. I used to catch garpike from all the shores around malta. I even used it as a bait on longlines with very positive results. The dentex goes mad for this fish and if you see all foreign magazines you can see that it is the top live bait in the med.

[The Angler]

The best hour for the downrigger is the first hour of the morning before sunrise but probably this is the best hour of most fishing methods.

Going back to the garpike, since the invasion of the barracudas along our coastal areas, its not as easy to find. I heard that they are still visible around the B'Bugia port. Usually they would show while fishing for bouges. While you are feeding, small mullets would cover the surface and there you would see them chasing the mullets. Apart from a small 5-6m pole to fish for the garpike, a very good system is also the controller float on a rod-reel system when you cannot reach the desired spot by the pole.

[placebo]

We fish garfish off Ghar Hasan with the boat. Never tried them for trolling. Used to use as bait for sargi.

In the last couple of years garfish are not so popular. I caught some last year from Gozo Mgarr Harbour on the outer part of the main pier using bombarda

[Simon G]

Hi guys
next to the tuna farms in stpauls bay is full of garfish

[ciappinu]

I used to notice plenty of Garfish last summer next to the tuna farms in St. Paul's bay. In my early days w use to hook them pretty easily, just using a rod, small hook and anything fleshy rippling on the water. However I'm not sure that will work out there. Any special techniques you guys know for cathching garfish? I know they are very good for Lampuki.

[Simon G]

i caught a couple using a bombarda , but the best method i found is using a 6mt hand rod with a 18 line and size 10 hook and drag it on the surface
they go mad for it
first i catch some vopi then i cut small slices about 1cm x5mm long and use that as bait

to attracht them i use tuna fish and spread it on the surface

might i add the first one you catch rig it up and let it swim around the boat you might never know whats around

good luck