Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the garfish
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See the fishing tripsThe Garfish
Spring and summer
30 cm
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this species this month?
The Garfish belongs the Belonidae family. It measures from 30 cm to more than one meter and can weigh up to 5 kg, the average weight being around 400 g. It has a lifespan of about 10 years. It breeds from Mai to June. The female lays thousands of eggs.
The Garfish is a fish with a very tapered body of oval cross-section. The head extends into a long beak formed by two thin jaws armed with sharp teeth. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the upper jaw. The nostrils are located in a depression in front of the eyes. The ventral fins are located approximately in the middle of the body, the caudal fin is very indented, the dorsal and anal fins are very far back, at the same level. The back of the dorsal fin is the same height as the back of the anal fin. The caudal peduncle has a strong hull. The very low lateral line is on the belly and not on the sides like other fish. The back is a dark blue-green, the sides are silvery, the belly white, the edges green.
The Garfish lifestyle
The Garfish are carnivorous and feed on small fish (sand eels, anchovies, sprats, sardines), crustaceans, marine worms and plankton. They catch their prey through the beak.
Spawning takes place in early May and continues until the end of June, near the shoreline. The female lays a few thousand eggs with filaments, which allows them to cling to marine plants or floating objects. Larvae hatch with a short beak that elongates during growth, first the lower jaw and then the upper jaw. Sexual maturity is reached at around 5 or 6 years of age.
The Garfish habitat
The Garfish are a daytime coastal species that are often found in loose groups near the surface.
This species can be found in all European seas, in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, in the North and Atlantic Seas, from the Canary Islands to the Norwegian coast.
The Garfish angling
The reproductive period of the garfish is spring and part of summer, more precisely between May and July. It then approaches the coast to lay its eggs near the rocks. That's when you can easily catch it. It is best to fish by day because the benches are flush with the surface and are easily spotted.
The Garfish can be fished with natural bait or lures. For natural baits, you can use worms or fish such as anchovies, herring, mackerel or sardines. The recommended techniques are the free line, the float, the bait throwing, the drifting with the small sharp and the drifting with the dead-handed.
For lures, you can use hard plastic lures (jerkbait, stickbait, crankbait, longbill minnow, swimbait), soft lures (slug and finess shad), metal lures (fine undulating spoon, spin tail jig and blade, heavy spoon, jig,), troll lures (soft slow troll lures, trolling fish, light whistling jets) or feathers and flies. The lure techniques for fishing for garfish are jigging, hard lure throwing, soft lure throwing, buldo and pull, fly, slow deep dragging and medium speed dragging on hunts.
