Sea fishing in Europe

Sea fishing in Europe — with a coastline of more than 160,000 kilometres in total (i.e. more than 4 times around the globe), European coastal waters offer ambitious anglers just about everything they could wish for. Whether in Arctic regions (e.g. Norway, Iceland, Greenland) or in Mediterranean climes (e.g. Spain or Croatia) – every sport angler will get their money’s worth here. An undeniable advantage here is that hardly any place is more than a 3-hour flight away from Germany, making the journey usually very easy.

Sea fishing in Europe, Global Fishing Adventures

The possible fishing techniques are as varied as the fishing grounds themselves: Whether deep-sea fishing with heavy tackle, light tackle with rubber fish, pilkers or natural bait, trolling, jigging, surface bait or fly fishing – everything is possible here and we give you precise information on which tackle you need at which location.

The different target fish could hardly be more diverse – therefore only a (very) small selection of what is possible in European waters can be shown here.

Sea fishing in Europe, Global Fishing Adventures

Halibut

The “King of the North Atlantic” is mainly caught in Norway, occasionally also in Iceland. It is the world’s largest flatfish and can grow to over 300 cm in length and weigh over 400 kg. Most specimen are of course much smaller, but even a “mere” 30 kg butt can deliver a thrilling fight on light tackle. Pilkers, rubber fish and natural bait (especially small haddock) are mainly used.

Bluefin tuna

A fish that is hard to beat in terms of fighting power — and therefore naturally the dream of many sea anglers. In Europe, the “BFT” is mainly found in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, but it is also found on the French Atlantic coast, for example. It is mainly fished with sardines or mackerel as bait. Chumming is very important, as the fish are constantly on the move in search of food. Normal specimens in the Mediterranean weigh 60-100 kg. However, fish in the 200-300 kg range are also regularly caught.

Bluefin tuna

A fish that is hard to beat in terms of fighting power – and therefore naturally the dream of many sea anglers. In Europe, the “BFT” is mainly found in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, but it can also be found on the French Atlantic coast, for example. It is mainly caught with sardines or mackerel as bait. Feeding is very important, as the fish are constantly on the move in search of food. Normal specimens in the Mediterranean weigh 60-100kg. However, fish weighing 200-300 kg are also regularly caught.

Sea fishing in Europe, Global Fishing Adventures

Ice shark (Greenland shark)

A fish of a thousand mysteries, because hardly any other finned fish is as unexplored as the ice shark. Scientists have long been puzzled by the age of the fish in particular – but it is generally agreed that large fish can have several hundred years under their belt. Imagine that: To have hooked a fish that may have been swimming the seas in Christopher Columbus’ time! In principle, it can be found in all Arctic waters in the northern hemisphere, but as it is a classic deep-sea predator that is often found in water depths of 500-1000 metres, it poses special challenges for the angler. In addition, the bait must be offered in a fixed place and the fish must be given plenty of time to find it. It’s like a game of patience, which is only possible in open water if you anchor the boat – and who does that in water depths of 500-1000 metres? For this reason, the absolute top area for ice sharks is Greenland in winter — namely when you can fish through the ice for Greenland sharks. Particularly strong-smelling natural baits (rotten fish or seal meat) are the order of the day, as the ice shark orientates itself almost exclusively through its sense of smell.

Sea fishing in Europe, Global Fishing Adventures

Most fish are almost blind due to parasites in their eyes – but they can pick up the scent of supposed food for kilometres. Very heavy tackle is called for here (at least 50-80 lbs) and long steel leaders. The ice shark is the largest fish in the world and can weigh up to around 2500kg. However, the specimens caught with a fishing rod so far have been significantly smaller – mostly in the 200-400 kg range. The current IGFA world record has stood at 775 kg since 1987. So there is still plenty of room for improvement…..

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