Dentex fishing
The dentex (Dentex dentex) is a common saltwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sometimes they appear in the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal. They have very strong teeth to feed on fish, squid and mollusca.
Dentex are a great species for sportfishing and are targetted mainly trolling or drifting with live bait. Squid or cutle fish are irresistable for these predators. A downrigger is a must to fish close to the bottom. Trolling artificial lures with intense colours (yellow, pink...) close to the bottom can also produce great fish. Drifting, a big weight can keep the bait close to the bottom. Jigging is another technique to fish for detex. They live around rocky areas, wrecks and reefs. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
Top Dentex Fishing destinations
Distributed throughout the subtropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal, the dentex live in inshore waters up to 100m deep. The best dentex fishing destinations are Spain (Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Costa del Sol, Alicante area), France (Mediterranean), Italy (Sardinia, Sicily, Imperia...), Montenegro and Croatia.
How to fish for Dentex
You can fish for Dentex from the boat or from the coast, using trolling live bait and vertical jigging techniques on the boat and spinning and live bait from the coast especially from the cliffs.
Spinning and live bait from the shore is a common technique in the warmer month, probably the cheapest way to fish for Dentex.
Strips of squid, cuttlefish together with the tentacles and the shrimps are good for Dentex that do not exceed the kg, and live bait is more suitable for adult fish.
Good to eat Dentex
Dentex is very good to eat and there is high market demand in popular fishing locations around the world. In Europe, it's a highly valued table fish in the Mediterranean regions such as Spain, France and parts of Italy.
Regulations for catching Dentex
The regulation for catching a dentex is 30cm (12 inches) or 15 fish in some places and you don’t need a license for fishing in the sea. There is no proper regulation for this species although there should be because the population has declined at least 50% within three-generation and fishing effort is not expected to decrease in the near future.
Other Fish Species similar to Dentex
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The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
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Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
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Grouper is common name for all the bass-looking-fish from the Epinephelinae Family. This family also includes sea bass by the way. Grouper are colorful predators who like to live in rocky areas, reefs, wrecks where they can hide.
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The meagre (Argyrosomus regius) - also known as croaker or corvina in Spanish - is a great silver colored sport fish found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Meagre use to feed on squid, crustaceans, sardines and mullet in inshore waters like estuaries and coastal lagoons. This species can become huge! Meagre can grow to 2m (80 in) in length and 50 kg (110 lb) in weight.
MORE INFO >Meagre
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The pink dentex (Dentex gibbosus) is a saltwater fish distributed from Portugal to Angola, Canary Islands and the warmer areas of the Mediterranean Sea such as southern Spain and the Gibraltar Strait area, Morocco, southern Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. The larger fish are 1,2 m long and can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb).
MORE INFO >Pink Dentex
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Best Dentex Fishing Charters
Twin Peche Sportive
Golfe Juan, French Riviera (France)
21,33 ft
4
El Alcantara
Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz (Spain)
25,59 ft
6
Red Tide
Puerto Banus, Marbella (Spain)
39,37 ft
10
Fishing Madness
Gibraltar, Strait of Gibraltar (Spain)
26,25 ft
4
Narwhal 580hd
Algeciras, Strait of Gibraltar (Spain)
19,69 ft
4