
Blondie
Blanes, Costa Brava (ES)
Girona is the Catalan Province in northern Spain that borders France and the Mediterranean Sea. It's capital, also called Girona, is known for its culinary creativity, the painted houses overlooking the river and its immense culture and historic heritage.
Sea fishing in Girona province is one of the favorite activities from both locals and visitors. Villages such as Sant Feliu de Guixols, Palamós, Rosas, Lloret de Mar, Calella, L'Escala, Blanes or Tossa de Mar have an intense relationship with the Mediterranean Sea.
Inshore fishing can produce fish such as amberjack, leerfish, bonito, dentex and bluefish. Offshore fishing pelagic species such as bluefin tuna, spearfish and swordfish can be caught.
The province of Girona has a several Natural Parks: Parque Natural de Cap de Creus, the Parque Natural de Els Aiguamolls de l'Empordà and the Parque Natural de El Montgrí, the Illes Medes and the Baix Ter. These parks have a tremendous amount of biodiversity and are of uncoutable value. The same happens at the coasts of Girona and the Costa Brava. The underwater life in Palagrugell, Cadaqués, Blanes, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Tossa or Calella is just staggering.
The waters of Girona are home to hundreds of fish species, sea turtles and cetaceans. Here are our top 5 fish species for sea fishing in Girona.
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. They live around rocky areas, wrecks and reefs. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
Amberjack is considered a hard fighting and tough fish to land for many fishermen around the world. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. They grow to a maximum size of to 170 lb (80 kg).
The Bluefin Tuna is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
Blackspot seabream is one of the most appreciated fish in the spanish cuisine. They live in deep waters and can be caught jigging (inchiku with squid tentacles) or with cut bait. They can grow up to 70 cm and weigh up to 4 kg.
Leerfish are generally found in small and loose groups rather than large schools of fish. They can grow up to 1,70m (5.5ft) and weigh up to 25kg (55lb). Popping, spinfishing, trolling artificials, dead or live bait in shallow murky waters near beaches and estuaries, are the best way to fish for leerfish.
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 jigging. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
The Little tunny or False Albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) is easily identified by the dark spots under its pectoral fins. They like warm temperate and tropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The larger Little Tunny weigh up to 35lb and can reach 1,2m.
Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a rapid fish species known for being great hunters. They have striping on their backs with silver-coloured undersides and they grow up to 30 inches long. They have a hydrodynamic body shape, even more so than larger tuna.
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).
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.
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or simply mackerel have a great back with irregular black bands. They're very common and like the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean. Mackerel are typically between 25-35cm.
The Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is known by anglers as being a fast, aggressive and strong fish of the ocean. They are fun to target and give a real challenge to anyone who comes across them while fishing. They inhabit temperate and subtropical waters around the world. Bluefish have extremely powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth. They can grow over a meter and weigh over 10kg.
The leerfish (Lichia amia) is known by anglers as being a fast, aggressive and strong fish of the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal waters from Western Africa to south Africa. Leerfish are generally found in small and loose groups rather than large schools of fish. They can grow up to 1,70m (5.5ft) and weigh up to 25kg (55lb).
The sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is for many sport fishermen a trophy fish because of the nice fight they offer but also because they're an excellent eating fish. Sea bass, also known as European bass, are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from northern Norway to Senegal, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. They can grow up to 1 metre and weigh up to 12kg.
The horse mackerle (Trachurus trachurus) is a common species found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe from Norway to South Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean to Mozambique. They are normally between 20 and 30 cm, although the larger fish can grow up to 70 cm and weigh around 2-3kg.
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a migratory, live-bearing shark that feeds mainly on smaller fish and squid. They can be found in all the oceans and sees around the world.
The northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a popular fish often caught reef fishing in the Atlantic waters of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and also the Caribbean. This sought-after game fish can reach 1 m and weight up to 50lb.
Gilt-head Bream (Sparus aurata) is a common species in the Mediterranean Sea and also in the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to Cape Verde. Popular in the Mediterranean cuisine, the fish is easily recognized by the gold bar marking between its eyes. The largest gilt-head bream are 1 metre long and can weigh up to 7kg (15lb).
The the European barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena) is also known as the Mediterranean barracuda. This predator is common in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They can grow up to 1,65m and weigh over 3,5kg.
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.
The common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) is a type of snapper, common in the Meditarranea Sea, but is also present in the eastern Atlantic coastal areas from Cape Verde to Scandinavia. The biggest pandora can grow up to 50cm (20 inch).
The Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). The biggest Bluefin Tuna every caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
Spring is a great time for inshore trolling for horse mackerel, bonito, bluefish and seabass. In March, April and May are the best months for top water fishing for bluefin tuna. They form huge frenzies (sometimes pretty close to shore) and the fish can be caught trolling and casting poppers, stickbait and jigs.
Fishing in Girona during the summer is the perfect time to fish for bluefin tuna chumming. Cap de Creus, Blanes or Palamos feature impressive canyons off the coast where the seafloor plunges to over 1500 meters deep.
Autumn is trolling time in Girona. With light tackle and small lures you'll be able to catch tuna, mackerel, frigate tuna, little tunny and dolphinfish among others. Close to the beaches, ports and estuaries bluefish and leerfish will attack dead bait.
Fishing in Girona in winter is mostly bottom fishing. Using cut bait (squid, sardine, octopus) you'll catch sea bream, snapper, jack, conger eel, scorpion fish and many other bottom feeders.
Apart from fishing in Girona you can also go cycling, kite surfing or windsurfing in Blanes or Sant Pere Pescador, mountain biking, wine tasting experience, snorkelling & diving, sailing, hiking and much much more.
Enjoy the local food in the hundreds of bars & restaurants of the area.
For sea fishing in Girona (and also for fresh water fishing) you need a license, which can be obtained on the website from the Generalitat de Catalunya:
Remember that the fishing charters in Girona normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.