
Go Fishing Adventure
Sesimbra, Lisbon (PT)
Fishing in Lisbon is definitely a bucket lister for many tourists who visit Portugal's capital. Lisbon is the gate to the Atlantic Ocean and offers good i...
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Fishing in Lisbon is definitely a bucket lister for many tourists who visit Portugal's capital. Lisbon is the gate to the Atlantic Ocean and offers good inshore and offshore fishing.
Good fishing charters can be found in Cascais (20 minutes north of Lisbon) and in Sesimbra (30 minutes south). The most sought after species are Snapper, Dentex, Seabream, European Seabass, Blue Shark, Mako Shark & Tuna.
Productive techniques during your fishing trip in Lisbon are bottom fishing, vertical jigging or chumming. Bottom fishing is mostly done with cut bait such as squid, sardines, shrimp or worms. With this technique species like scorpion fish, sea bream, jack, skate and other reef fish can be targeted.
Jigging is great to fish for dentex, pink dentex, sea bass, grouper, john dory and amberjack. Jigs or inchiku ranging from 30 grams to 150 grams will do the job.
Shark are caught chumming. Offshore a trail of cut fish is used to attrackt Mako Shark & Blue Shark.
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 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.
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).
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 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).
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 Red Scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa) live in sandy and rocky areas from 20 to 180 meters deep. They are found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean between the British Isles to Senegal, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. The species can grow to a maximum length of 50 cm (20 in) and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). Red scorpion fish feed on small fish, as well as crustaceans and molluscs.
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 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 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).
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 Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is probably the most wanted fish in the sport fishing world. The magnificent fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. Blue Marlin is mainly caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
The White Marlin (Kajikia albida) is a very nice predator which can be caught off shore in warmer waters. This powerful fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. They can be caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
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.
The Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) has large eyes and long pectoral fins. This is why this species is also known as longfin tuna. The largest Albacore can reach up to 140 cm (4.6ft) and weigh up to 40 kg (90lb).
The skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) have a strong body with black stripes on the side. The largest skipjack tuna can reach up to 100 cm (40 inch) and weigh up to 10 kg (22 lb). Skipjack are mainly caught trolling lures.
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.
Black bass (Micropterus) is a common name for several species like the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass for example. Famous for its great fighting skills, they are a very sought after game fish. Black bass are found in fresh water in the Canada, United States, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and France. Black bass are mostly caught spinfishing. They can grow up to 60 cm / 25 in.
Carp (Cyprinus carpio) originally come from Asia, but since ages they are native to Europe. In the Middle Ages, monks introduced carp into ponds and lakes for food. Carp thrive in virtually any environment and can grow up to 80lb! Carp fishing is extremely popular in the U.K. and in Western Europe.
Catfish are a diverse group of fish which have one thing in common: their barbels. They exist in all kinds of colours and sizes, ranging from the Mekong giant catfish in Asia, the wels catfish in Eurasia to the piraiba in South America. Catfish are the largest freshwater fish and they can grow up to 5m and weigh over 300kg!!
The zander (Sander lucioperca) is a sought after game fish in Europe and western Asia. It's a common fresh water fish distributed from Spain to Finland and from Britain to Kazakhstan. They can be caught with spinfishing, dead bait and live bait fishing. Zander can grow bigger than 1 meter and weigh up to 15kg.
A Flounder is a flatfish and several species are distinguished. They camouflage themself by lying on the bottom of the ocean floor to ambush their prey and also as protection against predators.
Flounder are very good eating fish and can grow up to 60 centimeters (20 inch).
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 ever caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
The fishing in Lisbon is great all year round, if the weather allows to go out on the sea. Obviously in Spring, Summer & Autumn the Ocean is calmer than in the Winter. But also in Winter you can enjoy a great fishing trip in Lisbon.
Wander downhill through Alfama's steep, narrow, cobblestoned streets. Visit the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Torre de Belém. Experience the historic city centre and the unique Lisbon neighbourhoods using tramway network.
Visit villiages such as Cascais, Sintra, Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos.
Go surfing or windsurfing in Praia do Guincho, a stunning beach set within the dramatic scenery. And don't miss Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe.
You need a fishing license to go fishing in Lisbon. Some fishing charters in Lisbon already have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.
Other boats sell a daily fishing license for 5€ on board.