Gilt-head Bream fishing
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).
Gilt-head bream usually feed in shallow coastal waters up to 30m deep, however, they head to deeper waters up to 150m depth to spawn. These fish like sandy bottoms with rocky areas where they feed on moluscs, worms and other invertebrates.
The best way to catch gilt-head bream is bottom fishing. A single hook rig with a weight on the bottom works best. Gilt-head bream are very wary, so it's important to use a long fluorocarbon leader (20 pound test for example). Great baits are worms, mussles, crab and squid.
Top Gilt-head Bream Fishing destinations
Distributed throughout the subtropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal, gilt-head bream live in inshore waters up to 30 m deep. The best gilt-head bream fishing destinations are Spain (Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Costa del Sol, Alicante area), France (Mediterranean), Italy (Sardinia, Sicily, Imperia...), Montenegro and Croatia.
Other Fish Species similar to Gilt-head Bream
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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.
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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).
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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).
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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.
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Best Gilt-head Bream Fishing Charters
