Fish
Oplegnathus punctatus ・ イシダイ科
More southerly than the striped knifejaw, and at its best from early summer into autumn as the water warms. It is a bottom fishery on rock marks with strong flow. Old fish go white around the mouth, are called kuchijiro, and are treated as a class apart.
A reef fish speckled all over with black spots like a stone wall. It ranges further south than the Barred Knifejaw. With age the mouth turns white, earning it the name kuchijiro, or white lips.
Targeted from rocky shores with strong current using a bottom rig baited with sea urchin such as gangaze. Anglers use a 5-5.4m ishidai rod with a conventional reel, and the season runs from spring to autumn.
A bottom fishery: place a sea urchin such as gangaze against submerged rock, set the rod in a holder, and wait. The urchins and shellfish used as bait are usually covered by fishery rights, so buy them or obtain permission. On a mark you reach by boat, a life jacket and spiked boots are the baseline, and you do not go alone.
Waters: Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Okinawa & Nansei Islands
Surf casting kit ・ Kit total ¥22,000–60,000
You are swinging a heavy sinker, so checking behind you and keeping distance from others is the core of safety here. The cap and glasses are included as eye protection.
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This fish is dangerous to handle bare-handed.
Toxic flesh
Large fish grown on southern reefs have been recorded in Japan as carrying ciguatoxin accumulated through their food. Poisoning brings numbness of the mouth and limbs, diarrhoea and joint pain, along with a reversal of temperature sensation in which cold objects feel like an electric shock, and recovery can take a long time. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking and cannot be seen or tasted. Larger fish are considered the riskier ones, so do not take a big specimen home, and check whether any advisory has been issued for the area you are fishing. Seek medical care if you feel unwell after eating.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
Sharp teeth
As with the striped knifejaw, the teeth are fused into plates strong enough to crush sea urchins and turban shells. A finger placed inside can be injured to the bone, so always unhook it with pliers.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
This fish has toxic parts, so no preparation advice is given. Pufferfish handling requirements vary by prefecture. Follow Ministry of Health guidance and never prepare a self-caught pufferfish as an amateur.
The sea urchins and shellfish used as bait are usually covered by fishery rights, and taking them yourself can be an offence, so buy your bait or obtain the cooperative's permission. Access to the marks themselves is normally controlled by a ferry operator.
Yugyoken and fishing rights — the sea and the rivers are governed differently
This article organises general information and is not legal advice. Rules differ by municipality and by fishery cooperative, and they change. Always check the current rules for where you are going.
Seasons, sizes and eating quality are general guides. Rules change, so check the latest prefectural, fishery-cooperative and site rules before fishing. This app provides general information, not legal advice.