It runs a step behind the makogarei that come in late autumn: here the season is the depth of winter and the returning fish of spring. Larger ones will enter brackish water at river mouths, and as the water warms in early spring they turn up surprisingly shallow.
About
It has no scales; instead, hard bony plates like stones line its body, which is what its Japanese name means. Large ones make excellent sashimi.
Basics
Scientific name
Kareius bicoloratus
Family
Pleuronectidae (Righteye Flounders)
Japanese name
イシガレイ
Kana
いしがれい
Waters
Hokkaido & Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast
Size
35 cm (max 60 cm)
Time of day
Dawn, Daytime
Depth (tana)
On the bottom, and it favours ground where stone and rip-rap break up the sand, so accept a few snags and work the rig right in to the edge.
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How to catch it
Comes alongside makogarei in autumn and winter surfcasting. It grows large and pulls hard; sea worms fished over sand and mud are the standard approach.
Fish a single thick iwaisome worm and aim deliberately at the bigger fish. It pulls harder than a makogarei and the hook can tear out if you lift it, so net anything over forty centimetres.
In early spring they follow the murky brackish water right into the shallows of an estuary. Ten or twenty metres from the sea wall is far enough, so worry about placing the rig on the drop-off rather than about distance.
Waters: Sea of Japan, Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast
Kit for this fish
Surf casting kit ・ Kit total ¥22,000–60,000
Surf rod, 4.25 m, 27-gouA true surf rod for launching heavy sinkers to distant ground. Always check behind you before casting.¥8,000–30,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Spinning reel, size 3000For surf casting and live-bait fishing: holds more line and stands up to mid-sized fish.¥5,000–18,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Nylon line, 3-gou (about 12 lb)For sabiki and hole fishing. Thick enough to resist abrasion on rock and to horse a rockfish straight up.¥600–2,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Jet tenbin sinker, 15-25 gouThe long-range sinker for surf casting. It lifts as you retrieve, which reduces snags.¥300–900AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Whiting rig (2-3 hooks)A surf rig of small, fine-wire hooks matched to the small mouth of Japanese whiting.¥300–900AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Flounder rig (single-arm sinker, 2 hooks, attractor beads)A winter surf rig; the fluorescent beads make it visible in coloured water.¥400–1,200AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Aoisome (green sandworm / Nereis)The most versatile worm bait, usable for chonage, surf, hole and float fishing alike. Its movement is the attraction, so do not cut it too short.¥500–1,200AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Rod stand / tripodFor resting a rod during surf fishing. A rod laid on the ground damages its guides and can be washed away.¥2,000–10,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Cool box, 15-20 LFor carrying fish home cold. Take plenty of ice; in summer a poorly insulated box is not fit for the job.¥4,000–25,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Life jacket, adult (Japan Craft Inspection approved)The first thing to buy, and worn on piers, rocks and boats alike. Boat fishing requires the government-approved type marked with the cherry-blossom stamp.¥5,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
Cap and polarised sunglassesAlso safety equipment, protecting your eyes from a flying rig. Polarised lenses additionally let you read the bottom.¥2,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
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.
Product links may be affiliate links. Prices move, so treat the ranges as a guide.
Sashimi, simmered, or deep-fried. It runs bigger and thicker in the fillet than makogarei, and the early-summer sashimi, once the fish has recovered from spawning, is highly regarded.
Best eating: May–August
Rules
Check the prefectural fishery regulation. If you are fishing for them up in a river mouth, check as well whether that stretch counts as inland water.
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.
