Fish
Stephanolepis cirrhifer ・ Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Numbers come in summer, while size and liver improve from autumn into winter. The fish thins before spawning in spring and feeds hard in early summer, so it has two seasons: one for the flesh and one for the liver.
A diamond-shaped, laterally flattened fish, blue-grey to brown with faint mottling. Its name means "skin peeler": the rough hide strips off by hand. Males can be told from females by the second dorsal ray, which trails out like a thread. Its tiny puckered mouth makes it an expert bait thief, and the liver — fattest in autumn and winter — is prized as the foie gras of the sea.
From a boat the standard is a dropper rig baited with shucked asari clam, peaking from October to December. It can also be worked close in along breakwaters. Notorious for stripping the bait without getting hooked.
It is normal for the bait to vanish without a bite ever registering. Drop to a small filefish hook, around size four, and cut the bait to a centimetre with nothing hanging off. Tap the sinker on the bottom and lift into the moment the rod tip springs back.
Areas: Tokyo Bay
Waters: Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast, Seto Inland Sea, East China Sea & western Kyushu
On a day when the krill disappears without the float ever moving, this is usually the culprit. Read the faint pre-bite through the rod tip rather than the float, and if you still cannot hook it, go down a hook size and bury the hook in the bait. It gathers along weed edges.
Waters: Southern Pacific coast, Seto Inland Sea, East China Sea & western Kyushu
Chonage starter kit ・ Kit total ¥11,000–24,000
A compact rod travels by train. Jarime is the easiest bait to handle.
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This fish is dangerous to handle bare-handed.
Sharp teeth
The small mouth holds strong teeth that bite through leader, and a finger placed inside gets nipped. Take the hook out with pliers.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
Sharp spines
The first dorsal spine is thick and locks upright once raised. It goes deep into the palm of a hand closed around the fish, so look at where the spine is before you take hold.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
The point of it is sashimi with the liver whisked into the soy. The liver swells from autumn into winter and is small in summer; do not use liver that is past its best, and slice the flesh thin.
Best eating: January, June–August, November, December
Some prefectures set a minimum size in their fishery regulations. Check the rules where you are going.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
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.