Fish
Epinephelus septemfasciatus ・ Epinephelidae (Groupers)
Juveniles hang around shallow rock, but as they grow they drop to reefs in fifty to two hundred metres. The boat season runs from spring to late autumn and is steadiest in early summer. It is said to eat best in summer, though winter demand for hotpots keeps its value high.
Young fish carry seven black bars that fade with age. It grows to a metre and is a luxury fish, served as sashimi or in hot pot.
Targeted from boats over rocky ground 50 to 200 meters down. A live sardine on a two-hook rig is the mainstay, while jigging and light tenya rigs work for smaller fish.
Wet your hands before hooking a live sardine so it stays lively, then drop to the bottom and wind up a metre or two. Give line until the fish has it, and only strike once the weight is there. The first few metres decide it, because a running fish heads straight for the rock.
Waters: Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Sea of Japan
Drop a jig of around two hundred grams to the bottom and work it in slow, wide sweeps through the first ten metres. The water is deep and the tide fast, so save your strength for the marks the skipper points out.
Waters: Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Sea of Japan
From the rocks you are realistically after middling fish. Drop a small horse mackerel or cardinalfish caught on the spot beside a submerged rock and wait on a tight line. Once hooked, the whole fight is about pulling it away from the reef.
Waters: Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Sea of Japan
Live-bait fishing kit ・ Kit total ¥25,000–60,000
The bait is normally caught on site with a sabiki rig, so bring that kit too. You need a bucket, ideally aerated, to keep the bait alive.
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This fish is dangerous to handle bare-handed.
Sharp spines
The dorsal spines are thick and hard and the gill covers are sharp-edged. No venom is recorded, but a large fish is powerful and trying to hold one bare-handed will cut you badly. On deck, clamp the jaw with a grip and use pliers on the hook.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
Sashimi, hotpot, or simmered. There is a gelatinous layer between skin and flesh that comes into its own blanched or in a pot, and the frame yields a fine stock.
Best eating: June–August
Check the local prefectural fishery regulation. Individual charter boats often set their own bag limits or release rules for small fish, so ask before you board.
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.