any tips for catching diplodus sargus?

[sargu xih]

Hi All!  I'm new to this forum, but not new to the amazing, addictive world of fishing.

For the past year I have been experimenting on ways and techniques to fish sargi (diplodus sargus).
I go fishing for sargi during the night, starting from May up to end October.
To be sincere I had little success in catching sargi from coasts around Malta.  I spent endless nights not having even one take, with the bait still on hook starting from 8pm up to 4am in the morning.  However, last year in mid-September on a windy and rainy night my friend and I caught 6 nice sargi (one of which was huge) from the Blue Lagoon, Comino. 
My questions are:  is it that sargi like sandy bottoms since Blue Lagoon's bottom is all sand?
                          should the sea be rough for better results?
I use a size 4 long-legged hook,  and pieces of squid as bait.  Any other better options??
Which are the best places for catching sargi - sandy, rocky, a mixture?

Thanks for your suggestions,

Sargu Xih.

[ciappinu]

Hi.

If you want to catch Sargi, then you need Hniex ta l-imperjal and preferably a full moon. Don't try Hniex tal Korea, not good for Sargi Night Fishing.

Comino is one of the best places for Sargi, with very large shoals on the northern side. With a hniex ta l-imperjal, you cannot go wrong. Since it is expensive, plan it with a friend and spend a weekend fishing for them. I have had great success with Hniex ta l-imperjal, and caught some nice big ones. It would also be a good idea to chum the place with a couple of broken rizzi during the day.

Leonard.

[placebo]

also good for sargi are the red shrimps. I fish for sargi in mossy waters (fir rima) during both night and day. I had succesive tries with red shrimps as in some places it gave bettter results than Hniex tal -imperjal! I frequent mostly MSkala (Zonqor) from September to December. In that particular place i found it is better using whole red shrimps on a big sized hook instead of hniex. for this type of fishing i use my pole rod 7-9mtrs with a medium sized tip.

Korean is not bad that much. I think that 3 times i caught nice sized sargi (500gms - 1kg) from ports with Korean ragworm. It is not good as tal imperjal or ckal but it gives also good results at times. I use the bombarda rig for this type of fishing. It also gives good results for all types of bream including the elusive KAHLIJA....sometimes. One may also consider using yabbies (ckal)

Another good bait for sargi is cheese! especially in summer this type of bait (cheddar cheese) tends to release oil as the sea is high in temperatures. Especially for port fishing this bait is very good. All you need is a big sized hook and cheese (i use cheddar) on a reel rod. I prefer the long pater noster method when using this bait.

[The_Gaffer]

I have very fond memories fishing for sargi with my dad, inside and outside the grand harbour. Our best bait was ckal and hniex tal palella. Sargi, as the maltese saying goes, are very wise and cunning fish. You need great patience and skill for that kind of fishing. Size 25 line and long shank hooks. If using ckal, bait from the rear and bring the hook out from the breast, that way the ckal remains alive and attracts the sargu. There were times when I would just feel a slight thug on the line, I knew it was a sargu, and I'd know he'd be down there starring at the bait, waiting and seeing. Then, pang, he'd swallow the bait and make a run for it. Best time is at night, and the use of flowocarbon line is worth it

[sargu xih]

Thanks for your suggestions!

The line I use for casting is high-resistance chromium (white in colour), and the hook attached to 0.25mm nylon.
Chromium has high visibility

I guess I have to change it to something less visible

[bigboy]

Guys at night dont bother on the diameter of the line and visibility because at night the line is not visible. I usullally like fishing for sargi on the sliema creek (fejn il captain morgans) and always fish with 0.40mm mono and always had great success. As for bait i use red shrimps, totli and clamaretti.

[benri]

Is red shrimp the common shrimp like the one used for vopi? What are totli and klamaretti please?

[bigboy]

red shrimps are the ones you buy for fishing hux. Totli are like squid but darker in colour and clamaretti are baby squid of maybe 5cm.

[benri]

i always fished for sargi with hniex ta l-imperjal. when you use shrimp to fish for sargi, do you take off the head and peel it like normal or leave it whole?

[bigboy]

i peel it and remove the head but i bait it whole

[benri]

thanks for the info mate.

[malliaa]

would you be using the prawn for reel or for rod fishing?

and if reel fishing, how do you manage to make the prawn remain on the hook when casting?

[sargu xih]

Soon I'm going to try L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha at night for sargi.  Will be using the single hook paternoster technique.  Whole red shrimp and klamaretti as bait.

Anyone knows if l-Ahrax is good for sargi?

[malliaa]

I haven't had any great success in that area, though i've only been once (using hniex)... and to be honest, the likelihood is that the lack of success was down to lack of skill more than anything else!!

[bigboy]

Ahrax is great