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Fishing in Sligo
What can I fish there ?Join our 82 fishermen in Sligo in County Sligo. The fishing forecast is currently 5.7. The most caught fishes here are the brook trout, the florida pompano, the weakfish and the great barracuda. Come try the most famous fishing techniques like the trolling for squid, float fishing (plug), plug fishing for roach or trolling for wahoo.
Most caught fish species in Sligo Top species caught by Club members
Top species caught by Club members
N°1 | Bitterling Fish
The Bitterling fish is a freshwater fish and belongs to the Cyprinidae family. Its scientific name is Rhodeus Amarus. The current size of the bitterling fish is 5-6 cm. Some individuals can reach a maximum height of 11 cm and a weight of 10 g. This species is one of the smallest Cyprinid in Europe. It lives on average from 2 to 3 years. The spawning period is between April and June. It lays 40 to 100 oocytes. This fish is easy to catch due to its small size. The bitterling is a small fish whose body is high and laterally compressed. The lateral line is short or incomplete. The scales on the back have a grey-green coloring. The sides are clear with silvery reflections. During the breeding period the silver coloration changes to a pink to bright red color with a dark blue sideband. Sexual dimorphism occurs between the male and female during reproduction. A 5 to 8 mm laying tube (ovipositor) develops in the female, which allows her to lay her eggs in the gill cavity of freshwater mussels. The male has a higher body than the female and its colors become brighter during the breeding season. The bitterling fish's eyes are quite large. Its mouth is small, oblique and the upper jaw protrudes beyond the lower jaw. The anal and dorsal fins have a short base and 8 to 10 branched rays.
Fishing period : prohibited all year
Minimum size : not available
Difficulty : 
N°2 | Striped bass
Striped bass (morone saxatilis) is a fish of the Moronidae family found along the Atlantic coast of North America.
Fishing period : All the year
Minimum size : 28 inches
Difficulty :
N°3 | Swordfish
Swordfish (xiphias gladius) is a highly migratory pelagic fish considered as one of the fastest sea animals. It tends to be large and its weight often exceeds 100 kg. It can be distinguished thanks to its long bill and its iridescent blue body. Most of sport fishermen feel really proud to catch swordfishes on their lines.
Fishing period : June to October
Minimum size : 47 inches
Difficulty :
N°4 | The African Pompano
The African Pompano belongs to the Carangidae family. The maximum size can reach up to 1.50 m, but the average size is one meter. It breeds in spring and autumn. It can be fished during the hot seasons. Like many carangidae, it is a deep and laterally compressed fish, which have the deepest point of the body between the origin of the dorsal and anal fins and the head and tail tapering on either side. The dorsal and ventral profiles are also convex, the main characteristic of the adult being its more curved head compared to the more angular head profile of African Pompano. The species has 4 to 7 spines visible in the first dorsal fin, followed by a single spine and 18 to 20 soft rays in the second dorsal fin. The anal fin has two spines followed by 15 or 16 soft rays, while the pectoral fin is long and curved. The skin of the fish appears flake-free, but has tiny, embedded scales scattered over the body. The lateral line has a strong and moderately long dorsal arch, with a posterior section of 12 to 30 scales. Juvenile with filamentous rays at the anal and dorsal fins. Juveniles are characterized by their "spinning" appearance, characterized by filaments dragging anal and dorsal fins that retract with age. During maturation, the species also becomes more elongated and more similar to other types of jacks. The body is a silvery blue metallic to blue-green above, being the darkest on the head and upper shoulders, while the underside is more silvery. Juveniles have 5 chevron-sha
Fishing period : hot season
Minimum size : 60 cm
Difficulty :
N°5 | The Alligator Gar
The Alligator Gar belongs to the Lepisosteidae family. In its adult form, it can measure up to three meters long and weigh up to 140 kilograms. It breeds in spring. It can be fished all year round. Alligator gar are elongated fish with a long, narrow snout. Their scales form a kind of armor, protecting them from other predators, the scales are similar in hardness to our nails, hard as keratin. They are also sharp, never brush a sharp-edged club fish. These fish have the swim bladder modified into a gas bladder, it allows them to breathe at the surface.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : no restriction
Difficulty :
N°6 | The Almaco Jack
The Almaco Jack belongs to the Carangidae family. Its adult size varies from 80 cm to 120 cm. They reproduce in spring. It can be fished all year round. It has two dorsal fins, the longer of the two is about twice as long as the longer of the dorsal spines. It has a pale blue-green color, with a lavender glow. The Almaco Jack has a short upper jaw, with a yellowish streak from the jaw to the first dorsal fin, but its color becomes less recognizable as the fish ages. Younger almaco jacks usually have six black bars on the sides. The mouth is protractile and allows it to swallow its entire prey.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : no restriction
Difficulty :
N°7 | The American Shad
The American Shad belongs to the Clupeidae family. With an average of 38 cm, adult specimens can measure up to 76 cm and weigh between 0.9 and 1.4 kg. It can live up to 13 years old. Egg laying takes place in May, June or July. On average, the female lays 140,000 eggs, but can reach 600,000 eggs. It is fished in the spring. The American shad is characterized by its slender, high and very flattened body. The species has a very forked caudal fin and a low, elongated anal fin. It has no lateral line or adipose fin. Its color is silvery with a blue or blue-green sheen on the back and bright silver flanks. When entering fresh water for reproduction, the pigmentation may become darker, taking on a tan or copper hue, turning red for the head and belly parts. A black spot is visible near the top edge of the lid, sometimes followed by smaller spots. Its lower jaw fits into a notch in its upper jaw. It can also be recognized by its large scales that are easily detached. The ventral surface of the American shad is thin with saw tooth scales. With regard to internal characteristics, it has teeth in the premaxillary and lower jaw, a silver peritoneum and, between 53 and 59 vertebrae.
Fishing period : spring
Minimum size : 30 cm
Difficulty :
N°8 | The Apache trout
The Apache trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. The Apache trout is 15 to 61 cm long and weighs 0.2 to 2.7 kg. It rarely exceeds 25 cm but can reach up to 40 cm in its natural headwaters. It breeds from May to June. Fishing for Apache trout is prohibited all year round. Apache trout are yellowish gold in color with a golden belly and have medium sized dark spots, uniformly spaced, which can extend below the lateral line and over the dorsal fins and tail. The top of the head and back are dark olive in color, and it appears to have a black stripe/mask through each of its eyes, thanks to two small black dots on each side of the pupil. There may be a throat mark under the lower jaw, ranging from yellow to gold.
Fishing period :
Minimum size :
Difficulty :
N°9 | The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark belongs to the Carcharhinidae family. The average size of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is 90 to 99 cm. Their maximum size is 120 cm. In captivity it can live up to 4 years. The young are usually born in June. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be fished all year round. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark has a long snout and labial furrows that surround its mouth. The triangular teeth with smooth edges are identical on the upper and lower jaws. The livery of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark can be brown, olive grey or blue grey, turning white on its belly. Adults may have some white spots, and in smaller individuals the edges of the dorsal fins and caudal fin are often black.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : no restriction
Difficulty :
N°10 | The Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon belongs to the Salmonidae family. Atlantic salmon can measure up to 1.50 m in length and weigh up to 36 kg. The average longevity of Atlantic salmon is estimated at 10 years. It breeds from October to November. The female lays 1500 to 1800 eggs per kg of weight. It can be fished all year round. Atlantic salmon have an elongated and slender body. The anal fin has eight to eleven rays. The caudal is large, concave in adults and forked in young people. The head is small and flattened on top. The mouth is large (split to the posterior edge of the eye) and has strong teeth on the jaws, tongue and palate. The scales are large and visible. The lateral line is straight. Large black dots on a light background form X on the head, back and dorsal fin. The color varies from blue to blue-grey on the back, it is silvery on the sides. It varies during the spawning season, with adults turning bronze to dark brown. They lose their silvery livery when they enter fresh water. Males are marked with red dots on the sides. The young are marked with seven to eleven vertical fingerprints that they will lose when they enter the sea. As spawning approaches, the male's head will change: it will elongate, the lower jaw will develop and bend to form a hook (male "becard").
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : 50 cm
Difficulty :
N°11 | The Black Crappie
The black Crappie belongs to the Centrarchidae family. Its average length is 18 to 25 cm, up to 38 cm with a weight generally varying between 300 and 900 grams. The largest specimens can reach 1kg. The all-time record comes from Missouri with a 2.26kg black crappie, while Ontario's is 1.7kg. It breeds around the end of March. Its longevity is 7 years. It is fished in April and May. The body of this fish has the typical shape of craps and other members of the centrarchidae family, i.e. oval and flattened with thorny fins. The height of this fish represents about 33% of its length. Its color is mainly dark olive, covered with a mosaic of irregular black spots on its head, back and sometimes on its belly. The flanks are paler, but also spotty, often with silver, green or even blue highlights. The color can vary considerably depending on the environment in which the fish live. Its mouth is large, reaching to a point below the middle of the eye. The black Crappie is particularly recognizable by its large fins, which give the impression that it has sails. It has 7 to 8 spines on the dorsal fin and 6 to 7 spines on the anal fin. This is one of the main distinctions that can be made with some craps that have 10 to 12 spines on the dorsal fin. The differences between the white and black crappie are sometimes subtle. The dark spots on the black crappie are a random texture, they appear as stripes on the white crappie. The latter also has a less dark back, a longer body and, above all
Fishing period : April-May
Minimum size : 25 cm
Difficulty :
N°12 | The Black Drum
The Black Drum belongs to the Sciaenidae family. The adult can reach 1.55 meters for 45 kg. They spawn from April to June. They can live for about 50 years. It can be fished all year round. The black drum is a stocky fish with a high backrest and many barbells or whiskers under the lower jaw. Younger fish have four or five dark vertical stripes on their sides, but these vanish with age. Older fish have a white belly, but the color of the back and sides can vary considerably. Fish in Gulf waters often lack color and are light grey or silvery. Those who live in the muddy waters of the bay have dark grey or bronze backs and sides. Some are solid silver-grey or jet-black.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : 30 cm
Difficulty :
Sligo - Fishing techniques Top fishing techniques
Top fishing techniques
N°1 | Trolling for squid
Increasingly popular and used in the Mediterranean, the slow trolling troll to fish squid is ideal for quickly spotting the behavior of the banks in a defined area. Popular, easy and productive, this technique has the advantage of giving excellent results in winter, both during the day and at night. Indeed, these cephalopods have excellent night vision, so it is generally at night that they leave in large numbers to hunt small fish.
N°2 | Float fishing (plug)
Fishing can be a fun, sporting and beneficial activity. A thrill across the line, a beautiful specimen to go up, it's every fisherman's dream. Float fishing, or also plug fishing, is a fishing technique that can hit the mark if you know it well and master it.
N°3 | Plug fishing for roach
Bottling, also known as plug fishing, is one of the most common techniques used to catch different types of fish, including roach. However, to avoid being left empty-handed, it is important to choose the right float, to make a good line setting... In short, you must master this fishing method.
N°4 | Trolling for Wahoo
The wahoo fish is an excellent species for sport fishing. It has all the qualities of a fascinating fish to hunt, catch and enjoy! Its fishing reserves you an unforgettable adrenaline rush. It is a powerful fish that can reach a speed of 80km/h! A magnificent specimen with a tapered body, with its dark marbling after its death and silvery color, it is the ideal trophy for sports fishermen.
N°5 | Tips on material for support fishing for sea bream
Advice on the equipment to fish for the sea bream
N°6 | Spoon fishing for trout
Spoon fishing is a technique widely used to catch trout in lakes and rivers. Indeed, it has many advantages, and it is economical and efficient. In addition, it is ideal for beginner fishermen. Here are the tips for seducing trout with spoon fishing.
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