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Fishing in Donegal
What can I fish there ?Join our 81 fishermen in Donegal in County Donegal. The fishing forecast is currently 4.1. The most caught fishes here are the cubera snapper, winter flounder, the colorado pikeminnow and the ladyfish. Come try the most famous fishing techniques like the underwater fishing, gathering seafood by hand, tips on material for squid jigging or plug fishing on the shore for sea bream.
Most caught fish species in Donegal Top species caught by Club members
Top species caught by Club members
N°1 | Black Bream Fish
The Black breamfish, also known as Acanthopagrus butcheri, is a Sparidae. In general, its average size is 15 to 35 cm and its weight is 500 g to 2.5 kg. However, some individuals can reach up to 60 cm and 4 kg. The black bream has a lifespan of 27 years. Its spawning period is between August and January. It can have up to 300,000 spawn each season. It is not hard to catch and offer a little resistance. The Black bream has a high body and relatively compressed laterally, with symmetrically curved dorsal and ventral fins. The mouth is of moderate size compared to the body and has six incisors in the front of the lower and upper jaws. The body is covered with large scales that can be cycloid or slightly ctenoid. The head is essentially flake-free, except for the lids. A flake sheath covers the soft ray bases of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins. The Black Bream is silvery, from golden brown or bronze to grey-green on the back as well as on the sides with sometimes greenish reflections, depending on its habitat. The belly is white. The fins are all dark, with black borders. The caudal fin is often dark olive-brown.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : 25 cm
Difficulty : 
N°2 | Brown Trout
The Brown Trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. According to the location, the adult size varies from 25 cm to 80 cm for 300 to 800 g. It lives for 3 to 6 years. The spawning period starts in October and end in January. The female can lay up to 4000 eggs. The fishing period is open from the second Saturday of March until the third Sunday of September. This fish is not hard to catch but the fishing needs complex skills. Depending on its environment, the brown trout have a very variable color, but the brown trout, as its name shows, is rather brown with scattered black and red spots, depending on the spawners. It has a certain mimicry according to the bottom of its living spaces since the dominant brown will become a green dress if it lives close to the banks where yellow and even sometimes silvery white will mix. It has a "useless" adipose fin between the dorsal fin and the caudal fin. The head is tapered, strong and has a powerful jaw. Its back is a pretty black or night blue.
Fishing period : March to September
Minimum size : no restriction
Difficulty :
N°3 | Dolphinfish or Mahi-mahi
Dorade coryphĂšne, dorado, dolphin, lampuga, rakingo, calitos, ti-rone, maverikos, mahi-mahi... There are so many ways to call the dolphinfish (coryphaena hippurus). This species is well known for its flesh and is found in tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Fishing period : June to September
Minimum size : 20 inches
Difficulty :
N°4 | Marlin
Marlin is a fish from a large family called Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. The most popular species include the blue marlin (makaira nigricans), the striped marlin (kajikia audax), the white marlin (kajikia albidus) and the black marlin (istiompax indica).
Fishing period : All the year
Minimum size : 40 inches
Difficulty :
N°5 | 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°6 | 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°7 | 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°8 | The American Eel
The American Eel belongs to the Anguillidae family. The size of the adult female can reach 1 m in length, while that of the male does not exceed 40 cm. Spawning takes place in mid-winter. Females lay 3 to 22 million eggs. He can live to be 50 years old. It can be fished from April to September. The American eel is a species of fish with a snake-like body all in length with fins that extend over its back, around its tail and along its inner surface. It has thick lips and a slightly longer lower jaw than her upper jaw, which gives her the appearance of having an overbite. The color of young eels varies from yellow-green or brown. Adult eels are grey with white or cream bellies.
Fishing period : April to September
Minimum size : 50 cm
Difficulty :
N°9 | 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°10 | The Arctic Grayling
The Arctic Grayling belongs to the Salmonidae Family. The Arctic shade can reach a length of about 24 cm long and weighs about 3 kg. He can live to be 18 years old. It breeds in the spring and lays thousands of eggs. It can be fished all year round. Coloring may vary depending on the location. The dorsal fin is usually bordered red and dotted with large iridescent red, turquoise, purple or purple spots and marks. Back marks are more evident on the large shadows. The back of the Arctic shadow is generally dark. The sides can be in black, silver, gold, or blue. Gold markings sometimes form a border between the hips and the belly, while pelvic fins can be orange, red or pink. The sides and head can be freckles with black spots. The eye of the iris is often the color of gold.
Fishing period : All year
Minimum size : 15 cm
Difficulty :
N°11 | 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°12 | The Atlantic Sturgeon
The Atlantic Sturgeon belongs to the Acipenseridae family. Its length can generally reach 3 m; its maximum length is 4.3 m. Its weight is between 150 and 200 kg; it can reach a maximum weight of 368 kg. It can live to 60 years and over. It only reproduces every 2 years. The maximum fertility rate is 3.75 million eggs. It is one of IUCN's protected species and fishing is highly regulated. It can be fished during the cool seasons. It has a snub nose, with four barbells in the front of his belly mouth. It carries five rows of bone plates on the back and sides of the body. The dorsal lobe of its caudal fin is longer than the ventral lobe. The skeleton of this bony fish is largely cartilaginous.
Fishing period : cool season
Minimum size : depends on location
Difficulty :
Donegal - Fishing techniques Top fishing techniques
Top fishing techniques
N°1 | Underwater fishing
Below are some tips and explanation to fish successfully with the underwater fishing technique.
N°2 | GATHERING SEAFOOD BY HAND
This type of fishing is the most accessible to all and is certainly perfect to get started with saltwater fishing !
N°3 | Tips on material for squid jigging
Here are some examples of equipment that you can find if you want to fish squid with a jig
N°4 | Plug fishing on the shore for sea bream
This technique, whether practiced from the shore, by boat or kayak, consists of fishing with a fairly simple assembly consisting of a plug, a leaded wire with one or more hooks.
N°5 | Angling bass with surface lures
When to fish for bass on the surface Depending on the region and surface water temperature, fishing periods differ. You just need to remember that the bass waits until the water is hot (greater than or equal to 16°) before going up. When the water is colder, it feeds on the bottom.
N°6 | Tips on material for sea bream throwing
In order to succeed when throw for sea bream, you need to have the right material. Below are some suggestion of material to successfully catch sea bream.
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