Land-based game fishing is a form of big-game sport fishing in which anglers attempt to catch oceanic

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish species pursued by recreational fishing, recreational fishers (typically angling, anglers), and can be freshwater fish, freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be fish as food, eaten aft ...

from shore rather than from ocean-going boats. Some areas anglers can game fish from the land include public water-access points such as boat ramps, kayak launches, piers, jetties, and any other public water access. Numerous game fish can be targeted and caught from the shore using a variety of Fishing tackle and Fishing techniques. Land-based game fishing is similar to Surf fishing, however it is not restricted to just fishing the surf from beaches. Tackle used is usually comparable to that used on boats, but some differences are necessary, such as changes in rod length. Different tackle is used according to location and species targeted.

Species

Numerous species can be targeted and caught using a variety of methods and tactics. These game fish vary depending on location and

Body of water A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more rare ...

being fished. Some of the most popular global game fish are: * Marlin * Tarpon * Mahi-mahi *

Swordfish The swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the Family (biology), family Xiphiidae. They ...

* Tuna *

Striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has ...

* Bluefish *

Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

Shark fishing

A controversial aspect of land-based game fishing is the shark fishing side of the activity. When land-based shark fishing, anglers target an array of shark species from the shoreline, piers, jetties, etc. Sizable numbers of participants exist in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and the Gulf and East Coast states of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, especially popular in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The controversial side regards the amount of endangered species one could encounter when fishing for shark from the shore. Roughly 14% of shark species in the Atlantic Ocean were overfished in 2024, and concerns regarding the wellbeing of numerous shark species have become clear. However, there are some species of shark considered to be "game fish," and can potentially be legally targeted and some can even be harvested by land-based anglers. Some species of sharks recognized as "game fish" are Blacktip shark, Bonnethead, and Tiger shark. It is important to research specific location's shark fishing rules and regulations before fishing, as differing rules apply in different U.S. States, and other parts of the world. Additionally, concerns surrounding "chumming" have been raised. Chumming is a fishing method, intending to attract sharks to a specific area being fished utilizing chum.

Locations

The best land-based game fishing is at present restricted to very few areas around the world. The best-known spots are in South Africa,

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and the Andaman Islands, of which Barren and Narcondam Island have allowed catching marlin from the rocks. Along the east coast of Australia, land-based game fishing can be divided into two fairly distinct geographic regions. On the north coast of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, from approximately Sydney northwards, light tackle is generally used, with smaller target species such as longtail tuna, Spanish mackerel and cobia. Particularly noted are the rock platforms of

Jervis Bay Jervis Bay () is a oceanic bay and village in the Jervis Bay Territory and on the South Coast (New South Wales), South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. A area of land around the southern headland of the bay, known as the Jervis Bay Terri ...

, where black marlin of up to have been caught using bait floated out on balloons. South of Sydney, heavier tackle is used as the target species are generally much larger (due to Bergmann's rule), with the main targets being black marlin, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail kingfish and sharks.

References

External links

International Game Fishing Association

Land Based Marlin Fishing

Land based shark fishingNational Marine Fisheries Services / Apex Predator Tagging ProgramCharter Fishing Destin Inshore Vs. OffshoreNOAA Highly Migratory Species WebsiteSalt Strong WebsiteSports Fishing Magazine- Top 100 Saltwater Game Fish
{{fisheries and fishing Recreational fishing

Species

Shark fishing

Locations

See also

References

External links