Lecce fishing guide

Leece is a beautiful historic town located in the Puglia region (the edge of Italy’s boot). This town is bestowed with magnificent baroque architecture and is renowned as the Florence of Baroque. Numerous tourists come flocking to this Italian town to indulge in the intoxicating countryside views, the sandy beaches and the beautiful uptown boutiques and antique shops.

Decked with monumental buildings like the Basilica di Santa Croce, Lecce discloses the richness of its history. The Roman theatre and the museum are some of the places that you should visit when in Lecce.

Reaching Lecce from UK is quite easy as you will be able to find many budget flights travelling to Lecce from UK. This town also falls on the Italian mainline railway network and makes it accessible from various other locations in Italy. Sport fishing lovers, do not fret because San Foca, the coastal town falls in the province of Lecce and is a highly recommended deep sea fishing destination by Italian Big Game fishing anglers. The waters of the Adriatic Sea brings forth a good variety of Sportfish that includes the likes of Swordfish, Bluefin Tuna, Grouper, Dorado, Barracuda and many more. The best time in the year to go on adrenaline pumping big game fishing are the months of March, August and September according to the Captain of the Game boat in San Foca.

Weather in Lecce and San Foca:

The weather in San Foca is mostly pleasant all through the year as it is blessed with a Mediterranean Climate. The summer months are dry and hot and the temperatures soar up to a maximum of 30 degree Celsius during the peak of summer in July and August. However, the sea water reaches temperatures in the mid 20s making it viable for a series of game fish species to thrive in it. It is also during the summer of May to September that the beaches come alive with people. The autumn months October to November see a dip in the temperatures and by December the temperature drops further down to below the 20s. The winters however do not see temperatures below 12 degree Celsius very often and thus makes the winters also quite pleasant.

Fishing in San Foca:

Fishing is a lot enjoyed off the coasts of San Foca. Andrea Iacovizzi, an IGFA certified charter boat Captain takes his boat “The Game” out into the Adriatic Sea for fishing trips and confirms that San Foca is a great spot for sport fishing anglers. Captain Andrea has a lot of years of experience in fishing these waters since he has been going out fishing in San Foca since he was 14. Captain Andrea gives us a clear picture of the fishing season and the type of fishing that is most popular in San Foca.

On a normal day fishing happens some 1 to 5 km away from the shore. The boat takes about 10 to 20 minutes to reach these locations off the San Foca coast. But Captain Andrea states that when pursuing bigger game fish they wander deeper into the sea. The minimum depth at which game fish are found in the Adriatic waters are 20 m according to our captain. Some sportfish like the Swordfish are even found in deeper waters that range up to 50 m from the surface. The largest fish landed by Captain Andrea from these waters was a humongous Bluefin Tuna weighing nothing less than 300 kg. Captain Andrea shared his knowledge of the seasons of various game fish found in these waters which has been incorporated in the text below.

To check out and book Captain Andrea’s boat for a fishing trip in San Foca click here .

The Bluefin Tuna is a mighty fish and one of the largest sportfishing species. These big fish are pursued by ardent sport fishing enthusiasts for their size and power. The Bluefin Tunas are the largest of the Tuna species and are very powerful fish. They fight with all their might and sporting anglers will die for a battle with these sea monsters. Many anglers who have battled a Bluefin say that after battling a Bluefin Tuna one is sure end up with a broken back. The Bluefin Tunas are powerhouses of stamina and are considered one of the best big game fish species.

The largest Blue fin ever caught was a gigantic Bluefin that weighed over 678 kg.

When and where to catch a Bluefin in San Foca:

The Bluefin season in San Foca, Italy extends from July to December. Among these months the range from July to September is considered the best time to land one of these great fish.

How to catch a Bluefin Tuna:

Trolling is the best method to reel in a Bluefin because these fish are known to be fast swimmers and they prefer to pursue their prey. Trolling with dead or live baits like mullet, squid, mackerel etc have proved to be the best fishing technique in Bluefin fishing.

...

The elusive Swordfish has always been a legend in the sportfishing realm. These water beasts are one of the most celebrated species among the big game fish species. They are characterised by their elongated upper jaw that is often called the bill. Unlike other billfish, the Swordfish’s bill is broader and longer thus giving the Swordfish the name of broadbill. The Swordfish use this bill to slash through schools of bait fish and injure its prey before devouring them. The Swordfish can grow to lengths of 3 m and a weight of 650 kg is also achievable.

Big Game anglers dream to land a Swordfish for their power and aggressive fighting nature, once a Sword is landed it is considered as one of the highest achievements of Sportfishing.

Swordfish season in San Foca:

The months spanning from April to December is the time when you get to see some Sword ver action in the Adriatic waters. The latter months from October to December is considered the peak season for Swordfishing in San Foca.

How to land a Swordfish:

Swordfish are shy and they are easily intimidated by approaching boats and vessels. This is one of the reasons why a bait has to be presented several times to a Swordfish before it bits on it. Swordfish also tend to stay away from light and hence most of the Sword fishing is done in the night by the technique called drifting. Rigged squids and other smaller fish can be used as a bait for the Swords.

...

The Dorado or Mahi Mahi is another favorite in San Foca. These colorful fish are very acrobatic and hence are highly prized as game fish. These fish are fished for their beauty and their flesh. The green, blue and golden colors on the Dorado make them one of the most beautiful fish in the seas. However, this beauty fades away as they die because all the colors on a Dorado fade to a muted grey when the fish dies. The bull Dorado is distinguished by a raised forehead and the female Dorado has a more rounded forehead.

The fish can grow over 1.5 m and can weigh over 40 kg. An attractive thing about Dorado is that they display a wide range of aerial acrobatics when hooked and game fishing anglers will do anything to have a glimpse of that.

Dorado fishing season in San Faco:

The Dolphinfish aka Dorado is found in abundance off the San Foca coast during the months spanning from July to September.

How to land a Dorado in San Foca:

Trolling with live and dead baits is again the most successful technique in reeling in a Dorado. Small fish like squid, mullet, anchovies etc are used as bait. Artificial lures also work great with Dorados.

...

The Grouper is a carnivore but unlike the aggressive hunters mentioned before these huge slow moving fish prefer to ambush their prey rather than pursuing them. Groupers are considered to be the perfect bottom fish. They prefer to stick to the bottoms of the seas where they feed on bait fish and take shelter among the rocks and caves. The Grouper is yet again a strong fish and their huge sizes often contribute to their power. When fishing for a Grouper the foremost thing that has to be observed is vigil. As and when a Grouper takes the bait you should reel in to prevent the fish from taking shelter in one of its caves. Because if it does then it would be impossible to reel the fish out as they will expand their lungs and fix them to the place they are in. Anglers fish for these water giants for their flesh and enormous size.

Grouper season in San Foca:

The grouper season is restricted to the first half of the year. They are found in San Foca during the period of January to June. The best or rather the peak season for Grouper fishing has been identified to be during January to March, this is the time you will be able to catch fish of great sizes

How to catch a Grouper:

Bottom fishing is the only method that is a sure shot success when fishing from a boat. Spearfishing is also practised by many anglers to catch groupers since they are not fast swimming fish.

...

The Barracuda is a fearsome looking fish with an elongated body. They have razor sharp teeth and are dark green or blue on the back with silvery sides. These fish are also great fighters and can put up a good battle on the line. On an average the Barracuda grows to 2.1 m in length and they prefer to stay in the waters close to the surface near reefs and sea grass. Catching a Barracuda can be very exciting as they will tear up the bait and remain unhooked. Hooking a Barracuda required expertise and once hooked these torpedo shaped fish will engage in vigorous fight before you can land them.

Barracuda fishing season in San Foca:

The fishing season of Barracuda lasts a long time as it ranges from July to December, almost half the year. However, during this season you will see a peak in the number and sizes of the catches during the months from July to September.

How to catch a Barracuda:

Trolling with prepared baits, spoons and plugs is the best method to reel in a Barracuda. Live baiting and casting are some of the other techniques that certain anglers prefer to use while fishing for Barracuda.

Booking a fishing charter in Lecce is easier than ever before, check the boats and make your booking online.