elite offshore
sport fishing

Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) The largest bony fish in the Mediterranean and the one every serious offshore angler measures themselves against. Bluefin are warm-blooded — unique among fish — which allows them to regulate body temperature and operate effectively in cold deep water that would slow any other predator. They grow to over 700kg, though the fish we encounter off Cambrils and Hospitalet de l´Infant typically run between 25kg and 300kg. Their backs are deep metallic blue, their undersides silver-white, and at speed their pectoral fins retract flush against the body to eliminate drag. Off the Costa Daurada, Bluefin appear in bigger numbers from March as water temperatures rise. The most productive method here is spinning for surface-feeding fish using poppers and stick-baits — when a school comes up on sardines, the surface erupts and casts need to be accurate and immediate. Alternatively, drifting with dead sardines in the current accounts for fish throughout the season. Tackle must be rated for the fight: 80–130lb class, minimum. Expect runs exceeding 200m on the first burst. Battles with giants can routinely last for several hours.

Leerfish (Lichia amia) Called Garrick in South Africa, Leerfish in northern Europe, and largely unknown everywhere else — which is precisely why catching one here carries weight. A sleek, silver predator with a distinctly curved lateral line and leathery, scaleless skin, the Leerfish is the apex inshore hunter of the western Mediterranean. They are highly intelligent — well documented for following a lure to the boat, inspecting it at close range, and refusing to strike. This is not accidental caution; it is the behaviour of a predator that has learned to assess risk. In Cambrils and Hospitalet de l´Infant, the best fish are caught by trolling live mackerel or mullet along the shoreline structure, or by casting large topwater lures at first and last light when Leerfish move into the shallows to feed. They run hard on the strike and use their weight rather than speed — the fight is a sustained, bulldogging pressure rather than the explosive sprint of a tuna. The season extends from March through December, with peak activity in spring and autumn as baitfish migrations concentrate along the coast.

Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) Also called Mahi Mahi in Hawaii and Llampuga across the Mediterranean coast. One of the fastest-growing fish in the sea — they can reach 15kg within a single year. Their coloration when fresh from the water is genuinely extraordinary: iridescent greens and golds that fade within minutes of landing. Males are easily identified by the steep, blunt forehead profile. Dorado are structure-oriented offshore fish — they aggregate beneath anything floating: weed lines, driftwood, lost buoys, plastic debris. Offshore in the Mediterranean, finding a floating line of weed often means finding Dorado underneath it. The most effective method is trolling feathers and skirts above the thermocline at 6–8 knots, then switching to cast jigs, lures or flies once a school is located to keep them feeding. They are aggressive once triggered — the difficulty is the hook-up, not the bite. On medium tackle they are acrobatic fighters, with multiple aerial runs and direction changes. Season runs July through November, peaking when surface temperatures exceed 24°C.