Sea fish
Spicara smaris
Get to know the species, pick your region, find your spot.
Other names: Kancur
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35 fishing grounds
No site-level records in this region; the information is at region level.
77 fishing grounds
75 fishing grounds
46 fishing grounds
30 fishing grounds
68 fishing grounds
12 fishing grounds
8 fishing grounds
14 fishing grounds
15 fishing grounds
26 fishing grounds
16 fishing grounds
32 fishing grounds
18 fishing grounds
24 fishing grounds
201 fishing grounds
125 fishing grounds
29 fishing grounds
65 fishing grounds
26 fishing grounds
17 fishing grounds
21 fishing grounds
30 fishing grounds
38 fishing grounds
49 fishing grounds
189 fishing grounds
No fishing ground or region matches your search.
A listed spot is not a guarantee of a catch.
Sardinian Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Black Sea
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Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Wind
0–15 km/h
Offshore or calm
Water temperature
14–23 °C
Pressure
1010–1024 hPa
Wave
0–0,6 m
General ranges for the species; not live weather. No guarantee of a catch.
Sea of Marmara
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Aegean Sea
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Mediterranean
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
North Aegean & Thrace
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Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Central & South Aegean
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Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Ionian Sea
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Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Crete & Libyan Sea
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Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Mediterranean
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Famagusta–İskele
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Güzelyurt Bay
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Kyrenia north coast
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Karpas Peninsula
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Paphos–Limassol south coast
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Ayia Napa–Protaras
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Akamas–Paphos west coast
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Larnaca southeast coast
Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.
Ligurian Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Tyrrhenian Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Adriatic
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Strait of Sicily
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Ionian Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Alboran Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Strait of Gibraltar
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Gulf of Cádiz
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Cantabrian Sea
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Peak months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
Atlantic Ocean
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Peak months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
Balearic Sea
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Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Adriatic
Check the season information for the region you chose.
Peak months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Season information is no guarantee of a catch.
Average monthly score of the spots in Turkey (0–100).
The best spot in each Turkish province, by this month’s score.
A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.
When in the day it bites best, month by month.
1 h before sunrise → 2 h after
1 h before midday → 1.5 h after
2 h before sunset → 1 h after
Not productive at night
Effect of the moon on night fishing; the scores compare the phases.
Best phase: No clear effect
| Best times of day | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 80 |
| Midday | 75 | 75 | 75 | 60 | 60 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 60 | 60 | 75 |
| Dusk | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 85 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 85 | 80 |
| Night |
Windows follow sunrise and sunset; clock times change with place and date. Scores are relative within the month: 100 is the best window of the day.
3 sources · confidence medium
Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.
15–328 m
mostly 15–170 m
14.5–23.1 °C
ideal 17.1–21.6 °C
Full-strength seawater
15.6–39.8 ‰
Lives close to the bottom
Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.
Confidence: shore type medium, temperature medium
Recorded baits and fishing techniques.
Baits documented for shore fishing, month by month and by water clarity.
In October
Rock / bottom omnivore — Picks up crustaceans, worms and weed. Wary; relies on smell and a natural look.
This is the usual pattern; the water and weather on the day can change it. Colour is fine-tuning: bait type, size and action come first. Confidence: natural medium, lures high. Colour and presentation guide
In this region · Black Sea
In this region · Sea of Marmara
In this region · Aegean Sea
In this region · Mediterranean
Tackle recipe
Controlled float trotting with a long telescopic rod
Watch out: Power line risk with long rods
Keep with you: Pliers, hook remover, glasses and first aid
Regulations: Communiqué 2024/21 Article 16 hook and line limits and place bans are checked
Rod
Reel
Line and leader
A setup to start from. Rod length, line diameter and drag are changed to suit the size of fish you are after and the current and bottom structure of the ground.
See tackle suggestionsThe regulation holds no separate minimum size or closed season entry for this species. The provisions for Türkiye as a whole apply.
Before you go, check local area and method restrictions.
In our records Picarel appears in these seas: Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean, North Aegean & Thrace — Greece, Central & South Aegean — Greece, Ionian Sea — Greece, Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece, Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus, Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus, Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus, Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus, Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus, Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus, Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus, Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus, Ligurian Sea — Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy, Adriatic — Italy, Ionian Sea — Italy, Strait of Sicily — Italy, Sardinian Sea — Italy, Atlantic Ocean — Spain, Mediterranean — Spain, Cantabrian Sea — Spain, Balearic Sea — Spain, Alboran Sea — Spain, Gulf of Cádiz — Spain, Strait of Gibraltar — Spain, Adriatic — Croatia.
Peak periods by sea: Sardinian Sea — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Black Sea April–December; Sea of Marmara all year; Aegean Sea all year; Mediterranean all year; North Aegean & Thrace — Greece April–October; Central & South Aegean — Greece April–October; Ionian Sea — Greece April–October; Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece April–October; Mediterranean — Spain March, April, May, September, October; Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus all year; Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus all year; Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus all year; Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus all year; Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus all year; Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Ligurian Sea — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Adriatic — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Strait of Sicily — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Ionian Sea — Italy March, April, May, September, October; Alboran Sea — Spain March, April, May, September, October; Strait of Gibraltar — Spain March, April, May, September, October; Gulf of Cádiz — Spain March, April, May, September, October; Cantabrian Sea — Spain February, March, April, August, September; Atlantic Ocean — Spain February, March, April, August, September; Balearic Sea — Spain March, April, May, September, October; Adriatic — Croatia May–October.
Baits and lures on record: shrimp, worm, fish flesh, European anchovy, European sprat, sabiki, micro jig, Atlantic horse mackerel, European sardine, mamun, sülünez, European squid.
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Picarel · Spicara smaris
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