Sea fish
Milkfish
Chanos chanos
Get to know the species, pick your region, find your spot.
Other names: Milkfish (awa)
- Habitat
- Sığlık · nehir ağzı · kumsal
Best times of day
When in the day it bites best, month by month.
- Active by day
- Limited at night
In November
-
Dawn Best 80
0.5 h before sunrise → 2.5 h after
-
Midday 75
1.5 h before midday → 2 h after
-
Dusk 75
2 h before sunset → 0.5 h after
Not productive at night
Moon phase
Effect of the moon on night fishing; the scores compare the phases.
- New moon 45
- First quarter 45
- Full moon 60
- Last quarter 45
Best phase: Full moon
Windows across 12 months
| Best times of day | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 80 |
| Midday | 75 | 75 | 75 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 75 | 75 |
| Dusk | 75 | 75 | 75 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 75 | 75 |
| 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.
6 sources · confidence medium
Habitat
Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.
Depth
1–30 m
mostly 1–15 m
Water temperature
16–43 °C
ideal 28–33 °C
Salinity
Migrates between fresh and salt water
0–60 ‰
Shore types
- Delta / alluvial shore
- Cove / inner bay
- Breakwater / jetty
- Pier / quay
- River / stream mouth
- Lagoon / weir mouth
- Inside harbours
- Tidal flat / marsh
- Harbour mouth
- Reclaimed shore
Bottom
Lives in open water
- Sand
- Rock
Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.
Confidence: shore type high, temperature high
Bait and tackle suggestions
Recorded baits and fishing techniques.
Bait by month
Baits documented for shore fishing, month by month and by water clarity.
In November
Lures
Processed bait (all year)
- Bread
By water clarity
Herbivore / detritivore — Eats weed, algae and bottom mud. Rarely takes a lure.
- Clear Visibility: over 8 m
- Lure First lure: Fly · Very suitable Usually in this water: Only where it is known to work locally: weed or bread imitation fly, micro soft plastic. Colour: Clear, Blue-green back
- Slightly coloured Visibility: 4–8 m
- Lure First lure: Fly · Very suitable Usually in this water: Where it is known to work locally, a bread or weed fly. Colour: Clear, Pink, Blue-green back
- Moderately coloured Visibility: 2–4 m
- Lure First lure: Fly · Weak Colour: Fluorescent, Pink, Glow (UV)
- Murky Visibility: 1–2 m
- Lure First lure: Fly · Not recommended Colour: Fluorescent, Dark silhouette, Glow (UV) No strong option in this water; catches may be poor.
- Very murky Visibility: under 1 m
- Lure First lure: Fly · Not recommended Colour: Dark silhouette, Fluorescent, Glow (UV) No strong option in this water; catches may be poor.
12-month bait calendar
- January
- Lures: Fly
- February
- Lures: Fly
- March
- Lures: Fly
- April
- Lures: Fly
- May
- Lures: Fly
- June
- Lures: Fly
- July
- Lures: Fly
- August
- Lures: Fly
- September
- Lures: Fly
- October
- Lures: Fly
- November
- Lures: Fly
- December
- Lures: Fly
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 low, lures medium. Colour and presentation guide
Fishing rules
The 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.
Species profile
- Scientific name
- Chanos chanos
- Water type
- Saltwater
- Other names
- Milkfish (awa)
