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Sea fish

Painted comber

Serranus scriba

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Other names: Benekli hani

Open fishing grounds on the map Bait and tackle
Painted comber
(c) etrusko25, some rights reserved (CC BY) · source
Family
Serranidae

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Where is Painted comber caught?

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Adriatic fishing spots

1,155
Adriatic
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A listed spot is not a guarantee of a catch.

Adriatic

Season and suitable conditions

Recorded all year round in this region; no distinct fishing season shows.

Season information is no guarantee of a catch.

Best spots in October

By month

Average monthly score of the spots in Turkey (0–100).

  1. 27 Jan
  2. 26 Feb
  3. 26 Mar
  4. 53 Apr
  5. 69 May
  6. 80 Jun
  7. 58 Jul
  8. 52 Aug
  9. 63 Sep
  10. 67 Oct
  11. 67 Nov
  12. 49 Dec

The best spot in each Turkish province, by this month’s score.

  1. Cam Teras Adalar, İstanbul 84/100 Very good
  2. Armutlu Dereağzı Plajı Armutlu, Yalova 84/100 Very good
  3. Ayaz Beach Burhaniye, Balıkesir 80/100 Very good
  4. Güzelyalı Feribot İskelesi Kıyısı Mudanya, Bursa 80/100 Very good
  5. Fatma Kadın Plajı 2 Gelibolu, Çanakkale 80/100 Very good

A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.

Best times of day

When in the day it bites best, month by month.

  • Active by day
  • Poor at night

In October

  1. Dawn Best 85

    0.5 h before sunrise → 3 h after

  2. Midday 60

    1 h before midday → 1.5 h after

  3. Dusk 85

    2.5 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.

  1. New moon 15
  2. First quarter 15
  3. Full moon 20
  4. Last quarter 15

Best phase: No clear effect

Windows across 12 months

Best times of day J F M A M J J A S O N D
Dawn 60 60 85 85 85 90 90 90 85 85 85 60
Midday 80 80 60 60 60 60 60 60 80
Dusk 65 65 80 80 80 90 95 95 85 85 85 65
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

Habitat

Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.

Depth

0–150 m

mostly 0–30 m

Water temperature

13–23.4 °C

ideal 17.5–22.1 °C

Salinity

Full-strength seawater

15.6–39.3 ‰

Shore types

  • Cove / inner bay
  • Rocky shore
  • Breakwater / jetty
  • Pier / quay
  • Around marinas
  • Headland
  • Mixed shore
  • Inside harbours
  • Cliff / steep shore
  • Harbour mouth
  • Reclaimed shore
  • Shoal / reef

Bottom

Lives close to the bottom

  • Rock
  • Seagrass
  • Seaweed

Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.

Confidence: shore type high, temperature medium

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 October

Natural baits

Lures

By water clarity

Inshore / reef predator — Semi-pelagic; ambushes and chases. Good eyesight and a strong lateral line; takes both kinds of bait.

Clear Visibility: over 8 m
Lure First natural bait: Little cuttlefish · Very suitable Usually in this water: Live shrimp or a live small fish; thin leader; dawn, dusk and night first. First lure: Soft shrimp · Very suitable Usually in this water: Natural-coloured soft shad/minnow, LRF, slim hard lure; slow and natural. Colour: Clear
Slightly coloured Visibility: 4–8 m
Lure First natural bait: Little cuttlefish · Very suitable Usually in this water: Live shrimp or worm, fresh sardine pieces. First lure: Soft shrimp · Very suitable Usually in this water: Hard minnow, jighead + shad, stickbait. Colour: Clear
Moderately coloured Visibility: 2–4 m
Natural first, lures also work First natural bait: Shrimp · Very suitable Usually in this water: Live shrimp or worm, or a piece of oily fish; one size bigger. First lure: Soft shrimp · Very suitable Usually in this water: Paddle-tail shad, vibe, spinner; vibration first. Colour: White, Fluorescent, Gold
Murky Visibility: 1–2 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Shrimp · Suitable Usually in this water: Bloodworm, crab, cut bait; on the bottom or at mid-depth; chum. First lure: Scented soft plastic · Suitable Usually in this water: Rattling vibe, scented soft plastic; near the bottom, slow. Colour: Dark silhouette, Red, Fluorescent
Very murky Visibility: under 1 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Shrimp · Suitable Usually in this water: The strongest scent: fish guts, cut mackerel or sardine, mussel; big pieces. First lure: Scented soft plastic · Weak Usually in this water: Not recommended; if you must, scented and rattling. Colour: Dark silhouette
12-month bait calendar
January
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
February
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
March
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
April
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
May
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
June
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
July
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
August
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
September
Natural baits: Sardine, Razor clam, Shrimp, Mussel Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
October
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
November
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm
December
Natural baits: Razor clam, Little cuttlefish, Sardine, Shrimp Lures: LRF micro soft plastic, Scented soft plastic, Soft shrimp, Jighead + soft worm

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 high, lures high. 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

Painted comber
Scientific name
Serranus scriba
Family
Serranidae
Order
Perciformes
Water type
Saltwater
Seas
Aegean Sea, Sea of Marmara, Mediterranean
Other names
Yazılı hani, Benekli hani

Frequently asked questions

Which seas is Painted comber found in?

In our records Painted comber appears in these seas: Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean, 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.

In which months is Painted comber at its peak?

Peak periods by sea: Sardinian Sea — Italy May–September; Aegean Sea all year; Mediterranean — Spain May–September; 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 May–September; Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy May–September; Adriatic — Italy May–September; Strait of Sicily — Italy May–September; Ionian Sea — Italy May–September; Alboran Sea — Spain May–September; Strait of Gibraltar — Spain May–September; Gulf of Cádiz — Spain May–September; Cantabrian Sea — Spain April–August; Atlantic Ocean — Spain April–August; Balearic Sea — Spain May–September; Adriatic — Croatia all year.

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Open fishing grounds on the map
Open fishing grounds on the map · 1,873 fishing grounds

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