Largescale Blackfish in Japan

The classic quarry of isozuri, fished with float rigs off rocky shorelines in winter.

The fish

Japanese: メジナ · mejina
Scientific name: Girella punctata
Typical size: 25–50 cm (10–20 in)
Water: Saltwater

Across the year

The best month at any of the 3 places we have checked. Each place has its own window, and the season elsewhere in Japan may differ.

Where we have checked it

These are examples, not a complete list. Largescale Blackfish is caught far more widely in Japan than the 3 waters below. We list a place only once we have worked out which rules apply there, so the absence of a water means we have not checked it — not that the fish is missing.

Izu PeninsulaShizuoka · SaltwaterJanuary, February and December are the prime months.
Kushimoto & southern KiiWakayama · SaltwaterJanuary, February and December are the prime months.
Goto IslandsNagasaki · SaltwaterJanuary, February and December are the prime months.