seatrout

For me, the seatrout counts next to the salmon as the most demanding fish that can be stalked on our coast. It is not for nothing that it is also called the fish of the 1000 litters. With the right preparation and equipment, however, significantly fewer litters are necessary to capture one or more "trouts".

Fishing is possible all year round, except for the closed season from September 15th to December 14th of each year. However, with the course of the seasons and the associated water temperatures, the chances of a seatrout also change. While in the winter months as well as in the spring you can expect fish all day long, in summer you should postpone fishing more towards sunrise or dusk.

Even at night, the chances of catching fish are very good.

In mecklenburg-vorpommern (mv), the seatrout has a minimum size of 45cm and you can take 3 fish per fishing day (as of 2025/2026). Personally, I have set myself a kitchen size from 50cm to 70cm. In this way, I want to contribute to protecting or even improving the stocks in the long term.

There are also several characteristics of seatrout that should convince you to carefully release such specimens. This requires knowledge of the different stages of their development. Here are the most important ones:

After the eggs are laid in freshwater (the upper reaches of rivers and streams), the yolk-sac larva develops. From this, the fry/larva develops into a parr (young sea trout in freshwater), then into a smolt (transition from freshwater to saltwater). Only then does the seatrout become relevant for anglers.

Greenlanders:

...young, not yet spawning seatrout that can already reach a length of approximately 50 cm, but do not yet ascend. Characteristics: between 20 cm and 50 cm, silvery-white, loose scales, remain in the sea and do not yet ascend.

Ascending fish:

...these are the fish that exhibit distinct coloration (brown, reddish, black), the scales are more firmly attached to the body, the spawning hook on the lower jaw of the male is clearly pronounced, these fish are on the way to spawn.

Descending fish:

...these are weakened fish that return to the sea after spawning. They are often recognizable by their pale colors, less silvery appearance, and thin body shape. They are easier to catch due to their hunger, but are in poor condition and need time to recover.

The "over-spawners," on the other hand, are silvery-white fish that do not rise to the surface to spawn, but mostly remain in the sea. They are very well-fed, strong, and often reach sizes of over 60 cm. They are strong fighters and therefore very popular with us anglers.

The most popular spots on our island are the routes between Mukran and Sassnitz, between Glowe and Lohme, between Juliusruh and Vitt and between Dranske and

Cape Arkona. In the southeast of the island, you must strictly observe the nature reserves within the Southeast ruegen Biosphere Reserve, both along the coast and in the Bodden lagoon area. Fishing is only permitted with a special permit, and in some areas it is completely prohibited. You can find all the information here: "Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve"

The equipment of a seatrout angler includes:

• waders (neoprene or breathable) with felt soles and a wading belt

• rubberized landing net

• suitable rod 2.70 to 3.10 meters with a casting weight of approximately 10-30 grams with semi-parabolic action (sensitive tip, stable backbone)

• 3000 to 4000 size saltwater reel

• main line (braided line with a breaking strain of approximately 6-8 kg)

• Leader (e.g., fluorocarbon with a diameter of approximately 0.28 to 0.40 mm and a length of approximately 80 to 100 centimeter)

• Various lures (spinners, crankbaits, rubber fish, flies)

• Standard fishing gear such as a measuring tape, knife, fish bat, hook remover, and trash bag should, of course, also be included.

Spin-fishing: I prefer using a spinning rod when fishing for seatrout.

When using a spinning rod, I prefer to fish with light seatrout spinners between

16g and 25g with a single hook. The single hook has several advantages over a treble hook. The risk of snagging is significantly reduced, and fish can be released more gently during catch and release or when fishing below the minimum size, making them less susceptible to injury. In rougher seas, you should use slightly heavier spinners to cast further and prevent the lure from being washed ashore by the next wave.

For lure selection, you should seek advice from a local tackle dealer. However, I'm also happy to share my lure selection with you.

Depending on the seasonal availability of natural food, it can certainly

make sense to also offer smaller lures such as flies. These imitate shrimp, sand eels, sand eels, or small baitfish.

For this, the use of a bombarda (also called a sbirolino) is recommended to get the lures to the necessary distance. The bombarda is threaded onto the main line and stopped with a small rubber bead before the leader. The leader is then significantly longer (approx. 2-2.5 meters) than when fishing with a spinner to minimize the spooking effect of the bombarda. The fly is then tied on with a Rapala knot so that it can move freely in the water.

You can find plenty of instructions for rigs using a bombarda on YouTube.

Fly fishing: Details to follow soon....

I will regularly add more knowledge to these articles and update them. If you have specific questions about seatrout fishing, please write to me.

Petri Heil!