An intro to Otoshikomi fishing

Summer is fast approaching, time to dust off the rods and get on out to the beaches, harbors, islands and surf breakers. I'm a big fan of Otoshikomi fishing, it's mostly done on large surf breakers in Japanese harbors. The fish that I like to target is the Chinu or Porgy, truly a great sport fish. A boat taxi is needed to get to them because of their location and remoteness. I'll be explaining this style in greater detail so you too can go out and enjoy the great fishing Japanese waters have to offer.

Let's start off with the rods, they're usually between 2 to 5 meters long. This length is perfect for surf breakers and has been especially designed for this. The tip of the rod is very sensitive and the weight of the rod is very light. My rod is only 110 grams as an example. Some rods will also come with arm rests built for comfort and control. The eye or loops are very small and are made tight along the base of the rod giving the rod the up most sensitivity. Prices for these carbon rods are 5,000 to 50,000. Some anglers prefer bamboo rods and swear by its ability to detect the smallest bites. I have to admit they are amazing and the power of these rods is superior. You can loop the fiberglass tip all the way to the base!! Prices for bamboo are 15,000 and up.

A big must is a telescopic net, you need them to get the fish that can be 3 to 4 meters down. The leaders are very light so you can't muscle the fish up without a net. Nets are quite cheap in Japan, inexpensive ones are from 3,000 and up. Make sure to get one with a strap so you can carry it over your shoulder so you can cover more ground with comfort and ease.

mussels are great baits, just hide the hook and let it drop down.

For reels you have two styles that are popular to use, bait casters and center pins. Casting is simple, a flick of the rod or a drop along the edge of the breaker is all that is needed. It's very easy to master in a season. Prices will vary depending on name brand and personal preferences.

Lines are multicolored or a simple one base color. The reason for these are for better visual presentations. Popular colors are fluorescent orange, green, yellow and red. Also you can find lines in green/black combinations. A good main line weight to use is between #2-3. Leaders are floro carbons in #1-3.

Hooks are kept rather small in sizes of #2-6. I really like the chinu special hook from Gamakatsu, itfs especially designed for this kind of fishing.

Baits are live shrimps, crabs, and mussels. Shrimps called moebis (green grass shrimps) are good in the spring, during the summer months crabs and mussels are then used.
   
Ok now you have an idea on the equipment but now how do you catch these fish? All you have to do is let your bait travel along the edge of the breaker letting it slowly head toward the ocean floor. Once it hits the bottom bring up a few feet then let it drop down again........ BANG HIT! FISH ON! Sometimes a small cast out from you is ideal too! The key is letting your bait travel slowly down. The fish think it's a bait that's been dislodged, they're opportunistic feeders. These porgies (chinu, kurodai) are big and strong and are renowned for being a great fighter. Expect sizes from 30cm to 60cm.

Here is a detailed idea of how Otoshikomi works.

In conclusion Japan is truly a unique fishing nation and hopefully you've learned some new techniques or ideas that you can incorporate into your fishing.

Tight lines,
Nigel Paquin.