TIPS from Zee - Fishing in the UAE

Ziyad Haneef [ @zee_zeal instagram]

Fishing is not just about Catch and Cook or Catch and Release, it's also about calculating your techniques and being at the right sport at the right time.

Keeping in mind that weather is also another important factor which all anglers should be aware of, this aspect can affect many aspects such as where to find the fish and safety.

Anglers should select areas where they want to go fishing, They must also be aware of Wind Speed, sea swell, waves height in the target fishing area chosen. High tide and low tides are also another important factor an angler should be aware of. 

As an angler when planning and preparing for a fishing trip, I do a weather forecast three days amidst the day that I should be at the sea. [ eg:- if I wanted to go fishing on Sunday, I must be aware of the weather condition from Friday till Monday].

Note
Fish don’t eat all day throughout, time selection is also another important factor.

Once am updated with the weather condition, Next is the type of Fishing. [ top water fishing or Bottom]

Then lures to be used for a particular water-color “light and bright Colored lures with clear water and dark colors with dark waters”

For topwater fishing, Poppers and lures are the best option, Jerkbait, Pintail, Stickbait lures are mostly used for top water activity. For both sinking and floating, suspend lures are a best choice for anglers. 

Each lure has its own action and purpose. When targeting pelagic fish like Kingfish, Barracuda, Bonito, Tuna etc, topwater lures are the best option.

When targeting grouper, Snapper and other bottom fish it is good to go for Jigs and soft baits. While using these technique we must know the depth of the water, watercolor and the current speed of the water accordingly and then we can select the jig and the Softbait.

I always try to be at the fishing spot during the times when the  water is going up [from low to high tide], This is the best feeding time. The Fish will be more aggressive during this period.

We can expect more strikes during this period and also least or less activity as the water is going down [ from high tide to low tide]

“Moon Sight“ is also an important factor especially when an angler is deciding to go fishing during night.

Anglers should consider going fishing at night during the middle of the month, This is when the moon is full [ 3-4 days]. These are the best night times we can expect the best tides and the best currents for more catches than other regular days.

An angler can choose different types of fishing according to his own choice, He can setup a line with 0.6 pe and 12 lab fluorocarbon [leaderline] and use a rod with 6-14 lbs capacity, Reel 2000-2500 series. This is known as the light-setup or UL setup. 

I like to change my tackles according to the season, During winter I like to go with medium heavy setup for Kingfish and Barracudas whereas in the summer I like to use light setup for golden trevallies and snappers.

This is a brief on how I prepare for a fishing trip for all my fishing experience in UAE since 2018.

By:
Ziyad Haneef [ @zee_zeal instagram]