Fishing in Playa Blanca (incl. License download)
I’m maybe not the best person to be writing this – given the results I’ve had since taking up fishing again but here goes…One of the things about Lanzarote is that, if you don’t keep yourself busy, you can end up with a lot of time on your hands. Yes, the lifestyle is fantastic, the weather is great, and we wouldn’t swap it for the world, but if you want to do more with your leisure time than eat and drink, and sit around watching television, it’s time to look for a hobby or two…
With this in mind I took the bit between my teeth and went out and bought a fishing rod, not having been fishing since I was a teenager (I was also working on an fishing website at the time – so could justify it as ‘research’ 
). It’s not that expensive to get started – and the local shops do some excellent starter kits – probably much cheaper than you’d find in the UK. Don’t splash out straight off and you can get yourself started for under €50! Not bad for days and weeks of entertainment. You can always buy the fancy stuff later if you get the bug.
Having only done course fishing in the past, sea fishing was a bit of a mystery to me, so I decided to delve around a few fishing forums to see what I could learn and found the best information seemed to be available on a website called – strangely enough – World Sea Fishing. It helped me find out about the techniques and methods used in the area, and I also got to know a couple of people on the forum, one of whom a doctor from the UK was coming on holiday to Lanzarote and offered to come to Playa Blanca for an afternoon and show me some of the basics. We went down to the harbour – and he showed me how to set up a sliding float rig and gave me a few tips. He and a friend came down from Costa Teguise whilst their wives went off to explore Playa Blanca with Elle for the afternoon. He was a really nice guy, a total fishing fanatic, and happy to pass on some of his knowledge – I even caught a couple of small fish.
I’ve since been out a number of times, not really catching an awful lot. Perhaps my best fish so far was a Sea Bream of just about edible proportions! I got even more disheartened when my son spent a month over here in the summer and we went fishing together, he was pulling them out of the water like they were going out of fashion! Me: nothing or very little… For someone with my competitive nature (which I refuse to admit to normally) it was a bit of a knock! Anyway, he’s coming back at the end of this month – so perhaps its time for a re-match!
I’ve only been fishing in Playa Blanca so far, from the harbour wall at the port, at Playa Flamingo, Playa Dorada and the beach at Los Colorados, so there are still a few more spots to try. Be aware though in Playa Blanca you are not allowed to fish within the Rubicon Marina, or inside any of the harbour walls.
Mostly I’ve been using a sliding float with either squid or prawns for bait. I’ve also tried a little spinning too, but without success. I’ve been told that small crabs are the bait of choice for Parrot Fish (you can get these in jars at Casa Salvador’s in Playa Blanca), and recently I was given some fresh Mullet caught on just a floating chunk of bread. Very nice it tasted too!
In Spain you are supposed to have a fishing licence which I have been told is available from the Cabildo in Arrecife. Although, to be honest – apart from one person I have yet to meet anyone, local or ex-pat who has one. Apparently the Guardia on the mainland are very keen on enforcing the licences – but as so often is the case with some things their attitude in Lanzarote is a bit more ‘relaxed’ on the matter.
Like I said – I don’t catch much – but catching is only half of the fun of fishing. For me, it’s a much about getting out for an afternoon, clearing my head of work, and enjoying the fact that I live over here and have the opportunity to do it whenever the fancy takes me! Hell, it beats sitting by the Leeds-Liverpool canal in the rain like I used to as a teenager!
If you would like to apply for your fishing license – follow the link below – and happy angling!
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35 Responses to Fishing in Playa Blanca (incl. License download)
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Urgh – not sure, if I’m honest. I know there’s garfish, dorada, mullet, and sea bass… just to name a few.
Thanks for your help . And on last question haha what fish will be around in febuary ?
I think there are one or two that operate from the Marina and Harbour… but I don’t have their details to hand I’m afraid. The guys I know that does yacht trips doesn’t do fishing. Best to head down there when you arrive, and also perhaps into the Last Minute Travel shop behind Cafe del Mar in the Marina.
Good luck! xx
OMG so is there any others from playa blanca ?
Hi Alex. Sorry, but I’m 99% sure that this was the boat that went up in flames some months ago. A real shame. xx
so do you you know if the blue delphin uno will be doing trips from playa blanca
Hi Alex – there is decent fishing all year round… so you’ll be able to nab something.
Regarding boat trips – yes there are a number available, and a Google serach should bring up a number of companies for you.
Good luck!
Elle xx
Hi
does anybody know if lanzarote has good fishing in febuary and would there be boats trips for deep sea and bottom fishing
Thanks
Thanks Gra – and happy fishing honey!
Elle xx
ello all,
and whats wrong with sitting by the Leeds Liverpool canal? Tis an honourable pastime. Beleive it or not there are some nice fish in the stretch i walk with poochy boy between Shipley through Saltaire to Hirst Wood most days.
We usually walk back along the river Aire which also has its moments !
Got to admit though, sitting by the Atlantic has to be more enjoyable.
We’re over on the 4th of December for a week in Costa Teguise so I’ll be doing some line dangling earl mornings ( pretending I know nothing about needing a license ).
Love your site. Very informative.
Gra
Not too difficult to find great villas in Playa Blanca Bunnji. Drop us an email if you want some recommendations. I’m not sure if Elle put up the picture of the Garfish I caught last year – quite an exciting fish to bring in. Not large but when they hit they fly out of the water like a Marlin!
Thanks Alan
Twelve months on, and those rascals better beware, hopefully we will be back on the 16th once we can find a half decent aptmnt / villa, rod on hand and Garfish swim by at your peril.
Bunnji – your long thin fish was probably a Garfish – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfish
Hi Bunnji – glad you got sorted. It could well have been my dodgy directions (I am a woman after all).
Glad you enjoyed the Island too… we’re a bit proud of it!
And yes that place in the harbour is a goodun. You’ve got me trying hard to remember the name of it now too!
Elle xx
Hi Elle
but great fun again many thanks lovely island hope to return soon. ps name escapes me but a Wonderful great value TAPAS bar ran by two colourful characters overlooking the harbour is a must especially Sat flamenco evening with a twist
Many thanks for your advice just returned from an excellent two week stay followed your instructions to the letter on how to get to Ferrocur shop, however there must be two Jardine del sol so we took the scenic route past Miradol del Rio lol(bit of a bugger that roundabout) anyway topped up on bits Shrimp, Bread, sweetcorn etc and off to the sea, not much joy first couple of days, until one day drove out south Playa Blanca and came to what seemed a disused villa, shimmied down the rocks, joined some locals, soon pulled out a long thin fish cut it up and used it for bait, and did really well,took about four hours to climb out again
I’d have thought the line light enough. Using a technique the locals use you can use much heavier line if it’s all you have. For Mullet they add about 5 or 6 small treble hooks and wrap around a small baguette.
Hi Erik – you can get the gambas from any of the supermarkets in the town centre. Hubby has used fresh and frozen (although he does defrost the frozen ones first)
I can’t help with the line info… but hopefully someone else can.
Good luck… and I hope your son enjoys it as mush as you obviously do.
Elle xx
Hello,
I will be staying with my wife and 12 year old son in Playa Blanca first week of november and will certainly take one or two light telescope fishing rods with me.
Can anybody tell me where I can find the shrimps (gambas) mentioned by Joe McG (see message 01/09/2009) ? Does one have to use smaller shrimps or just cut bigger gambas into pieces ?
Is a 0.18 mm line light enough for freelined bread fishing ?
If usefull I will inform this forum about the fishing adventures with my son (he takes his first steps in fishing)) when back in Belgium
Erik 16 Oct 2009
Hi Joe – and thanks for sharing your experiences with everyone. Wow – you certainly did well.
Great info for anyone looking at this site.
Thanks again!
PS: Next time – I’ll happily eat what you catch
Just come back after 2 weeks and had a great time. Weather excellent – aghain stayed at playa flamingo and fished that beach. Caught loads on bread – float fishing. Also caught my biggest on the last day on prawn (locals call it gamba) fishing with a small led on sand – a 3 lb banded bream – wow what a fight on small light tackle. Also went fishing on a boat but that was a waste of time – spent most of time looking after 2 young lads that i inherited after the dad went off with two other who had been sick from moment we left harbour. Built up a great friendship tho’. Papayago beach was easiest place to cactch fish – got smashed off twice by big fish and in end was pull them out with line tied to end of daughters spade and fishing bread. I dont think the fish have been hard fished there.
Finally if you dont catch anything – i found another way to catch loads, empty a 5 litre bottle of water cannister, cut out a circular hole in side and put bread in, then snorkle in sea and watch fish fightng to get in to the bread – i caught 5 at one go!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS All my fish returned safely to sea ….didnt have heart to eat them – bought them at restaurant.
Hope this helps
Joe 1 Sept 2009
Thanks Elle, tiddlers beware.
Hi Bunnji – there is a really good selection of rods and equipment in the Ferrocur shop – which is about a 3 or 4 minute drive from where you are staying.
Head out of your complex get onto the dual carriageway, which will force you to turn right – and go all the way to the end of that road (straight over the roundabout by the port).
Turn right at the end of that road at the mini roundabout.
At the end of that road (where you should see a petrol station on the right), take the last exit off the roundabout… just before you turn back upon yourself… which pushes you onto the old Yaiza road.
You will see on your left some signs for “26 Chalets” villas… and you will immediately come across a small industrial estate.
Turn left into that, and immediately right, and park up. Ferrocur is just there.
Good luck!
Elle xx
Hi am Staying at Jardines del sol timeshare end of sept, can i buy small a rod and bits locally or shall i purchase them here, after reading Joe’s post fancy chancing my hand whilst missus bakes. Thanks
thanks for the feedback elle shud have a few hours fun fishing
Just to add…. Hubby has seen plenty of crabs on the rocks. I’ve just read it above – shows how much attention a lady pays really, doesn’t it?
Elle xx
Damn – we missed out there then.
Good that the kids like fish though… keeps them healthy! Not seen many crabs about, but I’m no expert (ignore my childish snigger when anyone asks about catching those). We’re in Playa Blanca too – we’re at the other end though… past the Marina. Try also… turning right at the seafront, and fishing off the rocks at Playa Dorada. Maybe get the kids in the water catching octopi – Hubby’s lad brought me one home a few weeks back that he got our of the rocks. It was eaten within 2 hours (by me… the others wouldn’t touch it) and oh how fresh!
haha well the kids adore fish so i think im covered there im hoping to cath some crabs they always go down nice. were abouts on the island you from ???
Excellent – let us know how you get on… and if you end of with more than you can eat – there’s a welcome freezer at our place
)
thanks elle i have done alot of fishing around spain and other parts of europe and have been succesful so maybe il catch cheers paul
Hi Paul. You can fish off the rocks at the end of the harbour. Just keep walking past where all the cars are, and past where you board the ferry.
Hope you have better luck than Alan does!
Elle xx
hi im going to playa blanca in 2 weeks and um staying just over the road from the harbour now u mention you cannot fish here is there anywhere to the sides or down the road i could try im taking a telescopic rod and lightline cheers paul
Hi Joe – you’ll have seen that many of the locals use bread. Usually a small baguette with a number of trebles wrapped around it. Works really well for mullet. I had a similar thing recently where on the advice of someone (I’m far from an expert!) off Playa Dorada I took the float off and with a small lead put prawn on the bottom. We started catching after hours of nothing.
Hi – I stayed at Playa Flamingo in August 2008 and going back in August this year. Having snorkelled in the sea just at the Flamingo beach you would be amazed at the size of the fish taking bread from my hand including some huge bream – 2 to 3 lbs in weight. I came well prepared for fishing and after struggling to catch anything decent on the outside the enclosed area of sea, I turned my attention to the fishing in the enclosed bit i.e. within the delapidated rock walls in front of flamingo apartments. Heres the important bit, I took off all the weights and the float and freelined bread – wow what a result lots of mullet, silver bream and banded bream the biggest about a pound. Try it, its great fun on a small telescopic rod with light line.
Looking forward to August
Joe
There are always plenty of crabs crawling over the rocks in the harbour wall of the port. Though I´m not sure how you’d go about catching them – probably the best bet is a net. Be careful though the rocks might be a bit treacherous for a 5 year old. (You aren’t allowed to fish for anything within the harbour). You are probably better off trying to catch fish rather than crabs. The rocks on Play Dorada or Playa Flamingo would be much safer with a 5 year old than the port.
Hi. Very interesting article.
I’m coming over to Playa Blanca for a couple of weeks over Xmas and my 5 year old son has asked Santa for a fishing line.
We’re staying next to the marina, so it’s a shame you can’t fish in it – there’s certainly plenty of fish. Have you any idea where would be the nearest place to go? Also have you done any fishing at Papagayo?
I haven’t got a clue about fishing, and the reason my son is after a rod is because we spent some timing crabbing in Wales in the summer. This was great because it was so easy to catch them. On that note, do you know anywhere you can catch crabs in Playa Blanca?
Sorry for all the questions, and thanks again for such a relevant article
Cheers,
Jos