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Home - Activities - Tanegashima Fishing
Fishing Minamitane West Coast Pier Number 8Tanegashima Fishing

Aside from surfing, fishing is one of the reasons why people from all over Japan come to Tanegashima. During our years on the island, we caught a very diverse range of fish.

According to the locals though, the fishing has become progressively worse over the years. No doubt due to global warming and the excessive use of fertilizers by the island farmers which invariably end up draining into the fishing spots along the coast. That said, it is still possible to fill your cooler with tasty fish on a good day and if you know where to fish.
Tanegashima Fishing Piers

Although you can basically fish from anywhere on the coast I decided to focus on fishing spots with concrete piers and parking. Especially with kids, you might want to consider these spots, as fishing off the rocks and on those funky concrete triangles can be a little treacherous at times. Although better, you still need to watch it on these piers. Many are in a state of disrepair and there are no railings on most of them. In addition, some of them are extremely high, upwards of four meters tall. Be sure your kids are wearing good quality approved flotation devices and keep them away from the sides. Not to worry though since many places are safe for kids and these will be noted on the individual pages.

Note: each of the pier links in the following table open up to new tabs to make it easier for you to check out the piers and then return to this page.

Fishing Pier Map

The key to the map is as follows:

Horizontal Red Lines - These denote the approximate coastal boundaries of:

Nishinoomote city to the north
Nakatane town in the middle
Minamitane town to the south

Vertical Red Lines - These denote the approximate boundaries of east and west used on this map.

Numbered Red Fish - These show the approximate locations of fishing piers on Tanegashima.

Find Your Fishing Spot - Look on the map and find a place (fish) where you want to go fishing and match the location and number with a link in the table below. Click the link for more specific information about that fishing spot.

Note: The page links below open to new tabs to make it easier for you to browse through all the fishing spots.
 
Tanegashima Fishing Piers
 
West Coast Piers East Coast Piers
   
Nishinoomote Nishinoomote
Nakatane Nakatane
Minamitane Minamitane
Oriental Butterflyfish Chouchouo Chaetodon AuripesTanegashima Fish

These are all of the fish we actually caught since moving to Tanegashima. We tried most of them and, aside for a few, they were pretty good to eat.
Continue reading....
Additional Information
 
Spotted Knifejaw Ishigakidai Oplegnathus PunctatusTotal Fish Caught

The 2014 fishing season finished with over 25 different types and a grand total of 337 fish caught. The total for the 2015 season was 408 fish. (see tables below)

Picture - Spotted knifejaw.

We tried to eat many of them, and aside for a few, most were pretty good.
Total Fish Caught on Tanegashima for 2014
Day Date Location Information Today Total
1 9/7/2014 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 5 5 5
2 9/8/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 15, Bigeye Trevally 4 19 24
3 9/9/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 3, Bigeye Trevally 1 4 28
4 9/10/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 4, Bigeye Trevally 2, Spotted Knifejaw 1, Yellowfin Goatfish 1 8 36
5 9/11/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 3, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Brassy Chub 1 5 41
6 9/12/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Bigeye Trevally 1 2 43
7 9/14/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Bigeye Trevally 1 1 44
8 9/18/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 3, Bigeye Trevally 1, Girella Leonina 1, Barcheek Trevally 1 6 50
9 9/22/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 7, Bigeye Trevally 3 10 60
10 9/25/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Bigeye Trevally 1 1 61
11 9/26/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 18, Bigeye Trevally 10, Black-Stripe Sweeper 2, Yellowfin Surgeonfish 1 31 92
12 9/27/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 5 5 97
13 9/28/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Barcheek Trevally 1, Black-Stripe Sweeper 1, Girella Leonina 1 3 100
14 9/29/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 18, Black-Stripe Sweeper 6, Bigeye Trevally 3, Barcheek Trevally 1, Girella Leonina 1, Indian Goatfish 1, Brassy Chub 1 31 131
15 9/30/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 8, Bigeye Trevally 2, Black-Stripe Sweeper 2, Indian Goatfish 2, Girella Leonina 1 15 146
16 10/1/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 2, Indian Goatfish 2, Spottedtail Morwong 1, False Kelpfish 1, North Pacific Squirrelfish 1 7 153
17 10/2/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indian Goatfish 1, North Pacific Squirrelfish 1 2 155
18 10/3/2014 Minamitane-W-6 2 days before typhoon 0  155
19 10/8/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 4, Girella Leonina 2 6 161
20 10/9/2014 Minamitane-W-6 3 days before typhoon 0 161
21 10/15/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Japanese Jack Mackerel 1, Unknown 1 3 164
22 10/16/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Barcheek Trevally 1 2 166
23 10/17/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Painted Sweetlips 1, Russell's Snapper 1, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, 3 169
24 10/18/2014 Minamitane-E-3 Blackspot Sergeant 1, Girella Leonina 1 2 171
25 10/20/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 22, Barred Knifejaw 1 23 194
26 10/21/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 4, Thalassoma Cupido 1 5 199
27 10/22/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 2, Girella Leonina 1 3 202
28 10/23/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 10, Girella Leonina 1, Barcheek Trevally 1 12 214
29 10/24/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 18, Indian Goatfish 1, Black-Stripe Sweeper 1 20 234
30 10/25/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 10, Oriental Butterflyfish 1, Brassy Chub 1 12 246
31 10/27/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 6, Bigeye Trevally 1 7 253
32 10/29/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 4, Indian Goatfish 2, Black-Stripe Sweeper 2 8 261
33 10/30/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 5, Brassy Chub 1, Black-Stripe Sweeper 1 7 268
34 10/31/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 3, Bigeye Trevally 2, Black-Stripe Sweeper 1 6 274
35 11/4/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Flathead Grey Mullet 1, Blackhead Seabream 1, Bigeye Trevally 1
Shai caught a 33 cm Flathead Grey Mullet. 		3 277
36 11/5/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indian Goatfish 1, Flathead Grey Mullet 1, Bigeye Trevally 1
I caught a 41 cm Indian Goatfish and a 32 cm Flathead Grey Mullet. 		3 280
37 11/7/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 13, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 3, Bigeye Trevally 1 17 297
38 11/9/2014 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 19, Large Toothed Cardinalfish 1, Gracile Lizardfish 1, Japanese Gregory 1 22 319
39 11/15/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 2 2 321
40 11/16/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Really calm ocean and almost no wind but low tide. 0 321
41 11/18/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Sunny and warm and high tide but no fish biting. 0 321
42 11/19/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Barcheek Trevally 1 2 323
43 11/20/2014 Minamitane-W-6 False Kelpfish 2, Half Lined Cardinal 2, Star Snapper 1 5 328
44 11/21/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Black-Stripe Sweeper 3, Half Lined Cardinal 1 4 332
45 11/23/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Half Lined Cardinal 1, Eeltail Catfish 1 2 334
46 11/24/2014 Minamitane-W-6 Indian Goatfish 1, Black-Stripe Sweeper 1, Eeltail Catfish 1 3 337
Total Fish Caught on Tanegashima for 2015
Day Date Location Information Today Total
1 3/21/2015 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Girella Leonina 1, Flathead Grey Mullet 1 3 3
2 3/30/2015 Minamitane-W-6 Blue Mackerel 10 10 13
3 5/6/2015 Minamitane-W-6 Flathead Grey Mullet 1 1 14
4 5/7/2015 Minamitane-W-6 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 5, Unicorn fish 1 6 20
5 5/21/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 17, Pacific Drummer 1, Unknown small fish 1 19 39
6 5/22/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 20, Stripey 2 22 61
7 5/25/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 26, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 6, Stripey 1, Round Herring 1, Mottled Spinefoot 1, Nagasaki Damsel 1, Unicorn fish 1 37 98
8 5/26/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 5 5 103
9 5/27/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 14, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1 15 118
10 5/29/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 9, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 6, Nagasaki Damsel 1, Stripey 1 17 135
11 6/1/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 16, Blue Mackerel 7, Nagasaki Damsel 1, Stripey 1 25 160
12 6/2/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 43 43 203
13 6/3/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 30, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1 31 234
14 6/4/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 13, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 3 16 250
15 6/6/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 49, Kanpachi 1 50 300
16 6/7/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 108 108 408
17 6/13/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 10, Stripey 1 11 419
18 6/16/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Small Aji 2, Blue Mackerel 1, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1, Stripey 1 5 424
19 6/17/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 11, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 4, Small Spotted Aji 1 16 440
20 6/18/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 1 1 441
21 6/19/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 31, Stripey 132   473
22 6/20/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Blue Mackerel 32, Indo-Pacific Sergeant 5, Kanpachi 1 38 511
23 6/21/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 29, Blue Mackerel 4, trevally 1, brown fish 1 35 546
24 6/23/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 13, Angelfish 1 14 560
25 7/8/2015 Minamitane-W-1 Indo-Pacific Sergeant 2, Stripey 1, Yellow striped 4 564