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Fish begging to be caught as rock fishing season starts

On the Penghu islands, a strong, chilly sea wind from the northeast has replaced the gentle southerly summer breeze. The beginning of the Penghu coastal fishing season has arrived.

A growing number of enthusiastic anglers have recently been spotted standing on rocks along the coasts of the Penghu archipelago.

Lu Hung-chih (呂宏志), founder and chairman of the Penghu Islands Rocks Fishing Association, yesterday described the archipelago as a haven for rock fishing.

There are perfect spots for seashore fishing everywhere in Penghu County, a group of 90 islets that houses many fishing grounds in the Taiwan Strait. Anglers from Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi and Taichung are often seen sailing at night to remote Penghu islets, he said.

Fall and winter are regarded as the best time for rock fishing in Penghu, because migratory fish usually gather near the seashore in the cold seasons when the strong northeasterly wind blows, Lu said.

“It is like the schools of fish are waiting for you to catch them, instead of the anglers waiting for the fish,” said Lu, who developed an interest in rock fishing when he was a junior high school student.

On the downside, anglers threaten the islets’ beautiful ecology by using bait mixed with raw chemical materials and with the garbage they leave behind, including plastic bottles and lunch boxes, Lu said.
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