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Catching and Cooking Prime-Season Jack Mackerel Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki, and today I’m heading out to catch Jack Mackerel, or Aji as we call them in Japan, using my original handmade sabiki rig. Now is the absolute best season for them; they’re delicious and perfect for cooking. The plan is simple: catch a lot of them, aiming for a good size of around 30 cm. Finding the Fish Jack Mackerel typically hang around fish reefs over sandy bottoms. I started at a spot just outside the marina, but there were no bites and the current was too slow. To find better conditions, …

Read more “Catching the BEST Sushi of June: Japanese Jack Mackerel (Aji) In the Best Condition”

Planning the Perfect Catch: A Red Snapper Fishing & Cooking Guide Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki, and today, I want to show you how a little bit of planning before a fishing trip can lead to amazing results. The Strategy: Using Data to Find the Fish Before every trip, the first thing I check is the current forecast. This tool shows me how fast the current is moving and when its direction will change throughout the day. For Red Snapper, the best fishing time is right after the “current turnover”. Today, that’s happening at 7:00 a.m.. So, my plan is to be at …

Read more “GUARANTEE a Catch! My Secret Checklist for Catching Japanese Red Snapper & Raw-Egg Kaisen Don”

Kayak Fishing for a Tasty Surprise Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki, and today I’m out on the kayak again. My target is the delicious Jack Mackerel, a fish that, personally, I think is even tastier than Yellowtail and Red Snapper. A Day on the Water The fishing spot is about two miles from shore, with a water depth of around 38 to 40 meters. I’m using a sabiki rig, which has small lures that imitate white bait. My fish finder is showing a great signal—lots of white bait in the middle of the water column and signs of Jack Mackerel near the bottom. …

Read more “Kayak to Kitchen: FRESH Saba Sushi & Poke Don! (Catch & Cook)”

A Kayak Adventure for Japan’s Tastiest Grouper Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Diki, and today I’m out on my kayak. I’ve traveled all the way to the Japan seaside with one specific goal in mind: to target a prized fish known as Ako, the orange-spotted grouper. I make this trip every year because this fish is incredibly delicious, and I’m determined to catch a good-sized one to cook up something special. Jigging, Fighting, and a Surprise Catch My plan starts with jigging. I’m using an 80g silver metal jig around a fish reef where the water is about 100 feet deep. The fish finder …

Read more “Ultimate KAISEN DON with AKO Grouper from Kayak Fishing in the Sea of Japan!”

A Deep-Sea Adventure in Osaka Bay Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki. It’s just after dawn, and I’m heading out to the deepest spot in Osaka Bay, where the water depth reaches around 550 feet. Today’s mission is to drop a line into the deep and see what we can catch. Fishing the Abyss Deep-sea fishing requires a simple approach. There are no complex techniques; you just drop the rig to the bottom and wait for a bite. The key is to drift the boat along with the current, which allows the line to stay straight as it descends into the depths. My drift …

Read more “Simple & Delicious Japanese Fish Roe Recipe: Fresh From Osaka Bay’s Deepest Spot!”

From a Great Fishing Day to a Delicious Cooking Night Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki. The other day, I had a fantastic fishing trip with guests from the United States and France. We had a lot of bites and catches, and afterward, we all enjoyed making fresh sushi together. A Tale of Two Targets That day, we started out targeting Red Snapper. We hopped from spot to spot, but we just weren’t getting any bites. I realized it just wasn’t the day for snapper, so we switched our strategy and started jigging for Yellowtail instead. That turned out to be the right call! …

Read more “Tourists Try Making Sushi from Fish They Caught Themselves!”

A Deep Dive for Black Croaker and Red Snapper Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life AI! I’m Diki. It’s just after dawn, and I’m heading out on a deep fishing adventure to the deepest spot in Osaka Bay, where the water reaches about 550 feet. Fishing the Tides My first target is the Black Croaker. This spot is challenging because the current is usually super fast, making it fishable only during “slack tide”—the short period when the current stops before changing direction. My plan is to catch a few Black Croakers during this window and then move on to another target. The technique for deep fishing is …

Read more “Freshest NIGIRI SUSHI Made by a Japanese Fisherman”

Fishing the Seaweed Farms of Awaji Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki. It’s early April, and with the weather getting warmer, it’s a much more comfortable time to be out on the water. Today, I’m at a unique fishing spot right next to Awaji Island, an area completely surrounded by seaweed farms. From October to May, local fishermen set up these nets 360 degrees around the island to cultivate nori (seaweed). By March, the seaweed has grown large, and broken pieces float off the nets, creating a natural feeding ground. A lot of fish gather here to feast on this abundant food source, and …

Read more “Kelp Wrapped Sashimi and Teriyaki Fish Head / Winter Japanese Delicacy”

A Multi-Stage Fishing Adventure: From the Depths to the Kitchen Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki. It’s early April, and with the weather getting warmer, it’s the perfect time to get out on the water. Today’s trip is a multi-part adventure, starting in the deepest part of Osaka Bay and moving to shallower waters as the day progresses. Part 1: Deep Fishing at Slack Tide The day begins before dawn at the deepest spot in Osaka Bay, around 550 feet (160 meters). This area has a powerful current, making it fishable only during “slack tide,” the brief period when the water stops moving. My …

Read more “Small but Super Delicious! Simmered Mebaru – Japan’s Favorite Rockfish”

A Windy Day Win: Catching and Cooking Red Snapper Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life of Awaji! I’m Daiki. It’s been a windy week, limiting my fishing to just a couple of days. Today, the conditions offshore are still rough, with white caps and a wind blowing about 10 m/s, but it’s calmer than it has been, so my fishing partner Nana and I are heading out to target Red Snapper. The Fishing Trip Our first spot is about 30 meters deep, and the fishfinder shows a lot of baitfish in the area. On the very first drift, I get a strong bite. The fish is pulling …

Read more “No Waste! Japanese Fisherman Cooks Every Part of the Fish”