Eastern Black Sea · fish in season in November
Peak season
Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix
Mostly caught at çinekop size here (about 20% of the recreational catch; large lüfer under 1%). It comes inshore in September–October and passes west to east between October and December.
Where: Harbour mouths and breakwaters; spoons and sabiki rigs from shore.
Shore spinning Jigging Sabiki / feather rig Spoon Minnow (hard bait) Metal jig Horse mackerel Anchovy Sardine
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · SDÜ Eğirdir Su Ürünleri Fakültesi Dergisi
Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus
Half of the recreational catch in the Eastern Black Sea is horse mackerel. It comes close to shore in September–October and is caught heavily from shore by casting and retrieving sabiki rigs; angler numbers peak in September.
Where: Harbours, breakwaters and piers; Trabzon's Faroz shore is a well-known spot. In Sochi the pier by the sea terminal is popular.
Sabiki / feather rig Jigging Sabiki feathers Soft plastic Metal jig Anchovy Sardine Squid
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · Комсомольская правда (kp.ru)
In season
European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax
In January, February and March shore anglers mostly target sea bass.
Where: River mouths, rocky shores, breakwaters; dawn and dusk.
Shore spinning Surfcasting Trolling Minnow (hard bait) Soft plastic Small live fish Peeler crab Ragworm
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science
Atlantic bonito Sarda sarda
About 8% of the Eastern Black Sea recreational catch; caught August–October.
Where: Open water, from boats; also from harbour mouths during strong runs.
Sabiki / feather rig Trolling Shore spinning Sabiki feathers Minnow (hard bait) Metal jig Horse mackerel Sardine Anchovy
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · Acta Adriatica / Hrčak
Garfish Belone belone
August to December, mostly from boats offshore.
Where: Surface current lines.
Float fishing Light rock fishing (LRF) Shore spinning Metal jig Soft plastic Fly Fish strip Mackerel strip Sand eel
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science
European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus
Moves to the Anatolian and Georgian coast to overwinter from October to March; fishing in Georgian waters concentrates in January–March. For anglers mostly bait.
Where: Overwintering schools close to the coast.
Sabiki / feather rig Sabiki feathers
Occasional
Brown meagre Sciaena umbra
In rocky areas year-round; about 2% of the recreational catch.
Where: Rocky shores and breakwaters; at night.
Float fishing Bottom fishing Live shrimp Ragworm Shrimp
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science
Turbot Scophthalmus maximus
Rare in recreational catches (0.1%). Spawns April–August; many countries close the fishery during spawning, check local rules.
Where: Sandy bottoms, from boats.
Bottom fishing Surfcasting Live bait Horse mackerel Fish strip Anchovy
Common two-banded seabream Diplodus vulgaris
Uncommon; about 1% of the recreational catch.
Where: Rocky bottoms.
Bottom fishing Float fishing Handline Ragworm Mussel Shrimp
Source: NWSA
So-iuy mullet Planiliza haematocheilus
An occasional recreational catch in the Eastern Black Sea; an introduced mullet of Far-East origin.
Where: River mouths, inside harbours.
Float fishing Bottom fishing Ragworm Bread Dough bait
Flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus
Grey mullet comes inshore in January–April. On Russia's Sochi coast mullet fishing is banned from 20 August to 14 September.
Where: River mouths and harbours (in Sochi, fishing is banned within 1 km of some river mouths).
Float fishing Bottom fishing Handline Bread Dough bait Ragworm
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · Комсомольская правда (kp.ru)
Whiting Merlangius merlangus
Appears in recreational catches in summer; one of Georgia's main commercial species.
Where: Muddy and gravel bottoms, from boats.
Sabiki / feather rig Bottom fishing Handline Sabiki feathers Chicken breast Mussel Fish strip
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · FAO
Shi drum Umbrina cirrosa
Occasional; juveniles enter estuaries.
Where: Sandy and rocky shores, river mouths.
Surfcasting Bottom fishing Ledgering Live shrimp Mud shrimp Ragworm
Black Sea salmon Salmo labrax
PROTECTED
A migratory trout of the eastern Black Sea. Adults run into streams in April–June to spawn and return to sea in November–December; smolts move to sea at stream mouths in March–May. The population has declined from overfishing and habitat loss; consider releasing it and check current rules. Also found on the Sochi coast.
Source: Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (SUMAE) · Комсомольская правда (kp.ru) · FishBase
Spurdog Squalus acanthias
PROTECTED
One of Georgia's main commercial species; uncommon on rod and line, taken by bottom fishing from boats. Its dorsal spines are venomous.
Beluga sturgeon Huso huso
PROTECTED
PROTECTED SPECIES — IUCN Critically Endangered. A sturgeon hatchery was built on Georgia's Rioni River. If caught, release it immediately and unharmed.
Annular seabream Diplodus annularis
An occasional catch.
Where: Seagrass and sandy bottoms.
Bottom fishing Float fishing Light rock fishing (LRF) Soft plastic Jig head Ragworm Shrimp Mussel
Black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus
More active as the sea warms; also caught on the Sochi coast. Its spines are venomous.
Where: Rocky shores, foot of breakwaters.
Bottom fishing Light rock fishing (LRF) Float fishing Soft plastic Jig head Fish strip Horse mackerel Shrimp
Source: NWSA · Frontiers in Marine Science · Комсомольская правда (kp.ru)
Blotched picarel Spicara maena
Occasional; on the Georgian coast, areas rich in picarel were once designated as reserves.
Where: Rocky, weedy bottoms.
Bottom fishing Float fishing Handline Mussel Shrimp Ragworm
Round goby Neogobius melanostomus
Gobies are plentiful on the Georgian coast but uncommon in Turkish recreational catches. Spawns April–September.
Where: Shallow rocky and vegetated bottoms, inside harbours.
Handline Bottom fishing Light rock fishing (LRF) Soft plastic Jig head Mussel Fish strip Anchovy
Source: NWSA · FAO · Комсомольская правда (kp.ru)
This is the general seasonal pattern for the region, not live data. It can shift by a few weeks with water temperature, migration and the year.