Dentex Fishing Charters

A dentex is a sea bream turned hunter: deep-bodied and silvery, with large canine teeth at the front of both jaws. Big ones often patrol rocky ground and deep reef edges alone, picking off small fish, squid and cuttlefish. Anglers catch them on live bait, on slowly trolled baits and on jigs, and the first run of a good fish, straight down for the rock, is why people go after them. It is also one of the best eating fish in the Mediterranean.

Dentex on the reefs from Gibraltar to Malta

In Gibraltar, Blue Horizon names dentex outright, with groupers and amberjack, as the harder fish of a day that also brings mackerel and, from late October to February, little tunny. It leaves at 06:00 for 3 or 6 hours, private for up to 4. Jigging, slow pitch jigging and popping are all on its list, rods, reels, lures and nets are supplied, and fuel, snacks and soft drinks are included.

On the Costa del Sol two boats carry dentex in their species lists. Blue Tide Marbella Boat leaves Marbella at 08:00 for 3 to 8 hours with up to 9 people, trolling or fishing the bottom as the season dictates. La Starfisher fishes light tackle over the reefs and offshore from 08:00 for 3 to 9 hours, up to 8, with a captain of more than 20 years' experience. On both, ask whether dentex are a realistic aim on your dates. The Spanish boats are together on dentex in Spain.

On the Atlantic side, Pesca a fondo in Cádiz runs a private four hour trip from 09:00 for up to 6 with live baiting, jigging and slow pitch jigging, and in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria the reef trip fishes live bait, dead bait and jigs for amberjack and grouper, with dentex also on its list.

In Malta, Adele II, a fast Axopar 37 with a cabin and air conditioning, sails from Floriana at 08:00 on 12 hour days for up to 11. It is licensed to fish out to 12 nautical miles and carries live bait, jigging and bottom gear, and a day that long leaves time to work several deep reef edges.