The common octopus lives on rocky and mixed bottoms all round the Mediterranean, hiding in dens and cracks and hunting crabs, shellfish and small fish. It is strong for its size, and once its suckers fasten on a rock the line feels like a snag. Qarnit, as it is called in Maltese, has long been a favourite in island kitchens, often slow stewed.
Our boat for this page is Aquaholic Fishing Charter, the Laguna II out of St. Paul's Bay. Captain Paul is a commercial fisherman with deep local knowledge. His trips are private, leaving at 09:00 for four to eight hours, with room for up to 12, and he bottom fishes reefs and wrecks inshore and further out.
An octopus is something you meet on that kind of trip, clinging to a bait or a hooked fish, rather than a target with its own method. The same boat lists squid, which are caught on purpose with jigs. If cephalopods are what you want, tell Captain Paul when you book: he gives honest expectations and plans the day around your list.
Bringing one up takes a steady pull with no slack, because if it grips the bottom again it will hold on. Leave the unhooking to the crew, as an octopus has a hard beak and can bite.
Questions and answers
Short answers to what people ask before they book. Anything else, ask the captain in chat.
Can you catch octopus on a fishing charter from St. Paul's Bay?
It happens, mostly by accident. Octopus grab baits and hooked fish on the bottom fishing trips Captain Paul runs over reefs and wrecks from St. Paul's Bay. Ask him at booking whether he thinks it is worth trying for one on your day.
How long are the Aquaholic trips from St. Paul's Bay?
Aquaholic Fishing Charter leaves at 09:00 as a private boat for up to 12, and you choose four, five, six, seven or eight hours. A longer trip leaves time to try more than one area, which helps on a bottom fishing day.