Aquaholic Fishing CharterFree cancellation up to 5 days beforeFrom €500
Instant bookingAxopar 37 cabin with AC and 600 hpFree cancellation up to 1 day beforeFrom €1,700
These are squat, big-headed ambush predators of rocky reef and weed. Mottled red and brown skin and ragged flaps around the head make them almost invisible on the bottom, where they wait for a small fish or a prawn to pass and inhale it. They do not run far when hooked, it is mostly a heavy, head-shaking weight all the way up. The firm white flesh is why cooks love them, and in France the rascasse is a classic fish of bouillabaisse.
They come with bottom fishing over rough ground rather than being a trip on their own, and both boats here fish that way.
From St. Paul's Bay, Aquaholic Fishing Charter takes up to 12 aboard Laguna II with Captain Paul, a commercial fisherman who knows the local reefs and wrecks. Trips are private from 09:00 and run four to eight hours. Tell him which fish you most want and he will be straight with you about the chances.
Adele II, an Axopar 37 from Floriana, makes a full day of it: twelve private hours from 08:00 for up to 11. She is quick to the deeper ground, can fish out to 12 nautical miles, and has an air conditioned cabin. Bottom fishing, drifting and jigging are all on her list, so a scorpionfish may share the ice box with bream, dentex or grouper.
Questions and answers
Short answers to what people ask before they book. Anything else, ask the captain in chat.
Are scorpionfish dangerous to handle on a Malta charter?
Their fin and gill spines carry a venom that causes a painful sting, so let the crew unhook and handle them on Aquaholic and Adele II. If you are stung, hot water on the wound and a visit to a doctor are the usual first steps.
Which Malta trip suits scorpionfish better, Aquaholic or Adele II?
Both bottom fish over rough ground. Aquaholic from St. Paul's Bay lets you pick four to eight hours from 09:00 for up to 12, while Adele II from Floriana runs a twelve hour day from 08:00 for up to 11, with more time on deeper ground.