We had the chance to show our barehanded Octopus snorkeling, in 2019, on a Chinese-Italian production, destined for some international channels, like youku.com.

In detail, the episode of the series called “Kiss Kiss” was about a Chinese girl named “Molly” who’s traveling in Italy and Sicily in particular, looking for adventurous experiences, while tasting local specialties and wines.

The episode is entirely shot in Sicily. The first part is about the Volcano Etna and a guided hike along some black sand paths. It is possible to enjoy some very nice drone footage and some old videos from past famous eruptions, like the one in 2001.

After an introduction to the Sicilian attractions and best pieces of coastline, the rest of the episode is about our specialty, our best snorkeling in Sicily, the Barehanded octopus Snorkeling! We took Molly on a classic itinerary of the octopus snorkeling with the boat. It was not visible, but on that boat, apart from the guide and the actress, there were six other people, including the camera crew, the director, and a mate.

Molly had some diving experience but she had never been in guided snorkeling. After a quick introduction briefing on how to use snorkel and fins, the snorkeling starts with looking for some colored sea urchins and wildlife. Andrea, as a guide, starts to give the guest some tips and instructions about spotting the house of the Octopus. Short research and the first octopus show up! The nice creature is hiding between some stones and sand; maintaining a wide view to control what goes around its house.

The Octopus starts to move, hiding in the best possible way, between sand and stones, including spraying its ink to trick the guide. Molly didn’t realize the size of the Octopus until it unveiled itself completely, changing colors and shapes, making its body as big as possible. This is one of the more classic strategies that the Octopus employs when it feels like there are no other options. It passes quickly from a completely camouflaged condition to an uncovered aspect, getting the maximum size possible to send its last message.

Andrea, who was slowly approaching the octopus, waiting for the best instant to grab it, also had to take time to wait for the scent to disappear, before localizing the cephalopod again and taking it up on the surface.

Molly, unexpectedly reacted, running away and literally jumping into the boat! Everyone, including the footage director invited her to go back in the water, but the answer was just “no, no, nooo, nooo!”. She decided she didn’t want to go back into the water, a bit scared by the octopus’s “reaction” on the bottom of the sea!

Once she understood there was nothing to be scared of, she even decided to get in contact with the strange creature. Some fast shooting followed and the Octopus was released back to his underwater world.

At the end of the special and intense day of shooting, Andrea took Molly for a dinner right on the water, at the edge of an old Tonnara, an old Tuna fishing establishment, now converted into a local village full of typical restaurants, Sicilian style bars, and shops. The episode ends up after a dinner of local seafood specialties of the Mediterranean Sea combined with tasting a selection of local wines sponsored by the co-producer “Ethica wines“.

Full Episode, including Etna’s footage.

First fishing session in Sicily of 2020, was a a successful one. Not only for the fish caught, but for a whole mix of ingredients which make a session unforgettable. The original plan was to go fishing in Catania the week before, but decided to wait a week more to have better conditions.

Chronicles Of The Day
Great weather on the end of June, no wind, no currents, clear sky. Everything looks perfect and we already have good news from the past days, so positive expectation, but with fishing you never know what is going to happen!

Once the rigging is done, less the 30 min waiting and fist bite! Is instantly clear which is not a Tuna, or at least not the one we are looking for. Short time to take the fish close to the boat. Green colors and blue spots, is a beautiful Dorado. Jumps and short runs make is complicated to land the fish until he got free. Not bad as the show was served anyway and the fish was under the boat for a good time!

​Another 30min and the fish is on again! This time is no doubt, the reel is screaming like hell! Bluefin Tuna!
An intense battle with a particularly combative fish, made our guests, Kyle and Kody, switch 3 times, over 3 hours! Great satisfaction for the fish aboard!

The day looks at his end, everyone is satisfied aboard and, let’s say the truth, tired from the epic battle! But while setting the equipment, the team spot another Mahi Mahi, swimming around the boat. The bait is quickly dropped into the water, and is just a question of seconds, since the Dolphin fish, is on!
Those spectacular jumps, delighted everybody aboard, before heading back to the port!

This is a perfect trip to fish off the eastern coast of Sicily. Whether one would like to go Fishing in Catania or Siracuse.

Sicily is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and this combined with its particular geography, makes shore fishing very good here.

The wide variety of fishing spots, open to a large quantity of target fish, fishing grounds, water depth and environments.

The footage, “Crazy shore fishing in Sicily video” shows some bluefish fishing, Barracuda fishing, and some lost big fish during an adrenaline-packed afternoon session, part of a shore fishing trip.

We consider a multi-day fishing trip to Sicily, the best way to enjoy saltwater shore fishing in Europe. Much better than a single session and a full-day shore fishing.
This is simply because fishing one of the selected spots, for more than a session give the chances to meet crazy conditions and feeding frenzy on the water, like in the following video, shoot exactly during a Sicily fishing trip. We usually manage to fish for 2 to 3 session a day during a shore fishing multi-day trip in Sicily.

Fishing Europe at this latitude, means having a wide range of possible places to fish, choosing between so many typologies of spots and with the possibility to jump from one to the other.
Talking a bit about the kind of trips and the level of preparation you would need, is possible to say that there are several options.
From the lifetime adventure involving kayaks, remote spots and uncomfortable rocky cliff, to the easier and accessible, light tackle casting fishing shore fishing, maybe with some boat fishing during the multiday trip to fish a bit from the boat. Obviously, if you are looking for something in between, don’t worry, there are plenty of options. We will suggest you the best solution in relation to the season and your preferences.

An ideal 3-day shore fishing trip includes full-time guiding, transportation on-site, pick up on the destination airport, Shimano equipment, local charming accommodation, local dinner with the caught fish and some excursions on the not fishing moments etc. Fishing sessions are usually 2 to 3 per day, being the main ones at sunrise and sunset. The fish research takes place along different spots. Usually, the best fishing spots are also beautiful sites with breathtaking panoramas.

Other shore fishing trips take place in the remotest parts of Sicily. Some require special organizations and support, resulting in something unique and unrepeatable nowhere else in the world.

These trips are not about fishing only, but the whole journey is a surprising adventure full of experiential activities in Sicily. Sights are literally everywhere in Sicily, so, if you are wondering about if the trip will be just about fishing, the answer is no! Nature, History, archaeological sites and food will be always an option after fishing.

This late September was a successful one. Last fishing sessions went very good. Fish are there in good numbers and this promises a great Autumn-Winter season for fishing in Sicily.
One of the techniques we particularly like in these waters, productive when practised in the right period and with correct bait, is live bait trolling, already described in this past article. This technique could also be considered a Deep sea fishing in Sicily, as is usually take place at -40m or deeper.
Target fish are usually Dentex, Amberjack and many species of grouper. Bluefin tuna or other species can always bite fishing with live bait.

Fishing in October
October and November are great months to find the right live bait, which is also a fun activity to do early in the morning if you don’t mind about waking up early during your holiday in Sicily. It is anyway possible to skip this part and jump on the boat when the live baits are already in the live tank, a couple of hours sleeping later! 😀

On the last fishing sessions, James first, Mandy and Sebastian after went fishing in Syracuse area with us this week. Apart from the good fishing visible on the pictures, we had really great moments aboard. Good weather and some interesting activities, after fishing, filled those perfect days.

​Extra activities on a fishing trip
In many places of Sicily, including fishing in Siracusa, some activities are possible after the deep sea fishing session or during a 3-day fishing trip.
One of them is jumping in the water to catch an octopus with barehand. Barehanded Octopus fishing. This is a family knowledge, a bunch of skills about spotting and catching octopus in their shelters, passed from my father, that I try to teach to my guests. Barehanded octopus fishing takes place from 1m to 4m of waters, in the daylight. Snorkelling gear and wetsuits are always available. It is always possible to catch and release them.

Another thing we add to our trips, when possible and in specific places, is preparing abord a special lunch, maybe with the caught fish. This is to fill up a complete experience that will drive you directly into the Mediterranean fishing and marine lifestyle.
In definitive, thanks to our experienced team, made of different skills, we can proudly say that for this specific season, and target fish, we can deliver, the best fishing in Sicily as an experience to remember.

Taormina is one of the most visited and touristy towns on the east coast of Sicily main island. In general, we do not encourage staying in Taormina to live an adventurous, authentic original and sea style trip to Sicily (check the best way to plan a fishing trip in Sicily).
However, if you already have booked accommodation and cannot move too far away from the Taormina area, it may be an interesting departure port for some specific techniques described here.

The fishing Ground
The bathymetric off Taormina coast are particular ones. The seabed jumps from 0 to -500 meters within 1 mile from the shore. Navigating 7miles distance, the bottom drops down to -1300 meters under the sea level. Going in the direction of Greece, this depth increasing of the sea bottom continues up to -4000m (4km) because of the position in between the African and the Euro-Asian rift.

The techniques
A fishing session in this area of Sicily, usually targets the beautiful Mediterranean Spearfish, the Albacore Tuna, the Dolphinfish (also called Dorado or Mahi Mahi) and less frequently Bluefin Tuna and Swordfish.
The specific fishing here consists of trolling some artificial baits on the surface, in different ways, similarly to the Big game for Marlin and the offshore trolling practised in the Oceans. This may be also called deep Sea fishing in Taormina.

The main species
The MEDITERRANEAN SPEARFISH is for sure the most beautiful and particular fish to fish and photograph. Its spectacular electric colors remind about the Sailfish and the Marlin. This is present mostly into the Mediterranean Sea and some areas of the eastern Atlantic. Can grow up to 50kg and over 200cm of length, with average size around 20kg.The ALBACORE TUNA, also called longfin Tuna, is a fast predator that loves to feed on cephalopods. It lives all around the world with a high migratory attitude. Its big eyes allow to deep dive when is necessary. Average size around is around 15 kilograms, but they can reach over 50kg weight.

Fishing for cephalopods
Another possible technique for fishing in Taormina area is fishing for the giant squid. This may be practised at night if the target is many but smaller squids (usually between 1 to 3kg) or during the day, targeting real monsters of the depth, squid of up to 15kg.

​The spectacular Barehanded octopus fishing is possible in specific spots, around Taormina and Messina area. Check the barehanded octopus fishing video.

In general, when it is not possible to reach other areas of eastern Sicily or to join our adventurous multi-day trips, Taormina could offer something interesting in terms of fishing. Checking the right season for the target species it may be a good place to go fishing in Sicily and spend a good day on the water.

Sicily is a place where is necessary to immerse yourself. Being a big island, full of wonders that absolutely worth a visit, is necessary to concentrate the trip to a certain area instead of just fast touching many places without the opportunity to live local experiences. The “immersive” way we experience a destination living like islanders, works perfectly when it comes to planning a fishing trip.

This is the reason why we highly suggest a tailored multiple-day trip to fish and adventure Sicily. Those journeys, completely customizable, usually include:
– full-time boat at disposal for boat fishing sessions, night fishing or just cruising the place with the family;
– some of the best and most particular local lodge or accommodation, often with historical connections or unique characteristics. Barbecue and complete kitchen always available to cook the caught fish;
– support from local hosts always at disposal to prepare a last minute lunch or a dinner with typical food of the season;
– full-time certified guide, that will ensure the best experience possible to the group;
– local vehicle to move and explore on the island, sometimes made of dirt roads;
– the destinations, even if may result a bit away from the beaten tracks, are carefully selected just to be sure of being on the really most productive fishing hotspots of Sicily.
– all the activities and touring that is possible to do during a multiple-day fishing trip, apart from fishing, will also give the group an unexpected discovery experience full of relaxed and adventurous moments for everyone.
This is our strength.

Food is usually one of the key elements of a fishing trip in Sicily. The typical and local cuisine offers an uncountable number of dishes, specific of every island, city and sometimes villages. Ranging from vegetable to the meat, from the pasta to the seafood and fish, in just a few kilometres of distance, the differences could be impressive.

The caught Fish. Obviously, even if we always support catch and release, if the guests have the pleasure of eating one of their own catch, this is part of the game. This opens a window on the many local recipes we follow to prepare fish, octopus, calamari (squid) etc. This is also a great sharing moment that we love to highlight using the best wines of the area, or if possible the support of a local “old school” cook. The accommodation we use are always furnished with big Barbecue, kitchen and stone hoven sometimes.

No-Fishing activities. When travelling with the family, sometimes is not easy to have more than a single day to go fishing. Multiple day trips always include lots of other things possible both after fishing or for the part of the family which prefer to not fish.  On the selected fishing destinations is where the best beaches of Sicily are located, many volcanic phenomena to enjoy and discover, many archaeological sites, hiking patch, wineries, horse riding, and just so much to explore around. It is eventually possible to have a detailed customized itinerary for the “no-fishing” activities, or a guide taking care of the group.
Even for the anglers, the trip includes a lot of good moments and things to do after fishing, or when inclement weather.

Barehanded octopus fishing. One of our specialities. To do with snorkelling equipment. Extremely fun and challenging research to one of the smartest animal of the sea, with specific tips and under the guidance of an expert “Octopus hunter”. Usually, skills and technique are handed down from father to son in Sicily, requiring a lot of practice and time into the water. Here is a past article with a video on how to catch an octopus.

Fishing Techniques. While on a single day trip you usually go for a single fishing technique to practice, a multiple-day trip allow you to try different fishing techniques thanks to the time at disposal. It became easy to try Bluefin Tuna fishing techniques, live bait trolling, jigging, deep bottom fishing, giant squid fishing, surface “big game trolling” and even daytime swordfish with the days at disposal when on a multi-day trip in Sicily.

When a multiple-day trip is not possible, a 24h experience is something that can give you 2 fishing session, some night fishing and maybe some local experiences.
If instead you already have plans, your availability is for one-day fishing only, but you still want to try our organization, you can ask us for a long full-day trip tailored with some extra activities during or at the end of the fishing session. Octopus fishing, for example, is something always possible as add-ons during spring, summer and fall.

Italy and Sicily in particular, are located in a specific geographical position. The region of Sicily, considered between the best fishing in Italy is an island located exactly in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy peninsula and Africa’s northern coasts. The geological structure of the island has a big drop-off on the east coast, also home of the biggest Volcano of Europe The Mount Etna. The sea is the Ionian, that separates Sicily from Greece. The Ionian sea, as well as some points of the Sicilian Channel and Tyrrenian sea, are known also for its depts, very close bathymetric that jumps into 1000m under the sea level, just in a couple of miles, reaching 2500m as soon as you navigate a bit more. This give the chance to fish for unique animals.

A particular Ionian sea fishing technique is fishing for squid and often giant squids.
Giant squids of the Mediterranean Sea, (scientific name “Todarodes Sagittatus”) can reach 15kg of weight, being more common between 2 to 4kg. It is a very aggressive and powerful cephalopod and compared with animals of the same species, can give unexpected fights. Depending on the equipment or the fishing depth the technique varies and to hear a spooling reel is not difficult if using the light gear.

This species likes deep waters but at night is possible to fish them even on the surface in some conditions and season of the year. During the day, big specimens are caught in deeper waters, usually with electric reels.

Is a good action at the end of the fishing day or for a dedicated night fishing session. Big squid on manual reels will seriously test the ability of the most experienced fishermen. On the right spot, is usual to have multiple catches, resulting in a fun experience for everyone aboard.

Squid can be prepared as a good meal, with many local recipes. The best preparation for us remains the Squid fried rings recipe, similar to the Calamari fried rings, a very delicious dish for everyone.

Siracusa has always been one of the most famous cities in Sicily. This is because, this coastal territory was home of the biggest Greek city of all times probably, and theatre of important epic wars and historical events.
Today Siracusa, thanks to its everlasting beauty, is still a must in the classic tourist’s programs. However, the large presence of visitors and consequent high number of excursion sellers may cause confusion when looking for specific, high quality and expert-guided fishing activities.

When looking for Fishing in Ortigia for example, just walking on the deck, you will hardly find someone able to take you fishing for the proper Mediterranean gamefish. In this area lives fish as the Bluefin Tuna, Common Dentex, Pink Dentex, Amberjack, Grouper, Swordfish etc.

Fishing in Syracuse is a different story in reality. This area, located on the southern east coast of Sicily, quickly jumping into the Ionian Sea, is a productive one. Here the chances to target the fish you are looking for may be exellent. However, the season, the predators biting at the specific moment and the right guide will do the difference when fishing Siracusa.

When going for a fishing trip in Siracusa is possible to practice several techniques:

• Bluefin Tuna fishing in Siracusa is one of the best opportunity to catch the giant bluefin passing on the old route of the “tonnaras” of Sicily.
• Fishing for Amberjack is a special experience in late summer; using light equipment is possible to have epic fighting.
• Live bait fishing for Common dentex with its preparation is something to try. This usually includes two kind of fishing – as you have to catch some calamari (squid fishing) or cuttlefish to troll alive for the common dentex (Mediterranean snapper).
• Deep bottom fishing with electric reels for big eye snapper and giant groupers is another deep sea fishing in Syracuse. It is also possible to catch fish like sharks, big conger eels, scabbard silverfish, European hake and mackerel.
• Shore fishing in Siracusa or shore fishing in Syracuse is another good adventure if you do not want to go on a boat. Unique and adventurous itineraries available, for 8 hours or 24h fishing. Good selections of fish target including Mediterranean Barracuda, Bluefish, seabass, bluerunner, needlefish, saddled seabream, small amberjacks. Usually works very good with some barehanded octopus fishing. Fly fishing in Siracusa is possible if you have the right equipment with you, as most of the times you’ll find rocky shores and some wind.

Starting from 2019, our team design and plan new and adventurous trips to some other Italian regions, and their best fishing spots.  Thanks to our always growing network and expertise about fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, each fishing itinerary comes with a hand-picked local specialist and a certified guide from SicilyFishing team in order to provide unforgettable experiences as we love to do in Sicily.
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Thanks to Fishing Italy it will be possible to book the most particular experiences available for fishing in Italy. Fishing in Sardinia, Fishing in Calabria, Fishing in Puglia, Fishing in Tuscany or fishing in Campania are just some of the options available.

The fishing techniques, will range as for Sicily, from Bluefin Tuna fishing, to live bait trolling, Big game, Jigging and all the most productive techniques available for the Mediterranean Sea.

Apart fishing, is known that Italy has many differences and every place has its particularities on the famous sights, on the crazy food and wines, on natural attractions, the history or just the people. This is something that our certified National guides would highlight in the best way during your trip in Italy.

Please ask us here if you are interested on a fishing trip in Italy.