Fish

Japanese sea bass (suzuki)

Lubina japonesa (suzuki)

Lateolabrax japonicus

SaltwaterBrackishFreshwater

At a glance

Typical size

16–30 in and 2–8 lb.

Depth

Surface to 100 ft.

Best time

Night, dusk and dawn, especially around lights and bridges.

Found in

2 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A long silver bass with a gray-green back, a big mouth with a projecting lower jaw, two dorsal fins and a slightly forked tail; young fish have small black spots on the back. Looks like the European sea bass. Big fish are called suzuki, smaller ones seigo and fukko.
Typical size: 16–30 in and 2–8 lb.
Maximum size: About 3½ ft and 19 lb (8.7 kg).
Diet: Sardines, anchovies, gobies, sand eels, shrimp and crabs.
Behavior: Hunts in harbors, river mouths and along surf beaches, often at night under lights, and runs well up rivers into fresh water. Jumps and shakes its head when hooked.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Japan & South Korea and China, Hong Kong & Taiwan. Bays, harbors, estuaries, rocky shores and surf beaches of Japan, Korea and China; Tokyo Bay is famous for lure fishing for suzuki.
Habitat: Bays, harbors, estuaries, rocky shores and surf beaches of Japan, Korea and China; Tokyo Bay is famous for lure fishing for suzuki.
Depth: Surface to 100 ft.
Fishing depth: Surface to 15 ft.
Best season: All year; autumn (October–December) brings the biggest fish before they move offshore to spawn in winter.
Best time: Night, dusk and dawn, especially around lights and bridges.
Best tides: The first half of the run-out tide, when bait drains off the flats and out of the creeks; the turn of high tide is good too.
Best weather / conditions: Rough water and wind-blown surf or slightly dirty water after rain are great.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Live shrimp, sand worms, gobies and sardines.
Best artificial lures: Slim floating minnows (4–6 in), sinking pencils, vibration lures, soft plastics and topwater at night.
Tackle setup: 8½–9½ ft medium spinning "seabass" rod and a 3000–4000 reel.
Hook size: Lure trebles; 1–2/0 hooks for live bait.
Line: 12–20 lb braid (PE 0.8–1.2).
Leader: 16–25 lb fluorocarbon.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Leader Lures Fish grip

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Bays, harbors, estuaries, rocky shores and surf beaches of Japan, Korea and China; Tokyo Bay is famous for lure fishing for suzuki.
Rig up: 8½–9½ ft medium spinning "seabass" rod and a 3000–4000 reel. 16–25 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Live shrimp, sand worms, gobies and sardines. Lures: Slim floating minnows (4–6 in), sinking pencils, vibration lures, soft plastics and topwater at night.
Fish it: At night, cast minnows across the edge of light and shadow under bridges and harbor lights, and retrieve slowly with the current. By day, work vibration lures in river mouths and surf.
Time it: Night, dusk and dawn, especially around lights and bridges. The first half of the run-out tide, when bait drains off the flats and out of the creeks; the turn of high tide is good too.

Fishing techniques: At night, cast minnows across the edge of light and shadow under bridges and harbor lights, and retrieve slowly with the current. By day, work vibration lures in river mouths and surf.
BigJoe's tip: When a suzuki jumps, lower the rod tip and keep tension — that's when most are lost.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Excellent: sashimi (arai, rinsed in ice water), salt-grilled, steamed or meunière. Fish from polluted harbors are best released.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Very sharp gill covers (they can cut like a knife) and dorsal spines — use a fish grip.
Regulations: No license for sea fishing, but local cooperatives and prefectures set rules, and harbor areas may be off-limits. Check local rules. Sea fishing in Japan and South Korea needs no license for visitors, but local fishery cooperatives set rules; rivers and lakes require a day or season ticket (in Japan, a yugyoken) from the local fishery cooperative, and many rivers have closed seasons.
Conservation: Keep only what you'll eat and release the big breeders; wet your hands, support the fish's belly and get it back in the water fast.

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Sources & photo credits