Yellow grouper
アオハタ · aohata
Epinephelus awoara
Yellow grouper have broad dark bands and yellowish fins. Work reef margins and adjoining sand, lifting the rig promptly after it touches bottom.
Habitat and season
Coastal reefs and adjoining sand or mud in warmer Japanese waters.
- Recorded fishing season
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Scientific name
- Epinephelus awoara
- Japanese name
- アオハタ
Months are a broad guide, not a current catch forecast. Region, water temperature and local closures can change the season.
Fishing methods
Tai-raba — skirted jig for seabream
Tai-raba uses a weighted head and soft skirt to draw bites during a steady retrieve. The small hooks require controlled tension rather than a violent strike.
Hitotsu-tenya — shrimp-baited jig
A single weighted shrimp bait is lowered towards bottom for seabream. A natural fall and a readable line are important.
Rockfish lure fishing
Soft plastics explore rocky edges and gaps for ambush-feeding fish. Contact with bottom should be brief enough to avoid lodging the rig.
Find places to fish
Cooking
Detailed recipes for this species are currently in Japanese. Open the Japanese cooking guide →
Compare related fish
Detailed Japanese species notes
黄褐色の体に太い暗色の横帯が入り、ひれの黄色味が目立つハタ。岩だけでなく、根の周りの砂泥底も探る対象になる。
背びれの棘に注意し、魚体はフィッシュグリップなどで安定させる。
Full Japanese page, including available 3D model →