Fishing in Side for Beginners: No Experience Needed
A first fishing trip asks nothing of you except turning up. You do not need to know a knot, own a rod or tell one fish from another.
Short answer
Yes, the Side fishing morning is made for beginners. No experience is needed: rods, lines and fresh bait are supplied, and the captain walks you through baiting the hook, casting and winding in, then deals with the fish for you. If you have your own tackle you may bring it, but nobody expects you to.
What you need to know before you go
Almost nothing. The trip is designed for people of every level, including those who have never fished. The preparation worth doing is practical: sun protection, a little cash for the sea fee and an early night, because the boat leaves at 07:00.
You will not be asked about experience when you book, and there is no test on board. If you have fished before, say so to the captain and you will be left to get on with it; if you have not, say that instead.
The lesson, in the order it happens
Once the boat is anchored over the fishing ground, the captain hands out the gear and shows how it works. Expect to be shown, not lectured.
- Baiting the hook with fresh bait, without spiking a finger.
- Casting, or letting the line down, so it reaches the fish.
- Watching and feeling for a bite.
- Reeling in at a steady pace once something has taken the bait.
- Handing the fish over: the captain takes it off the hook.
Ask as many times as you need. Repeating the lesson is part of the captain's morning, not an imposition.
Gear: supplied, with your own welcome
Rods, lines and fresh bait are provided for every guest, so a beginner needs to bring nothing to fish with. If you have a rod at home that you like, you are welcome to bring it; nothing about the morning depends on it. Our page on rods, tackle and bait covers the equipment in more detail.
What a first-timer can realistically expect
Red mullet, sea bass, sea bream and shrimp are common in these waters, with small colourful species and now and then a larger fish. That tells you what you might see on the end of your line. It does not tell you that you will catch something, and we do not say you will.
Some beginners have a lively morning and some a patient one. Either way, you will have learned how it is done, and been back ashore at 12:30. Our guide to what fish you can catch in Side describes the catch honestly.
Beginners in the family
The morning works for a whole family of first-timers, children included. Every guest pays the same fare regardless of age, and the captain's help is there for each of them. Parents stay with their own children on deck. For the details, read fishing in Side with children.
Booking as a beginner
The shared deep sea fishing morning is the natural first step: €45 per person, plus the €5 sea fee per person in cash on the boat, with at most 12 guests aboard. Reserve from tomorrow onwards; the form never asks for a card, and euros for the fare are due on the morning.
Prefer to learn without other guests watching? The private boat takes your party alone, at €650 per person plus the €5 sea fee, with the time agreed with you on WhatsApp.