Recreational fishing is more and more called sport fishing. It is fishing for pleasure or competition and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit.
Sport fishing, including game fishing, describes recreational fishing where the primary reward is the challenge of finding and catching the fish rather than the culinary or financial value of the fish's flesh. The distinction is not completely rigid - in many cases, sport fishers will also eat their catch. The philosophies and tactics used for sport fishing, however, are usually sufficiently different from "food fishing" to make the distinction clear enough.
Sport fishing methods vary according to the area being fished, the species being targeted, the personal strategies of the angler, and the resources available, ranging from the aristocratic art of fly fishing, ostensibly invented in Great Britain, to the high-tech methods used to chase marlin and tuna. In virtually every case, however, the fishing is done with hook, line, rod and reel rather than with nets or other aids. In France, sport fishing is often assimilate to lure fishing.
In the past, sport fishers, even if they did not eat their catch, almost always killed them to bring them to shore to be weighed or for preservation as trophies. A desire to improve the fishery has prompted many sport fishermen to catch and release, sometimes after fitting them with identity tags, recording some vital statistics, and mailing in a record to a government agency in something called tag and release.
Sport fishing competitions involve individuals if the fishing occurs from land, and usually teams if conducted from boats, as well as a specified time and area from which to catch fish. A score is awarded for each fish caught. The points awarded depend on the fish's weight and species. Occasionally a score is divided by the strength of the fishing line used, yielding more points to those who use thinner, weaker line. In tag and release competitions, a flat score is awarded per fish species caught, divided by the line strength. Usually sport fishing competitions award a prize to the boat or team with the most points earned. Fishing competitions are more and more developped in France.
In France, the most common freshwater fish you can catch with lures sought after are : Asp (Aspius aspius), Perch (Perca fluviatilis), Largemouth Bass, called Black-Bass (Micropterus salmoides), Zander (Sander lucioperca), and since one year french anglers try to introduce Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui), Northern Pike (Esox lucius), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Lake Trout (Salmo trutta lacustris) and Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).
The most common saltwater fish you can catch with lures sought after are :
European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Ling (Molva molva), Pouting (Trisopterus luscusSpotted), Pollack (Pollachius pollachius), Garfish / Gar Pike (Belone belone), Atlantic Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Pouting (Trisopterus luscusSpotted), Pollack (Pollachius pollachius), Garfish / Gar Pike (Belone belone), Atlantic Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Black Meagre (Argyrosomus regius), Sea Bream (Spondyliosoma cantharus), Garfish / Gar Pike (Belone belone), Tope Shark / School Shark (Galerohinus galeus), Atlantic Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus).
European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Pink Dentex (Dentex gibbosus), Garfish / Gar Pike (Belone belone), Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares), Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus), Westafrican Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus tritor), Frigate Tuna / Frigate Mackerel (Auxis thazard), Red Tuna, Shark, Sawtooth Barracuda (Sphyraena putnamae), Atlantic Sailfish (Istiophorus albicans).
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