Species guide
How to catch Basking shark
Cetorhinus maximus
The basking shark is the second largest fish in the ocean, known for its massive size and slow surface swimming with mouth wide open to filter plankton. It often swims near productive zooplankton patches and can be seen in temperate waters during summer. Despite its size, it is harmless to humans and feeds by filtering tiny plankton through its gills.
Where they live
Found in temperate saltwaters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, basking sharks prefer shallow to moderately deep areas up to 2000 meters where zooplankton is abundant, often near thermal fronts and fish shoals.
Typical size
Up to about 1520 cm
What they eat
- zooplankton
- copepods
- barnacles
- fish eggs
- Calanus species
Best baits
- plankton-like bait
Best lures
- large slow-moving lures
How to fish for them
- drift fishing
- trolling
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