Gurnard ( Grey ) species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (3/10)

Gurnard ( Grey ) junior fishing guide

Eutrigla gurnardus

A clear, plain-English guide to gurnard ( grey ) for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Gurnard ( Grey ) catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (3/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

1–3 lb common.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

🐟

Beginner baits

Black lugworm, Blow lugworm, Cockles …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Mixed sand and mud offshore and inshore marks.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first gurnard ( grey ) with confidence

Catch your first Gurnard ( Grey ) in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Find mixed sand and mud

    Grey Gurnard hold on softer seabeds offshore and around clean inshore marks.

  2. Step 2

    Present small worm baits

    Use simple flapper rigs with little ragworm tips. Keep movement minimal.

  3. Step 3

    Lift into the bite

    Expect fast rattles—lift the rod to connect when the tapping becomes steady.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Beachcaster

Beginner tip: Fish from safe, flat marks with an adult. Cast straight out, keep the line tight and watch the rod tip for rattling bites. For species with spines (like weever or scorpion fish), let an adult do the unhooking.

IDEAL

Rod: 9–10 ft light beachcaster or pier rod (2–4 oz rating).

Reel: 4000–5000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 10–15 lb mono or 20 lb braid with short 15 lb trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Two- or three-hook flapper rig"
  • "Size 2–4 hooks with small worm or fish strip baits"
  • "Optional simple running ledger for rough ground"]

Extras

  • ["2–4 oz plain lead"
  • "Glow beads or small attractors"
  • "Headlamp for low-light sessions"
  • "Disgorger or forceps"]

Light beach or pier setup for small bottom-dwelling sea fish.

About the Gurnard ( Grey )

Grey Gurnard are more muted in colour than red and tub gurnard but share the same bottom-feeding lifestyle. They are a regular boat-angling catch.

Junior tip

Use the same rigs and tactics as for red gurnard. They are ideal for showing unusual fin shapes and bottom-feeding behaviour.

Logged a Gurnard ( Grey ) recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

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Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

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