Gurnard ( Tub ) species guide • Sea fish • Easy (4/10)

Gurnard ( Tub ) junior fishing guide

Chelidonichthys lucerna

A clear, plain-English guide to gurnard ( tub ) 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 ( Tub ) catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Easy (4/10)

Great for coached juniors and confident beginners.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

3–6 lb common; larger fish possible.

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: Sand and gravel banks, often slightly deeper water.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first gurnard ( tub ) with confidence

Catch your first Gurnard ( Tub ) in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Choose deeper sandbanks

    Tub Gurnard live on deeper sand and gravel, often just offshore.

  2. Step 2

    Use fish or squid baits

    Present neat strips of fish or squid close to the bottom using a simple ledger setup.

  3. Step 3

    Steady rod lift

    They often hook themselves—lift steadily when the rod tip pulls down.

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 ( Tub )

Tub Gurnard are large, bright red gurnard with vivid blue edging on their pectoral fins. They are strong fighters and spectacular looking fish.

Junior tip

When a tub gurnard is landed, show juniors the blue fin edges and sensory rays. Use strong mono traces and fish strips or squid as bait.

Logged a Gurnard ( Tub ) recently?

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

Submit a catch report

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

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