Lemon Sole species guide • Sea fish • Easy (4/10)

Lemon Sole junior fishing guide

Microstomus kitt

A clear, plain-English guide to lemon sole 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 Lemon Sole 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

1–2 lb common from boat; generally smaller from shore.

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: Offshore banks, reefs and broken ground; occasional from rougher beaches.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first lemon sole with confidence

Catch your first Lemon Sole in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Use them as examples of flatfish variety

    These flatfish often require specific tides, baits and sometimes boat access. Juniors may encounter smaller fish but they are not ideal first targets.

  2. Step 2

    If targeted, use strong but tidy rigs

    Running ledgers or pulley rigs with neat worm or fish baits on strong hooks are best. Keep rigs simple so juniors can understand how they work.

  3. Step 3

    Talk about size limits and habitat

    Use each species to explain different seabeds (sandbanks, reefs, deep water) and why minimum landing sizes exist.

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: Teach safe casting with no one behind, and keep juniors away from the waterline in rough conditions.

IDEAL

Rod: 12–13 ft beachcaster or surf rod (4–6 oz rating).

Reel: 6000–8000 size fixed spool reel or medium multiplier.

Line: 15–18 lb mono with 40–60 lb shockleader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Two-hook flapper or clipped-down rig"
  • "Size 1–2/0 hooks depending on target"
  • "Grip leads in strong tide"]

Extras

  • ["Rod rest"
  • "Headtorch"
  • "Disgorger and long-nose pliers"]

Standard beach / surf setup for flatfish, whiting and general shore fishing.

Surf Rod

Beginner tip: Teach safe casting with no one behind, and keep juniors away from the waterline in rough conditions.

IDEAL

Rod: 12–13 ft beachcaster or surf rod (4–6 oz rating).

Reel: 6000–8000 size fixed spool reel or medium multiplier.

Line: 15–18 lb mono with 40–60 lb shockleader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Two-hook flapper or clipped-down rig"
  • "Size 1–2/0 hooks depending on target"
  • "Grip leads in strong tide"]

Extras

  • ["Rod rest"
  • "Headtorch"
  • "Disgorger and long-nose pliers"]

Standard beach / surf setup for flatfish, whiting and general shore fishing.

About the Lemon Sole

Lemon Sole are oval-shaped flatfish with a soft, delicate body and mottled brown colouring. They prefer mixed and rough ground and are usually a bonus catch while targeting other species.

Junior tip

Target them with small worm or fish strip baits on a two-hook rig over mixed ground. Keep hooks small and baits neat.

Logged a Lemon Sole 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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