Sprat species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (2/10)

Sprat junior fishing guide

Sprattus sprattus

A clear, plain-English guide to sprat 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 Sprat catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (2/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

5–10 cm.

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

🐟

Beginner baits

Maggots, worms, bread

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

Typical venues: Harbours, estuaries and inshore waters
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first sprat with confidence

Catch your first Sprat in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Target winter harbour shoals

    Sprats often gather in harbours and estuaries in winter. Choose sheltered spots with good lighting and safe railings for juniors.

  2. Step 2

    Mini-feathers or tiny hooks

    Use small sabiki rigs or tiny hooks with small pieces of fish. Drop straight down and work them gently through the shoal.

  3. Step 3

    Use as teaching fish or bait

    Sprats are excellent for demonstrating shoaling behaviour. Keep or release according to local rules, making sure juniors understand bag limits and food safety.

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.

Spinning Rod

Beginner tip: Perfect for mackerel and mullet sessions. Let the lure sink for a few seconds, then retrieve steadily. Always fish with an adult from piers and rocks and never stand too close to the edge.

IDEAL

Rod: 8–9 ft spinning rod rated 10–30 g.

Reel: 3000–4000 size fixed spool reel.

Line: 8–12 lb mono or 15–20 lb braid with 10–12 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Small metal lures or spinners"
  • "Feather / sabiki rigs for shoals"
  • "Slim float rig with size 4–8 hook and a small strip of fish or sandeel"]

Extras

  • ["Polarised glasses"
  • "Long-handled landing net"
  • "Barbless or de-barbed hooks"
  • "Fish-safe unhooking mat or wet towel for piers"]

Light spinning or float setup for midwater and surface-feeding sea fish.

About the Sprat

Sprats are small relatives of herring that gather in dense shoals. They are a key winter food source for many predators.

Junior tip

Sprats can be caught on very small feathers or single hooks when shoals are present. Use them mainly as a demonstration of baitfish and food-web links.

Logged a Sprat 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.

← Back to all species

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