Weever Fish (Greater) species guide • Sea fish • Very easy (3/10)

Weever Fish (Greater) junior fishing guide

Trachinus draco

A clear, plain-English guide to weever fish (greater) 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 Weever Fish (Greater) 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

Up to 30 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: Sandy and mixed seabeds offshore and some deeper beaches.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first weever fish (greater) with confidence

Catch your first Weever Fish (Greater) in 3 steps

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

  1. Step 1

    Use as beach safety examples

    Weevers are more about safety than sport. Juniors should learn where they live and why footwear is important on sandy beaches.

  2. Step 2

    Avoid deliberate targeting

    If hooked incidentally on small worm baits, fish should be unhooked only by confident adults using tools, never by hand.

  3. Step 3

    Explain sting treatment calmly

    Use weevers to explain hot-water first aid for stings and the importance of telling an adult immediately if stepped on.

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 Weever Fish (Greater)

Greater Weaver Fish are larger relatives of the lesser weever with strong venomous spines. They are usually offshore but occasionally caught from deep beaches.

Junior tip

Warn juniors never to handle weever fish. Demonstrate safe unhooking with long-nosed pliers or by cutting the line, keeping clear of the dorsal and gill spines.

Logged a Weever Fish (Greater) 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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