Sport fishing
The Åland archipelago is a varied seascape with many islands and skerries, fine sea bays and long
coastlines with short distances between the inner and outer archipelago. In the waters surrounding
Åland there are all kinds of fish, from pike, perch, pikeperch and whitefish to sea trout and salmon this is why sport fishermen also enjoy Åland!
If you ask a sport fishing guide what he likes best about fishing in Åland, he'll reply:
"The landscape is incredibly beautiful, you can fish all year round in different places and there is a
lot of fish."
Sport fishing guides
If you want to get the most out of your fishing trip to Åland we recommend that you hire a sport
fishing guide, at least the first day, if you choose to stay more than one day. The fishing guides know
the fishing grounds and help you direct your fishing experience the right way. You are guaranteed to
catch more fish and you'll get to see more of Åland. Additionally you can fully concentrate on the
fishing while the guide takes care of the navigation.
Pike fishing
The Åland pike fishing grounds, with all their shores, islands, bays, reefs and reed bays, are perfect
for pikes. If you are out after that old pike, the best time for pike fishing in Åland is in April-May and
early autumn, before the first ice settles.
The chances for catching pike are especially good in autumn and that is when they are feisty! At this
time of the year they also spend time in more shallow waters.
Catching pike
The pike is a predator that eats all it can catch. This makes for many possible methods to catch
them. Most common are spinning, wobblers, spoon baits and jigs.
But jerk fishing and fly fishing are two other popular and effective options. Sometimes the jerk bait's
movement seems irresistible to the pike, other times a well-placed fly by a reed bay is more
effective.
Jig fishing for perch
More and more people have discovered the advantages of jig fishing, especially
for perch. It is more active fishing than angling and the risk of losing your bait
is small.
The equipment for jig fishing is inexpensive. All you need is a spinning rod, a
jig head and soft plastic bait in a color of your choice.
If you want expert help you can hire one of Åland's sport fishing guides. Patrik
Lehtonen is one of them and he likes to let his guests try jig fishing.
- Many don't know anything about jig fishing but once they have tried it, they
like the technique. It is an active and fun way of fishing, Lehtonen says.
Different weights
The jig head is available in different weights. The deeper you fish, the heavier head you should
choose. On the head is a hook and on it you hook the plastic bait. There are "a million" baits to
choose from. Some look like slithering worms while others have two tails and they come in a great
variety of colors.
Expert Lehtonen gives a free tip: I prefer brownish baits, sometimes yellowish-white.
Bouncing along
The technique that Lehtonen teaches is basically the following: Let down the jig to the bottom, then
reel it in a bit and let the jig sink to the bottom again. Continue to reel in and release so that the jig
bounces over the bottom and looks like the small animals that the perch like to eat.
- If you're lucky and stumble over a school of perch you may catch one after another, says Lehtonen.
He looks for underwater reefs for his jig fishing. You can also test your fishing luck near steep cliffs
or in sounds where the water streams.
- Jig fishing is also a good complement to regular pike fishing. If the pike are unusually slow one day
and you can't catch any, try jig fishing for perch instead, says Patrik Lehtonen.
Fishing for pikeperch
The best time to fish for pikeperch is in autumn. Then it has been eating
well in the summer and is fat and good-tasting.
Pikeperch fishing on Åland is especially good from August onward, but
also earlier in the summer. Just remember to respect the time of
protection. In Åland fishing for pikeperch is forbidden in all of June.
Jig or trolling
pikeperch can be fished by jigging but also by trolling, preferably with a wobbler. When you fish with
jigs remember to fish near the bottom. If you fish too high up you'll get one of the luxury problems
with sport fishing in Åland - you'll catch a perch instead of a pikeperch.
Whitefish angling
There are plenty of whitefish in Åland and whitefish angling (where you
angle on the bottom) is, especially in spring, very popular. Whitefish
angling is a relaxed and calm way of fishing that is suitable for the
whole family.
- It is a wonderfully inactive way of fishing. Just put your rod in and
wait until the fish bites the worm and starts to tug. Then it is just to
pull, says Ingmar "Pingo" Eriksson, responsible for sport fishing tourism
at the Åland Tourism Board.
Great angling throughout spring
The whitefish angling is especially good in April and May, but also in June, when the whitefish come
up to more shallow waters.
Go to one of Åland's shallow bays or streaming sounds and enjoy angling. Bottom angling with natural
worms is especially tempting for the whitefish that swims along the bottom in its search for food.
You will find the whitefish everywhere where there is a smooth bottom - choose a sandy bottom
where the fish easily sees your bait.
You can have 2-3 rods out at the same time which increases your chances for a catch. The whitefish
moves in smaller groups and if you catch one, the chances of catching more are great.
- In the waters around Åland there are enormous amounts of whitefish of great size. The whitefish is
also a very good fish to eat smoked or fried and whitefish from brackish water tastes much better
than Lake Whitefish, says Pingo. Whitefish angling is also a good complement to sea trout fishing,
because the whitefish is often near the trout fishing spots.
Relaxing fishing
Whitefish angling is a very relaxing way of fishing which means much waiting and it is advisable to
bring a comfortable chair. Take the opportunity to lean back and enjoy the sun and the beautiful
spring weather. You can also use your time for a pleasant coffee break and exchange fishing tales in
good company.
- The great thing about whitefish angling is that you sit in peace and quiet in fine weather. It is
different - just sit still and enjoy!
Trolling for salmon
If you are interested in salmon trolling you can't get a greater or more
powerful experience than a trolling tour on the mighty Åland Sea. The
excitement increases every minute and when the silvery fish finally
takes the bait, the adventure has begun. Your excitement and pride will
know no boundaries when the salmon finally is caught after a long, wild
fight with quick rushes and stubborn tugs. Did you know that both the
Finnish and the Åland trolling record is 23.12 kg?
Best in May and June
In Åland the environment for salmon trolling is optimal. There are large fishing grounds and a good
charter boat service. Additionally the walking distances to the fishing places are short. Just
remember that trolling after salmon on open seas puts great demands on both boat and equipment.
There is a strong tug on the line when the salmon takes the bait; the most impressive catches weigh
20 kilos and more. High season for salmon trolling is in May and June. That's also when the
archipelago nature in Åland is at its best.
Salmon trolling meeting in Åland
If you see salmon trolling in the sea as one of your great interests, you should reserve a weekend at
the end of May for a fishing trip to Åland. Then it is time for the yearly team competition
"Trollingträff Åland" in the waters surrounding Eckerö and Hammarudda. In spring 2010 the trolling
competition is arranged between May 27-29th.
Fishing license areas and regulations
It is useful to get acquainted with valid regulations for reel fishing and
angling before your fishing trip to Åland. The fishing grounds in Åland are
partly privately owned by individuals and companies and partly community
owned by villages or groups of fishing ground owners. Additionally there
are public, province owned waters that stretch 12 nautical miles outside
the village's borders and the province of Åland's private waters.
The water owner's permission or a fishing license is required for sport fishing on privately or
community owned waters and in the province of Åland's public and private waters.
Fishing license areas
There is no common fishing license that covers all of Åland, but there are 57 fishing license areas and
16 areas owned by the province. The fishing license is valid for spin fishing, ice fishing or angling in
its respective areas. From April 15- June 15, sport fishing from the shore is forbidden to protect
breeding sea birds.
The revenues from the fishing licenses finance the replenishment of fish stock - each year almost two
million fish fry from pike, sea trout, whitefish and salmon are released.
Thanks to the short distances in Åland, you don't have to buy a license only for the area that is
nearest your accommodation. Instead, all of Åland is open and you may choose to fish where you
think the fishing is best for the day.
General rules for sport fishing in Åland
Avoid damaging nature or the environment.
Get acquainted with valid regulations about restricted dates, protected areas, minimum landing sizes
and the delicate nature. Respect the rules.
Never fish without permission or a fishing license for sport fishing.
Use methods and equipment that improve the fish's chances for survival if/when it is released.
Immediately kill caught fish that you intend to keep.
Never catch more fish than you can use.
Show respect for professional fishermen and traditional fishing's needs and equipment.
Minimum landing sizes:
Salmon 60 cm, Sea Trout 50 cm, Pike 50 cm, Pikeperch 37 cm, Bream 42 cm, Whitefish 35 cm
Sport fishing guides
If you want to get the most out of your fishing trip to Åland we recommend that you hire a sport
fishing guide, at least the first day, if you choose to stay more than one day. The fishing guides know
the fishing grounds and help you direct your fishing experience the right way. You are guaranteed to
catch more fish and you'll get to see more of Åland. Additionally you can fully concentrate on the
fishing while the guide takes care of the navigation.
Catch & release
When sport fishing in Åland, a recommendation is using the catch & release
technique. The basic rule is to not take home more fish than you intend to
eat. If the fish doesn't reach minimum landing size you are obligated to
release it.
In some cases the bait is hooked in a way that makes it impossible to remove
it without seriously injuring the fish. In that case you should kill the fish as
soon as possible.
The proper equipment
It is important to have the right equipment for Catch & Release fishing. Most simple and humane is
the use of barbless hooks. Always bring a pair of pliers, hook releaser or forceps, scale and maybe a
camera, in case you catch your dream fish.
Minimum landing sizes:
Salmon 60 cm, Sea Trout 50 cm, Pike 50 cm, Pikeperch 37 cm, Bream 42 cm, Whitefish 35 cm