Bass

Dicentrarchus labrax · Bass and bream

Also called sea bass, schoolie

Hard-fighting predator of surf beaches, rocks and estuaries. Feeds hardest in moving, coloured water at low light.

How to recognise it

Silver sides and a grey-blue back, with a white belly.
Two separate dorsal fins: the first is spiny, the second soft.
A sharp spine on the gill cover, so handle it with care.
Young bass can have a few dark spots, but a fish with lots of black spots on the back and sides is the rarer spotted bass.

Best from June to October. A few are still caught through winter.

This profile is a draft: we're still checking it against published studies.

Dicentrarchus labrax · Bass and bream

Also called sea bass, schoolie

Hard-fighting predator of surf beaches, rocks and estuaries. Feeds hardest in moving, coloured water at low light.

Minimum size: 42 cm (nose to tail), set by UK bass law
Bag limit: 3 per angler per day. Catch and release only from 1 February to 31 March.Some bass nursery areas have extra catch-and-release rules.

Minimum sizes around the UK

Silver sides and a grey-blue back, with a white belly.
Two separate dorsal fins: the first is spiny, the second soft.
A sharp spine on the gill cover, so handle it with care.
Young bass can have a few dark spots, but a fish with lots of black spots on the back and sides is the rarer spotted bass.

Best from June to October. A few are still caught through winter.

This profile is a draft: we're still checking it against published studies.