Fishing on Okinawa

I've never been there, but here are a few general suggestions about surf fishing. 1) You need to cast heavier weights than you are used to. So, your rod may need to be heavier than you would think for the fish you are catching. 2) A longer rod is helpful for casting longer distances and for holding the line above the waves. 10-12 feet seems to be the sweet spot, but some methods use 15-feet of longer. 3) Some fish need long casts, but others can be found very close to shore, feeding in the surf. Try different casts to see where they are. I like to cast as far as I can and then slowly bring the bait in until I find the fish. 4) Local knowledge trumps anything I say. The Japanese are obsessed with fishing. I would see what they are doing and learn what works for them.

Sometimes, it pays to scout the beach at low tide to see where the structure is and then come back at high tide and fish the structure. Sometimes, there will be a trough that runs parrallel to the beach. Fish stay there and wait for food to get washed into the trough.

Rips can be good. You can find them if you climb a hill and look down on the beach. Or, you can watch the waves to find a rip.

Varying the size of your bait might be helpful. The bait should be about the same size as the food your fish are feeding on. Shimp works well for a lot of species. Squid works well for a smaller number of species.

The locals may be able to give you some information about seasons. Where I live (California/Oregon border) the spring and summer have easy fishing. There are fish to be found in winter, but it is a lot slower.

The best way to fish okinawa is with a sabiki rig baited with shrimp, and a chum bucket attached to your line, before the sabiki rig(in case the fish breaks your line) filled with shrimp chum. I have also had success in the canals/docks/rivers with white bread. I have yet to catch anything with a lure or bait fish. The best places to fish are anywhere where is gets deep quick, or at the docks. Goodluck!

I was stationed there while in the Army  from 1981 to 1983 and snorkeled all the time. You can see all the fish congregate around structures like coral and pier pylons. If you observe the locals and watch what kind of gear they have and locations they go you can pick up a lot. Some locals are bad off financially so they are masters at getting fish to supplement their diet. There are a couple of sea walls around Naha and Nago that allow good access to deep water quickly, but first check if you are allowed to walk on them. Just remember that Okinawa has a  lot of coral so when you cast out the odds of you snagging your line on it is high. If you can, first snorkel in the area you want to fish, or use he low tide method as told before to learn about the bottom structure.

Good luk and good fishing!