BIGAME NEWS · RULES

EADAbu Dhabi recreational fishing licence: AED 120 a year or AED 30 a week, issued on TAMM. Holders must be 18 or older.EADProtected in Abu Dhabi: whales, dugongs, dolphins, all sharks and rays, sea turtles, parrotfish, yellowfin hind, red coral and Indo-Pacific sailfish.EADNo fishing in marked no-fishing zones, protected areas, navigation channels, under sea bridges, or near military, oil and residential sites.EADDaily limits, shore angler / boat: kingfish 3 / 12, orange-spotted grouper 2 / 8, cobia 5 / 20, blackspot snapper 10 / 40.EADCatch may not be sold or thrown away while sailing. Show your licence and catch when an inspector asks.EADSpearfishing from a boat: at least three licensed people on board and the international diving flag raised.UAEMinimum legal fish sizes follow Ministerial Resolution No. 580 of 2015.VISIT ABU DHABINylon fishing nets are prohibited. Emperor fish and rabbitfish are closed to fishing during their breeding seasons.VISIT ABU DHABIBest months are October and April for cooler water; fish early morning and late afternoon.DUBAIDubai recreational fishing licences are applied for online through Dubai Municipality: have your Emirates ID, a photo and your boat licence ready.

EADAbu Dhabi recreational fishing licence: AED 120 a year or AED 30 a week, issued on TAMM. Holders must be 18 or older.EADProtected in Abu Dhabi: whales, dugongs, dolphins, all sharks and rays, sea turtles, parrotfish, yellowfin hind, red coral and Indo-Pacific sailfish.EADNo fishing in marked no-fishing zones, protected areas, navigation channels, under sea bridges, or near military, oil and residential sites.EADDaily limits, shore angler / boat: kingfish 3 / 12, orange-spotted grouper 2 / 8, cobia 5 / 20, blackspot snapper 10 / 40.EADCatch may not be sold or thrown away while sailing. Show your licence and catch when an inspector asks.EADSpearfishing from a boat: at least three licensed people on board and the international diving flag raised.UAEMinimum legal fish sizes follow Ministerial Resolution No. 580 of 2015.VISIT ABU DHABINylon fishing nets are prohibited. Emperor fish and rabbitfish are closed to fishing during their breeding seasons.VISIT ABU DHABIBest months are October and April for cooler water; fish early morning and late afternoon.DUBAIDubai recreational fishing licences are applied for online through Dubai Municipality: have your Emirates ID, a photo and your boat licence ready.

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Every source behind BIGame, sorted by what you need it for.

Weather and forecasts

AccuWeather hourly, Abu DhabiHour-by-hour air, wind and UV.accuweather.com Windy: Fishing UAEWind, gust and swell models by spot.windy.app Tides4Fishing: Abu DhabiTide tables and fish activity.tides4fishing.com Solunar forecast: Abu DhabiMajor and minor feeding windows.solunarforecast.com Fishing Reminder: DubaiSpot-level bite times for Dubai.fishingreminder.com How a fishing forecast worksPressure, moon and light explained.reelspots.com Guide to weather forecastsReading forecast terms properly.climavision.com Understanding the forecast (PDF)A met office glossary.antiguamet.com Fishing GambitForecast scoring for anglers.fishinggambit.co.uk

Rules and licences

TAMM: annual licenceApply for the Abu Dhabi annual licence.tamm.abudhabi TAMM: weekly licenceShort-stay licence for visitors.tamm.abudhabi EAD recreational fishing factsheetBag limits and protected species.ead.gov.ae UAE: regulating fishing practicesFederal rules on u.ae.u.ae Visit Abu Dhabi fishing guideSpots, seasons and rules.visitabudhabi.ae Visit Dubai fishing guideWhere and how to fish in Dubai.visitdubai.com FishingBooker: Abu DhabiCharters and what you need.fishingbooker.com

Lures and technique

Wired2Fish: types of luresEvery lure family, with photos.wired2fish.com Yo-ZuriPoppers, pencils, minnows and trolling lures.yo-zuri.com FishingBooker: lure typesA clear overview of lures.fishingbooker.com Beginner lure fishing guideHow to fish lures well.fishingwales.net Columbia: bait and luresBait versus lures explained.columbia.com Anglers on lure choiceA long forum thread.reddit.com

Rods, reels and line

Choosing a fishing rodLength, power and action.fishingbooker.com Rod types and usesThe full rod family.wildhunter.ie Best spinning rodsTested picks from Wired2Fish.wired2fish.com Rod types explainedDeckee on rod families.deckee.com Daiwa: how to choose a rodFrom the manufacturer.daiwa.com Beginner rods and tackleGoFishBC starter guide.gofishbc.com Rod types and their usesCasa Ibrahim, UAE.casaibrahim.com

Shops in the UAE

Jighead.aeOnline fishing equipment.jighead.ae Fishon.ae accessoriesPliers, gloves, bags and more.fishon.ae Barracuda Dubai: rodsRods for every species.barracudadubai.com Barracuda Dubai: toolsTools and accessories.barracudadubai.com Just Fishing: UAE must-havesTop 10 accessories for the UAE.justfishinggroup.com Tackle essentialsWild Hunter gear checklist.wildhunter.ie

Watch

When to fish todayShort video.vt.tiktok.com Reading wind for fishingShort video.vt.tiktok.com Forecast decoderShort video.vt.tiktok.com FishingBooker Dubai reportsWhat charters caught this week.fishingbooker.com Sea-Doo FishPro ApexThe fishing jet ski.sea-doo.brp.com