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Minagiman's Fishing Adventures in Japan
Enshu-nada Surf Fishing Report, Late October 2026: Flatfish On, Yellowtail Still to Arrive
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What is happening on the Enshu-nada surf right now? I tallied catch reports from mid to late October 2026. In short: flounder and flathead are firing, while yellowtail have not properly arrived yet. Here is where and what to target heading into November.
Data: about 185 posts to the ANGLERS catch-report app for the Enshu-nada area between 13 and 24 October 2026, covering Omaezaki to Kosai on the Shizuoka side and Toyohashi, Tahara and Irago on the Aichi side. These are post counts, not actual catches — busy spots naturally get more posts.
By species (13–24 Oct)
| Species | Posts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flounder (incl. small “soge”) | 56 | The most. Mostly soge, but more 40–50 cm fish |
| Flathead (magochi) | 22 | Lots over 50 cm, surf and river mouths |
| Nibe (croaker) | 13 | Concentrated at Nakatajima, mostly pre-dawn |
| Ribbonfish (tachiuo) | 10 | Irago, Tahara, Nakatajima at dawn and dusk |
| Juvenile amberjack (shogo) | 7 | Mainly the eastern Shizuoka beaches |
| Barracuda (kamasu) | 5 | Dawn runs, mostly small |
| Oonibe (meagre) | 4 | Tenryu mouth and Nakatajima, including 100 cm |
| Yellowtail (buri) | 1 | 80 cm at Irago surf on 23 Oct |
Flounder and flathead alone are over 40% of all posts, while yellowtail (buri, warasa, inada) had just one.
Notable big fish
| Date | Place | Species | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct | Enshu-nada (Shizuoka side) | Oonibe | 100 cm |
| 23 Oct | Irago surf | Yellowtail | 80 cm |
| 17 Oct | Ota River mouth (Iwata) | Nibe | 71 cm |
| 18 Oct | Kikugawa River mouth | Flathead | 61 cm |
| 18 Oct | Goto beach | Flounder | 60 cm |
| 18 Oct | Irago surf | Flathead | 59 cm |
| 17 Oct | Nakatajima surf | Flathead | 55 cm |
| 18 Oct | Tahara surf | Flounder | 54 cm |
By area
| Area | Posts | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Nakatajima surf | 30 | Flounder, flathead, nibe, barracuda, ribbonfish — very varied; packed before dawn on weekends |
| Tahara surf | 22 | Flounder most common (11), including a 54 cm fish |
| Irago surf / cape | 24 | Big flathead, ribbonfish and the 80 cm yellowtail |
| Komatsubara / Okurado (Toyohashi–Kosai) | 13 | Mostly small flounder |
| Hamaoka–Kakegawa (east Shizuoka) | ~10 | Flounder, flathead plus juvenile amberjack |
| Tenryu / Ota river mouths | 7 | Big-fish targets: oonibe, nibe, flathead |
Lures that worked
Most posts mention lures that cast far and sink — blades, heavy sinking pencils and metal jigs.
| Type | Mentioned lures |
|---|---|
| Blade baits | DUO Flipper (32 g, MB22, iTMB33), Hayabusa Jack Eye Maki-Maki, Metal Jig R Sardine, Jigpara Surf, Jolty, Metal Effect |
| Sinking pencils / minnows | DUO Beach Walker Wedge and Changer, Odin 130, Buttobi-kun 95S |
| Soft plastics | Core Man VJ, Power Shad |
The 54 cm flounder at Tahara came on the new DUO Flipper iTMB33 — a small, heavy blade that holds bottom even in surf. Some product names are romanised.
Why so few yellowtail? Comparing with 2024
In October 2026 there were only two yellowtail posts in the area: Okurado on 3 October and the 80 cm buri at Irago on 23 October. Inada and wakashi appeared at Irago, the Tenryu mouth and Sameshima in late September, but almost none since October began.
| 2024 | 2026 (so far) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbonfish | Started early October | Ongoing from mid-October at Irago, Tahara, Nakatajima |
| Yellowtail | Season started mid to late October | 80 cm buri at Irago on 23 Oct; not yet in full swing |
| November | Big fish at Irago, numbers at Tahara | To be seen |
In my 2024 records, yellowtail season started about two weeks after the ribbonfish showed up. Ribbonfish are already here, so the 80 cm buri at Irago may be the starting signal — watch Irago and Tahara closely in early November.
What to target in early November
- Flounder: moving up from soge to 40–50 cm; dawn at Tahara, Nakatajima and the Shizuoka beaches.
- Flathead: lots over 50 cm now — go soon, before cooling water slows them.
- Yellowtail: watch for follow-up reports from Irago; metal jigs and blades when birds and boils appear.
- Oonibe: big-fish season around the Tenryu mouth and Nakatajima, pre-dawn and in stained water.
- Ribbonfish: dawn and dusk at Irago and Tahara, likely continuing through November.
Before you go
Many posts mention spots being “full by 4:30 am”, especially Nakatajima on weekends. Several also mention typhoon swell and long-period waves — on big-wave days, do not push it.
Minagiman’s take
This October has been unusual: flatfish first, yellowtail still waiting. That means flounder and flathead are easy to target for both numbers and size right now. If yellowtail follow ribbonfish by about two weeks as in past years, things could move fast from early November. Fish for flatties, but keep a metal jig in the box. Flatfish now, yellowtail from Irago — that is the plan for November. I will post the next update in November.
Read next
- Enshu-nada surf fishing in November
- Oonibe (Japanese meagre) on Enshu-nada
- DUO Flipper iTMB33
- Japanese yellowtail surf season
ABOUT ME
Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.
