Saltwater · Late spring through early autumn
Meagre
Argyrosomus regius
A giant croaker reaching two metres — France's Gironde estuary holds a world-class fishery for it. It is famous for the drumming and croaking sounds it makes with its swim bladder, which can be heard through a boat hull on calm nights.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Large, elongated croaker body, silvery-grey with a bronze or golden sheen on the head and back
- Big head with a wide, oblique, underslung mouth reaching back below the eye
- Lateral line runs all the way onto the tail fin — a classic croaker-family mark
- Inside of the mouth and gill cavity is yellowish-gold on fresh fish
- Rounded tail (not forked) and two dorsal fins, the second much longer than the first
Habits
- Famous for the drumming and croaking sounds it makes with its swim bladder — audible through a boat hull on calm nights
- Adults enter estuaries in late spring to spawn, with the Gironde holding a world-class run
- Feeds on squid, shrimps and shoals of small fish, often at dawn, dusk and night
- Juveniles stay in estuaries and lagoons for their first years
- A slow-growing, long-lived fish — the biggest are decades old
Distribution
Where to find them
- The Gironde estuary in France — its most famous mark
- Surf beaches and harbours around Cádiz and Huelva in Spain
- Ebro Delta mouth and deep Mediterranean reefs
Where they live
How to catch them
Lure and live-bait fishing in the Gironde Boat
Rig: Medium-heavy spinning rod with a large soft plastic or a live-bait rig on a 5/0 hook, drifted through the Gironde's channels and tide rips
Bait/lure: Live fish, squid or large soft plastic
Key tip: Fish at dusk and on the flooding tide — and stay quiet: meagre drum and listen, and noise spooks them.
Surfcasting estuary beaches Shore
Rig: Powerful surf rod with a long flowing trace and whole squid, cast into the surf gutters at estuary mouths
Bait/lure: Whole squid or cuttlefish strip
Key tip: Save the night tides of late spring and summer — big meagre come in very close to beaches in the dark.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: 9-11 ft medium-heavy spinning rod or 20 lb boat rod
- Line: 20-30 lb braid with a 40-60 lb leader for estuary fish
- Terminal: Large soft plastics, live-bait rigs, strong size 4/0-6/0 hooks
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' 5-weight fly rod outfit
≈ US$180-260
Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.
Flies · Budget
Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)
≈ US$25-40
Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.
Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.
Typical size
Common 11-33 lb (5-15 kg); large estuary fish to 6.5 ft (2 m) and 110 lb (50 kg)+
On the table
Excellent — firm, pearly flesh, one of Europe's great table fish; big fish are valuable breeders, so many anglers release the giants.
Similar species
Red DrumRed drum is the American cousin with one or two eyespots at the tail base and a shorter, deeper body; the meagre never carries tail spots and grows far larger
Shi DrumShi drum is a much smaller Mediterranean croaker of inshore rock with a short chin barbel; the meagre has no barbel and outgrows it many times overRegulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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