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Overview

How to target

Sand Goby
Species ID: sand-goby

Sand Goby

Sand gobies are tiny, bottom-hugging fish of clean sand and sandy margins in estuaries, harbour interiors and sheltered surf edges. From spring through autumn they push very tight...

🌊 Tide: flood 💨 Wind: calm 📅 Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Best tide

flood

Moon

none

Season

Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Wind

calm

Max weight

0.02 kg

Day vs night

Day 80%
Night 40%
Sand gobies are tiny, bottom-hugging fish of clean sand and sandy margins in estuaries, harbour interiors and sheltered surf edges. From spring through autumn they push very tight to the shore, often in inches of water over pale sand or at the sand–weed seam. Target them on the flood into high water when they follow food landward; settled, clear conditions make spotting and bites easier. Use ultra-light tackle: size 18–22 hooks on 4–6 lb mono/fluoro, short 5–10 cm snoods on a micro paternoster, or a light dropshot with 1–3 g. Baits should be tiny—slivers of ragworm or harbour rag, peeled shrimp, small crab legs, isopods, or mackerel skin. Cast or drop only a few metres, keep the bait pinned on the sand and barely twitch; expect rapid, tiny rattles. Look for them around eelgrass patches, sand gullies and beside harbour walls over clean patches. Handle with wet hands and release promptly—these fish are delicate and rarely exceed a few grams.

Temperature

7–18°C

Depth range

0.2–5 m

Baits

  • Harbour Rag (Maddies) 9.4/10
  • White Rag 8.9/10
  • Mussel 8.1/10
  • Cockle 7.7/10
  • Blow Lug 7.2/10

Rigs

  • Dropshot 9.2/10

    LRF dropshot with size 16–20 hooks and 1–3 g weight hovers tiny worm/squid slivers just off clean sand in harbours/estuaries. Gobies nip static baits. Best in calm water, slack to light tide, short casts along walls.

  • Split Shot Rig 8.4/10

    Ultra-finesse for shallow margins/rockpools. A single split-shot and #14–18 hook with Isome/rag sliver dragged slowly across sand picks up bottom-hugging gobies. Great in clear, calm water and neap tides.

  • Jighead 7.2/10

    Micro jighead 1–2 g with 1–2 cm soft plastic or shrimp imitation, hopped along sandy patches. Covers water and reaches slightly deeper channels; maintain bottom contact in gentle tides inside harbours/estuaries.