Lake Biwa International Fishing Guides
Bass fishing in Japan started with a handful of fish brought over from California in 1925. A hundred years later, Japan has one of the most intense bass fishing cultures in the world, with its own tournaments, its own tackle brands and its own way of doing things.
If you fish back home, a lot of it will feel familiar. Some of it will not. Here is what stands out on day one.
Most bass lakes in Japan are small compared with American reservoirs, and there are a lot of anglers fishing them. The bass live under constant fishing pressure, every day of the year.
Japanese finesse fishing grew out of that pressure. For decades, Japanese anglers have focused on one question. The fish is there, so how do you get it to bite? Instead of running to find fresh fish, they work out how to make the fish in front of them eat.
You see this most clearly at the top level. In JB TOP 50, Japan's top professional tour, the fish get pressured hard from the first practice day, and the anglers who win are the ones who can still get bites from fish that have seen everything. Many Japanese finesse techniques were sharpened in that environment.
Bank fishing pushed in the same direction. Fishing from shore, called "okappari" in Japan, is hugely popular, and spots within casting distance are limited. When you cannot move to new water, you have to find a way to get the fish within reach to bite. That is another reason Japanese fishing went the finesse route.
The contrast with the US shows up quickly on the boat. American lakes are big and hold a lot of fish, so anglers can cover water and target the active fish that bite easily. That style often means lures with big action and fast retrieves. Japanese bass tend to reject anything that looks unnatural. A lure worked too hard or reeled too fast often gets ignored. Slowing down and keeping the action subtle is usually the first adjustment for American anglers fishing here.
The result is tackle built around small lures and light presentations. You will hear words like "no-sinker" (a weightless soft plastic) and "neko rig" (a nail-weighted worm hooked in the middle). Several finesse techniques that are common in the US today were first popularized in Japan.
That does not mean it is all finesse. On Lake Biwa we also throw big swimbaits and fish heavy cover in the weeds. The point is to match whatever the fish want that day.
American anglers often show up with 7 ft 3 in or longer rods and heavy line. On Lake Biwa, this is the setup we use most:
For both, rods under 7 feet are easier to handle on Lake Biwa. You do not need to bring anything, since rental tackle comes with every trip. If you want to bring your own, see our guide.
LiveScope and other forward-facing sonar changed bass fishing in Japan just as fast as it did in the US. On Lake Biwa, it is a big part of how fish are found.
A lot of that comes down to wakasagi, a small pond smelt that Japanese bass love to eat. Wakasagi do not hold to cover or structure. They roam open water in big schools, anywhere from just under the surface down to the deep. Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Nojiri are both wakasagi lakes. On lakes like these, where wakasagi are the main forage, the bass follow those schools instead of sitting on cover, and that makes forward-facing sonar a perfect match. You can see the school and the bass around it, then put your lure right there. That is a big reason mid-water fishing developed so far in Japan.
Lake Biwa is different. Wakasagi live there too, but so do huge numbers of other baitfish, such as moroko (a small native minnow), ayu (sweetfish) and crucian carp. Biwa bass do not depend on wakasagi alone, which is one reason the lake can be fished in so many different ways.
On our boats you watch the screen with your guide. A fish appears, your lure goes down, and you see the fish turn toward it before your rod bends. Even experienced anglers find that moment hard to forget.
Lake Biwa produced the 22 lb 4 oz largemouth that tied the world record in 2009.
Big fish still come out today. Japanese anglers call a bass over 60 cm (about 24 inches) a "rokumaru." On Lake Biwa, rokumaru are caught often, and on our own boats alone, fish over 10 pounds come in several times every year.
Japan has no national or state-style freshwater fishing license. Lake Biwa needs no license and no day ticket, so you can book a trip and go fishing.
Some other well-known bass lakes, such as Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Nojiri, are managed by local fisheries cooperatives and sell day tickets.
Bass lakes in Japan are managed locally, so the rules change from lake to lake. On Lake Biwa, bass are not released back into the water. Shiga Prefecture has had this rule since 2003 as part of its work to protect the lake's native fish.
Your guide knows the rules on every lake we fish, so you can focus on the fishing.
Japanese lures have a big following in the US, and many anglers pay import prices for them back home. In Japan, the selection is bigger and the prices are local. Large tackle stores in Kyoto, Osaka and around Lake Biwa are worth a visit, so leave some space in your bag.
A bass bite feels the same in any language. So does the moment a big fish comes to the surface next to the boat.
Japan also has a serious tournament scene, and our guides are active tournament anglers who fish Lake Biwa through every season. On a trip, we go out and find the day's fish together, the same way you would on your home lake, just with a few new rules.
Do I need a fishing license to fish for bass in Japan?
There is no national license. Lake Biwa needs no license or ticket. Some other lakes sell day tickets through local fisheries cooperatives.
Can you catch big bass in Japan?
Yes. Lake Biwa produced the fish that tied the world record largemouth, and fish over 10 pounds are still caught there every year.
What line and rod should I use on Lake Biwa?
Medium to Medium Heavy baitcasting with 14 to 16 lb fluorocarbon, or spinning with around 16 lb braid and a 10 lb fluorocarbon leader. Rods under 7 feet are easiest.
Can I release the bass I catch?
It depends on the lake. On Lake Biwa, bass are not released. Your guide will explain the rules on the day.
The best way to understand Japanese bass fishing is to spend a day on the water. Lake Biwa is 22 minutes by train from Kyoto, and all tackle is provided.
