Last updated: 2026-11-06
Words you will hear in the captain's announcements
On a shared boat, the captain gives signals and instructions over the speaker. Knowing these words lets you fish at the same time as everyone else.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| どうぞ | dōzo | Go ahead: you can drop your rig into the water |
| 上げてください | agete kudasai | Reel in your rig. Said before the boat moves |
| 移動します | idō shimasu | We are moving to the next spot |
| タナ | tana | The depth where the fish are, e.g. "tana wa 20 mētoru" |
| 底から○メートル | soko kara ○ mētoru | Hold your rig ○ metres above the seabed |
| 上から○メートル | ue kara ○ mētoru | Hold your rig ○ metres below the surface |
| 水深○メートル | suishin ○ mētoru | The water here is ○ metres deep |
| 根が荒い | ne ga arai | Rocky bottom: rigs snag easily |
| 潮が速い | shio ga hayai | The current is fast |
| 最後の一流し | saigo no hitonagashi | Last drift of the day |
| 終わりです／上がります | owari desu／agarimasu | Fishing is over, we are going back to port |
Phrases you can use on board
| Japanese | Reading | When to use it |
|---|
| 初めてです | hajimete desu | It is my first time boat fishing |
| 教えてください | oshiete kudasai | Please show me how to do it |
| 仕掛けをください | shikake o kudasai | I need a new rig (hooks and line) |
| 絡まりました | karamarimashita | My line is tangled |
| オマツリです | omatsuri desu | My line is tangled with my neighbour's (this happens a lot) |
| 根掛かりしました | negakari shimashita | My rig is snagged on the bottom |
| 釣れました！ | tsuremashita! | I caught a fish! |
| タモをお願いします | tamo o onegai shimasu | Please bring the landing net (for a big fish) |
| これは何という魚ですか？ | kore wa nan to iu sakana desu ka? | What is this fish called? |
| 持ち帰れますか？ | mochikaeremasu ka? | Can I keep this fish? |
| 酔いました | yoimashita | I am seasick |
| トイレはどこですか？ | toire wa doko desu ka? | Where is the toilet? |
| ありがとうございました | arigatō gozaimashita | Thank you (when leaving) |
Common fishing words
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|
| 竿 | sao | Fishing rod |
| 仕掛け | shikake | Rig: hooks, line and sinker together |
| オモリ | omori | Sinker. Its weight is given as a number, e.g. "80-gō" |
| エサ | esa | Bait |
| コマセ | komase | Groundbait, scattered to attract fish |
| アタリ | atari | A bite, seen as movement at the rod tip |
| 合わせ | awase | Lifting the rod to set the hook after a bite |
| バラシ | barashi | Losing a hooked fish |
| 竿頭 | saogashira | The person who caught the most fish on the boat that day |
| 外道 | gedō | A fish you were not targeting |
Japanese catch reports use special terms too. They are explained in our guide to reading catch reports (in Japanese).