Lake Biwa cheat sheet
The bass in both basins, the no-release rule, the six soft-plastic rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lake Biwa
April to November, with May the standout for a giant. October to early December is steady, generous fishing. Winter is slow and deep.
Licence
No fishing ticket required for bass and bluegill: Biwa is one of the few licence-free lakes in Japan. A powered boat needs a Japanese boating licence, so most visitors take a guide. Confirm with Shiga Prefecture before you travel.
The rule you must not break
Shiga law bans returning a caught bass or bluegill to the water (alien-fish ordinance, 2002, in force from 2003). Do not release a bass or bluegill. Use the collection boxes (回収ボックス) at access points, or your guide.
Keep / release
Every bass and bluegill goes in the collection box, never back in the lake. Leave the native fish (biwamasu, nigorobuna, carp, Biwa catfish) alone. Clean and dry your kit between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Where and when | From the bank | From a boat (guide) | Best time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Basin weed and flats | Yes, the main shore fishing | Yes, the deeper weed edges | First and last light | Texas rig, jika rig or weightless / wacky |
| Harbour walls and canal mouths | Yes | Yes | Low light | Neko rig or Ned rig |
| North Basin rock and drop-offs (big fish) | Hard to reach from shore | Yes, the real edge | Dawn and dusk | Carolina rig, Ned rig, or hard lures |
| Open clear water, searching | No | Yes | Through the day at fish depth | Carolina rig or hard lures |
| Bluegill, anywhere | Yes | Yes | Warm hours | Small hook and bait, or downsized finesse |
Bank only is a real South Basin bass-and-bluegill trip. A guided boat adds the deeper weed, the open water and the North Basin rock where the giants live.
The rigs
Fluoro 12–16 lb (or braid + fluoro leader) → sliding bullet weight 3.5–14 g (1/8–1/2 oz) → offset/EWG hook #1–3/0 → soft plastic, weedless
PalomarMain line → offset/EWG hook with a split ring at the eye → drop/bullet weight clipped to the ring → weedless soft plastic
PalomarLight fluoro 6–10 lb → mushroom finesse jighead 1.5–3.5 g (1/16–1/8 oz) → stubby soft stick 6–8 cm
PalomarLight line → wacky/O-ring hook through the middle of a straight worm + a small nail weight in the head
PalomarLight line → wacky hook through the middle of a stick worm, no weight
PalomarCasting line → sliding bullet weight → bead → swivel → fluoro leader 12–17 lb, 45–75 cm (18–30 in) → offset/EWG hook → soft plastic
Palomar (swivel, leader and hook)What you need
One medium spinning outfit (an optional baitcaster for the heavy weed and the hard lures) and a small box of soft plastics, hooks, weights and jigheads build all six rigs.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | Hook, jighead and swivel; the workhorse that builds every soft-plastic rig. | Every soft-plastic rig here |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a hard lure so it swims freely. | Jerkbaits, swimbaits, vibration plugs |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties every soft-plastic rig here. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.