As water temperatures of the Chinese Huanghai Sea soar in the annual period of July to September, sauries and Spanish mackerels start to migrate to warmer water areas, creating the much-anticipated fishing season for offshore angling enthusiasts. More than one hundred offshore angling enthusiasts recently flocked to Qingdao to take part in a contest themed “Summer of Qingdao” and reaped a good harvest.

Being both recreational and challenging, offshore angling, which plays an enabling role in boosting such related industries as shipping, fishing gear and sightseeing, is therefore dubbed “water golf”. Qingdao enjoys particularly favorable natural conditions to develop offshore angling. The conditions include 11,700 square meters of sea areas, 882.92 kilometers of coastlines, 49 sea bays, 120 sea islands. Moreover, angling can be conducted all around the year no matter in offshore areas or on sea islands. As a result, Qingdao receives every year around 500,000 offshore angling enthusiasts, leading the way in China. Qingdao is home to 63 well-qualified offshore angling clubs, the second most in China, and boasts nearly 1,500 recreational angling ships and boats, the third most in China.

Since the beginning of this year, Qingdao has founded the recreational offshore angling association, the first phase of the Xiaogang Bay recreational offshore angling base has been completed, where the 2026 tourist angling season kicked off on July 4. Furthermore, the offshore angling season, which will last until October 25, has launched three programs, namely, angling rookies, high-quality tourism, and professional angling, to meet varied needs of rookies who want to have a try and master-hands who desire to compete. Beyond offshore angling, angling practitioners can not only experience excitement from fishing, but also come across the splendid tangerine-colored sea surface and see the healing power of the setting sun that dyes the sea.  (Li Xunxiang)

Tourists have a good time fishing in the offshore angling season.

      By Zhao Jianpeng