Fishing at the San Giuliano dam: the Black Bass lake

Lake San Giuliano in Basilicata has an undisputed fame, which goes beyond regional borders and materializes throughout southern Italy. More than a basin or an artificial lake, it is known for being a naturalistic oasis of notable beauty, just a few minutes from Matera, European Capital of Culture 2019. This generates a lot of interest in the lake, in addition to its generous abundance of fish in terms of cyprinids, is the massive presence of black bass. Voracious predators, of all sizes, which provide excitement and fun in spring and during summer, when Lake San Giuliano is certainly in great shape. Let's discover together, therefore, how to face the lake and to overcome the most astute adversary of the San Giuliano: the big mouth, also known as black bass.

San Giuliano Dam: how to fish?

Black bass fishing at Lake San Giuliano can be approached in two ways: spinning or casting. We will focus on the first case, because it is certainly more intuitive and simpler, especially for those who are passing through or only have time to spend a Sunday out of town. Let's start immediately by saying that Lake San Giuliano is an artificial dam, obtained by damming the Bradano river. Therefore it receives water from the river throughout the year, however it undergoes changes in level which begin to occur from the end of June and continue until September. Therefore the fishing spots may present absolutely different characteristics if approached in spring, summer or autumn. Having said this, it is also understandable how black bass can encounter submerged shelters during the spring, due to the water level always being quite high. During the summer or autumn, with the waters falling, it will tend to move further offshore, moving away from the shore or hunting only in certain areas or at certain times. Such behavior therefore requires the search for black bass with spinning rods of at least 2.10 meters, up to 2.70 meters, with actions ranging from at least 10 grams to even 30 grams. The reels necessary for this purpose will have a minimum size of 2500 and can go up in size up to 4000, spooled with nylon or braid (if you prefer). The best baits for targeting black bass are mainly three: crankbaits (also called crank), silicone worms or imitations of insects, always made of silicone. Cranks, especially deep-sea ones, are deadly when it comes to stimulating the appetite of black bass in open water, in more open spaces, where the fish graze freely without remaining in ambush. Silicone worms or insect imitations, on the other hand, guarantee excellent results when fishing below the bank between ravines, holes and near submerged obstacles. The black bass bite will be different depending on the bait: with the crank we will feel a quick, sudden, aggressive attack; with silicones, the black bass will tend to swallow the bait slowly, almost while standing still.

Where to fish at Lake San Giuliano?

There are three fishing spots on Lake San Giuliano most suitable for black bass. The first is on the north side of the dam, reachable by traveling along the Fondo Valle Bradano Provincial Road and stopping at the first bend downstream after the dam. The inlet offers many points in which to look for largemouth, both among the ravines and in larger areas. The second spot is immediately after the dam, on the south side. Green areas provide shelter for black bass in pre-rut, post-rut and in summer. Finally, the third spot is further on, after the L'Assiolo farmhouse. It is impossible not to recognize it due to a bridge that generates an area full of submerged obstacles, particularly loved by black bass.

Regulation and scrub period

To fish at Lake San Giuliano you must have a type B license. The purchase of a daily permit is not required. The black bass fishing period is set between April 15th and May 15th, therefore in this interval it is forbidden to attempt fishing and also to kill any heads of black bass. However, we recommend, indeed we strongly invite, to release each specimen, maintaining faith in the catch andamp; release, both to safeguard the lake's fish fauna and out of respect for a highly esteemed predator who deserves life.