Fishing with the Bolognese: technique, equipment, bait

Fishing with the Bolognese is probably the most practiced technique by Italian fishermen. It was born after the war in Emilia-Romagna as an evolution of fishing with a fixed rod and, over time, it spread to other regions, both in fresh water and at sea.
This is a particularly profitable technique, which proposes the bait with maximum precision and demonstrates its versatility in various environments such as ports, cliffs, mouths, running waters such as rivers or canals. Furthermore, it is a technique within everyone's reach, both for beginners and experts. We could say, therefore, that Bolognese is a timeless technique, for all ages and its secret lies precisely in being multifaceted.
Today we will deal in detail with Bolognese fishing at sea, explaining in detail the technical aspects, the necessary equipment and the recommended bait.

How to fish Bolognese style: the technique

Fishing with the Bolognese is a fishing technique that involves the use of a float, a rig with lead pellets or torpille and one or two hooks at most.
This is a definition that simplifies things as much as possible, but obviously there is still more to explain. Fishing with the Bolognese is also a technique that can be applied in calm and slightly rough seas.
It is not suitable for rough or very rough sea conditions, with atmospheric phenomena such as wind or storms (in these cases, spinning or surf casting is better).
Its peculiarity is that it presents a bait supported by a terminal, usually between 50 and 150 centimeters, and by a lead collected in a few centimeters of lead (torpille or narrow shoulder) or in larger spaces, up to 150 centimeters of line. The float, specific for Bolognese fishing, can have capacities that vary from 1 gram up to 4/6 grams for the most demanding conditions. Usually, however, for sea fishing with Bolognese, floats between 1 and 3 grams are used.
The actual technique consists in casting, holding the float lightly and waiting for the bite. The retention, therefore, is the most important aspect of the bolognese, because it is precisely thanks to this that the fish becomes curious and finds stimulation in taking the bait.

Where to fish Bolognese style

You can fish with the Bolognese both in the port, taking advantage of the convenience of these spots, both from the cliff and from the beach. River mouths are also an excellent spot for fishing with this technique.

Equipment for Bolognese fishing

To fish with the Bolognese rod, you need to equip yourself with a "Bolognese" rod, also known as a passa rod.
The Bolognese rod is nothing more than a telescopic rod made in standard sizes ranging from 5 to 8 meters, passing through intermediate sizes such as 6 and 7 meters. The structure of these rods is very similar to that of fixed rods, with a higher carbon content on the blank because it is subject to greater stress during casts and retrieves.

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Each section has a ring, while on the summit and sub-peak there are usually 1 or 2 rings at most beyond the apex. In addition to the rod, the reel has two fundamental functions: maintaining a reserve of line and being a useful tool during fighting. The Bolognese reels have a size that varies from 1000 (for the ultralight Bolognese) to 2500/3000 (standard Bolognese) and 4000 (medium-heavy Bolognese).
It will be necessary to load the reel with a good 0.14/0.16, possibly specific for the Bolognese or for techniques with a high recovery frequency.


Finally, as regards the construction of the fishing line, you will need to purchase:

• teardrop and inverted pear floats
• split lead shot
• numbness
• swivels without carabiner
• one or two coils of 0.14/0.12/0.10 terminals
• hooks of variable size between number 12 and 18

Baits for Bolognese

Fishing with the Bolognese at sea allows the fisherman to choose the most suitable bait for his prey:

• omnivorous fish such as mullet prefer flaky bread, cheese batter, maggots, sardine fillet;
• sea bass love maggot, baited Korean worm, live shrimp;
• sea bream prefer maggot or pellets;
• the boghe or salpe are greedy for prawn batter or peeled prawns;
• other fish such as bream, damselfish and leccie willingly attack the classic maggot or the Korean worm.

In short, the Bolognese is a technique that leaves many alternatives and, if used correctly, with the right setup and the right bait, can offer considerable excitement and very satisfying catches.