Seogwipo boat fishing with no bait: jigging on Gwangmyeongho

An offbeat Jeju experience: boat fishing on Gwangmyeongho from Hahyo Port in Seogwipo. Here's my review of no-bait jigging fishing.

You know that feeling when you want to fit one offbeat experience into a Jeju trip?! We went with boat fishing!!

We went on the Gwangmyeongho fishing boat departing from Hahyo Port in Seogwipo. Honestly it was our first time boat fishing, so I was half worried, half excited — but after going, there turned out to be quite a few things worth knowing.

I've organized this into: location and prices / what jigging fishing is / how it actually went / what to bring.

Where Gwangmyeongho is and what each fishing trip costs

Gwangmyeongho departs from Hahyo Port in Seogwipo. It's a 5-minute walk from Soesokkak, so it's perfect to visit right after sightseeing there.

The parking lot is spacious too, so parking was easy. There are several program types.

• Jigging experience ₩70,000
• Tai rubber ₩60,000
• Reef boat fishing ₩50,000
• Cuttlefish ₩60,000
• Bigfin reef squid ₩80,000
• Night hanchi (squid) 5 hours ₩60,000

We went with the jigging experience!! All programs are based on 4 hours, departing twice a day, morning and afternoon.

The species you catch vary by season — yellowtail, amberjack, red seabream, hairtail, hanchi squid, that kind of thing. Winter yellowtail season is apparently especially popular.

Fishing rods and electric reels can be rented, so you can go with just your body and no gear.

What is jigging? Metal lures mean no bait to touch

I chose to try jigging fishing. Jigging doesn't use worms or live bait — instead you cast a metal fake lure and trick the fish into biting.

No need to touch bait, which was great for me since I can't handle worms.

Even though it's an experience-level trip, Gwangmyeongho uses a fish finder to locate spots with lots of fish and keeps moving so you don't go home empty-handed.

That means stamina matters quite a bit. But in exchange, you can go after bigger fish.

Honestly, I couldn't hold out long because of seasickness, so I didn't catch a single fish. Haha,,,

But there were seven other people aboard besides us, and they caught over ten fish, released most, and shared the rest with us — so we didn't come home empty-handed after all.

If you tend to get seasick, I really recommend bringing motion sickness pills in advance.

Inside the 22-passenger boat: seats, ramen and gear

The boat is bigger than I expected. At 22 passengers, it's on the larger side among Jeju's experience fishing boats, and you can definitely feel the stability.

Life jackets and bottled water were provided free onboard, so we didn't have to worry about safety or basics and could just enjoy the experience.

The captain and the manager kindly showed us everything step by step, from how to hold the rod, so even as a first-timer I wasn't scared.

There was food prepared well too. Cup ramen was available, and since you're under the sun the whole time and can get hot, there was ice water as well.

There were simple drinks and snacks too, so it was fine even to board on an empty stomach lol.

Eating ramen in the middle of the ocean — this is truly the real vibe. It somehow felt so atmospheric and fun.

Since stamina matters so much, there was even a space to lie down and rest, which was really comfortable. In fact, since I was seasick, I ended up resting really well here,,,👍👍

What happens to the fish you catch on Gwangmyeongho?

I think you might be curious about this part. Your catch can be shipped to the mainland, packed as sashimi, or packed ready to eat right away, sliced.

We got ours packed to eat right away — 2 fish, 4kg, for ₩22,000. We ate it right at our accommodation.

Refund rules and what to bring before you book

Let me just cover the refund policy. You get a 100% refund up to 4 days before departure, and no refund from 3 days before onward.

However, if the weather suddenly turns bad on the day and the boat can't depart, you get a full refund. Since this experience is weather-dependent, it's good to keep a backup schedule in mind.

And the most important thing to bring!! There's almost no shade on the boat, so the sun is quite strong.

• Sunscreen
• A wide-brimmed hat
• Comfortable clothes
• An ice bag if you're bringing sashimi home
• Motion sickness pills if you're prone to seasickness

Who this Seogwipo fishing trip suits best

• Anyone who doesn't want to touch bait but wants to try fishing
• Anyone looking for a half-day course paired with Soesokkak
• Anyone who wants to fit one offbeat experience into their Jeju trip

As long as you're careful about seasickness, it was a genuinely fun experience.

Next time I'll definitely take motion sickness pills and go back to properly feel that fishing thrill.