BAZARUTO MARLIN SEASON 2014
- Thread starter Marlinmoz
- Start date
After two months in Cape Verde experiencing some phenomenal fishing we come back to Mozambique in late June to experience one of the mildest winter´s we have had in the last decade or so. There was a unseasonal lack of wind and thus the water close in had a tint of green to it for most of the time and the sailfish were most times not as abundant as normal.
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Fishing from Vilankulos on the 38 ft Super Cat we had a few sailfish charters but seeing it was pretty slow we headed out wide to see what was happening out there and on the first day, in a few hours we lost a big Blue and caught a 72kg Yellowfin tuna. That was early July and from then on and until mid August most guys did want to go out wide and, seeing it was the peak of winter we had some very surprising results and raised, hooked and released a good number of Blue Marlin!
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Anyway, as we speak we working on the boat and rigging, rigging and more rigging to start the season on our favourite place on Monday…we fully booked until the 28th December, not all Marlin fishing, we will have some jigging, plugging and other fishing in between.
But yeah, we just hoping for another cracking season of the Bazaruto Archipelago…the first signs have been extremely promising!
But yeah, we just hoping for another cracking season of the Bazaruto Archipelago…the first signs have been extremely promising!
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A couple weeks ago we had our good friend and guest Carl jankowitz up @ Vilankulos for a few days of fishing on his 31ft Triton and had some pretty amazing results.
Seeing we would be spending the first couple of nights as guests on Kevin Hogson´s amazing mothership Quo Vadis we spent the first morning stocking up on meat, drinks and so forth.
We left Vilankulos late morning in flat calm water with high expectations.
Kevin had already been fishing on his Sportfisher Big Bob for a week and after a quiet start the previous afternoon he finally found a body of small fish just north of the canyon and had released 2 Blacks out of 4 bites on lures in a two hour period late in the afternoon. Small rats about 150 pounds, but he wasn’t complaining!
We both started working the same area just after midday but truth be told the water had gone a milky colour, there was no bait to be seen and it just did not look good.
They released a sailfish and we got a couple of YFT and two wahoo before heading back for a magnificent braii aboard our floating hotel at the north point of Benguerra...
Let me tell you that is a different level altogether!!!
Seeing we would be spending the first couple of nights as guests on Kevin Hogson´s amazing mothership Quo Vadis we spent the first morning stocking up on meat, drinks and so forth.
We left Vilankulos late morning in flat calm water with high expectations.
Kevin had already been fishing on his Sportfisher Big Bob for a week and after a quiet start the previous afternoon he finally found a body of small fish just north of the canyon and had released 2 Blacks out of 4 bites on lures in a two hour period late in the afternoon. Small rats about 150 pounds, but he wasn’t complaining!
We both started working the same area just after midday but truth be told the water had gone a milky colour, there was no bait to be seen and it just did not look good.
They released a sailfish and we got a couple of YFT and two wahoo before heading back for a magnificent braii aboard our floating hotel at the north point of Benguerra...
Let me tell you that is a different level altogether!!!
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Thanks Ignatius…internet down last night but here is the rest of the report from those few days a couple weeks ago!
The drinks really flowed the previous night so the planned early start never happen and after a welcomed greasy breakfast and a few panado´s we finally left at 8 am – yeah, proper gentleman´s fishing!
Again it was flat calm as we got out there but really disappointing to find green water as we worked from V mile all the way north to Sailfish Bay. There were a few YFT here and there and we got a nice wahoo on the TT but I had absolutely no feeling we were going to find any Marlin in that pea soup!
:?
The drinks really flowed the previous night so the planned early start never happen and after a welcomed greasy breakfast and a few panado´s we finally left at 8 am – yeah, proper gentleman´s fishing!
Again it was flat calm as we got out there but really disappointing to find green water as we worked from V mile all the way north to Sailfish Bay. There were a few YFT here and there and we got a nice wahoo on the TT but I had absolutely no feeling we were going to find any Marlin in that pea soup!
:?
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I spoke to Kevin on BIG BOB and we decided to go to Plan B which was to go out wide and fish that 500 meter mark out of sailfish bay that as been so productive for us.
The water was definitely better out wide but even at 450m it was not what it is suppose to be. We pressed on further out and finally at the 550 meter mark started seeing some electric blue water and a couple of frigate´s flying above us!
11h30 on the dot and I see this neon blue right underneath our long corner tube.
Big fish, short left!
Everyone looked astern as this beast just lounged itself all over the lure and we in for the races! This fish was one of the fastest fish I have ever experienced and in no time we were on the backing.
I had borrowed a deckie, which had limited experience in Marlin fishing, and he took ages to clear the one side so that I could turn and chase. By the time he did so we had 700 meters of line out of the #130 and I had told Carl to come down to 12 pounds of drag. I started racing ahead just as the fish started jumping. Even from this far it was clear this was a proper one easily looking 700.
All of a sudden we lost contact…..everyone just silently stared in disbelief!
Well you can´t catch every single one.
I radioed BIG BOB who was about 2 miles to the NW of us and they also had also hooked up to a double header of sailfish, which they released!
The water was definitely better out wide but even at 450m it was not what it is suppose to be. We pressed on further out and finally at the 550 meter mark started seeing some electric blue water and a couple of frigate´s flying above us!
11h30 on the dot and I see this neon blue right underneath our long corner tube.
Big fish, short left!
Everyone looked astern as this beast just lounged itself all over the lure and we in for the races! This fish was one of the fastest fish I have ever experienced and in no time we were on the backing.
I had borrowed a deckie, which had limited experience in Marlin fishing, and he took ages to clear the one side so that I could turn and chase. By the time he did so we had 700 meters of line out of the #130 and I had told Carl to come down to 12 pounds of drag. I started racing ahead just as the fish started jumping. Even from this far it was clear this was a proper one easily looking 700.
All of a sudden we lost contact…..everyone just silently stared in disbelief!
Well you can´t catch every single one.
I radioed BIG BOB who was about 2 miles to the NW of us and they also had also hooked up to a double header of sailfish, which they released!
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Once again dinner on the QUO VADIS was a real treat. Again the early bed plans faded as myself, Kevin and Carl sat for a few good hours after dinner sipping the most delicious wine.
We started at about 8h30 the next morning and once again were greeted by flat calm seas. Our plan for the day was to head out wide again but this time to a deep spot down south which I had found last July and which had produced the goods the few times we had been there.
We started at about 8h30 the next morning and once again were greeted by flat calm seas. Our plan for the day was to head out wide again but this time to a deep spot down south which I had found last July and which had produced the goods the few times we had been there.
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We started trolling from II mile and got to the area just after 9h30. Most of the Marlin strikes we had in the few trips we did there were in a very small area, so it was disappointing to see the water was not as good as we had hoped.
I worked the area for an hour but as with yesterday as soon as we started heading out and got to the 550 mark the water turned a beautiful blue colour and again we started seeing a couple of frigates.
I worked the area for an hour but as with yesterday as soon as we started heading out and got to the 550 mark the water turned a beautiful blue colour and again we started seeing a couple of frigates.
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And then all of a sudden we have this crash strike on the short corner yellowfin colour Big T – TT and we hook up. The fish just jumped once in the distance and I never had a good look but from the fight we could see it was nice one.
After a splintering run the fish went deep. I could see Carl´s grin as he worked the fish on the chair. We got right on top of it and went right up to 55 pounds of drag.
After a splintering run the fish went deep. I could see Carl´s grin as he worked the fish on the chair. We got right on top of it and went right up to 55 pounds of drag.
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Slowly but surely the fish started giving in and after with that kind of drag and working him at an angle it started to come up.
As it did so we got on top of it and Zito got a grip on the leader. I had a look at the fish and could see it was a tad better than the 400-500 I had estimated.
I could sense the anticipation on Carl´s face. He had to break the jinx, he had now hooked and lost 4 Blue´s…after countless Blacks including two granders it was time he got his Blue.
The fish just sulked there underneath the boat and we come another half inch up on the drag. It was a matter of time and another 5 minutes and we had in by the leader and I slide the snooter over it´s bill.
Happy days!!!
As it did so we got on top of it and Zito got a grip on the leader. I had a look at the fish and could see it was a tad better than the 400-500 I had estimated.
I could sense the anticipation on Carl´s face. He had to break the jinx, he had now hooked and lost 4 Blue´s…after countless Blacks including two granders it was time he got his Blue.
The fish just sulked there underneath the boat and we come another half inch up on the drag. It was a matter of time and another 5 minutes and we had in by the leader and I slide the snooter over it´s bill.
Happy days!!!
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That afternoon we returned to Vilankulos as Kevin had some mates arriving. They did not see anything and seeing the Springboks were playing the All-Blacks the next morning they were having a rest day to watch the game!
Carl still toyed with the idea of leaving after the game but fortunately he decided against it and just after 8 am we started trolling with light tackle shallow of V mile. The water looked much better so our plan was to fish for Blacks with live bait.
I spoke to my boy Alex on VAMIZI who was light tackle fishing with other guests of mine and he said the game fish had been insane in the early morning and between YFT, GT´s, Bonnies, yellowspotted kingfish, bludgers and cuda he had already caught / released over 20 fish.
It did not take long for us to get a YFT, but unfortunately it was badly hooked and after 20 minutes it died on us.
Back shallow and worked north to IV mile were we got a bunch of bonnies and then finally a couple of YFT.
We rigged one and started tacking south with the current. Just after an hour we were at the bottom end of V mile, a place where I have hooked so many big fish that years ago I christened it Giant´s Corner – just then and there the 5-6 kg yellowfin bait was taken.
We fed but I could see the fish had dropped it. We slowly inched the line back and something grabbed and dropped it again. I knew straight away it was a small fish for that bait and told Carl so.
I started pulling the line with my hands and told Carl to get ready to drop.
The fish come the third time and I held the line until I had to let go and told Carl to slowly come up on the drag.
This time we hooked up and Carl got in the chair…
Carl still toyed with the idea of leaving after the game but fortunately he decided against it and just after 8 am we started trolling with light tackle shallow of V mile. The water looked much better so our plan was to fish for Blacks with live bait.
I spoke to my boy Alex on VAMIZI who was light tackle fishing with other guests of mine and he said the game fish had been insane in the early morning and between YFT, GT´s, Bonnies, yellowspotted kingfish, bludgers and cuda he had already caught / released over 20 fish.
It did not take long for us to get a YFT, but unfortunately it was badly hooked and after 20 minutes it died on us.
Back shallow and worked north to IV mile were we got a bunch of bonnies and then finally a couple of YFT.
We rigged one and started tacking south with the current. Just after an hour we were at the bottom end of V mile, a place where I have hooked so many big fish that years ago I christened it Giant´s Corner – just then and there the 5-6 kg yellowfin bait was taken.
We fed but I could see the fish had dropped it. We slowly inched the line back and something grabbed and dropped it again. I knew straight away it was a small fish for that bait and told Carl so.
I started pulling the line with my hands and told Carl to get ready to drop.
The fish come the third time and I held the line until I had to let go and told Carl to slowly come up on the drag.
This time we hooked up and Carl got in the chair…
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But both of us were getting itchy and we decided to put the Konas.
After an hour with no success we decided it was time to go and get another bait, but that was easier said than done – both because the bait was down and nowhere to be seen and when we did find it we were unlucky – pulling hooks on no less than 4 small YFT right by the boat.
At 3pm we decided to put the Konas and started heading back, but we did leave two small halcos and at 15h35 at the top end of II mile we hooked two 5-6 kg YFT and immediately bridled both.
We decided we were going to give it half an hour and started packing the boat!
But all it took was 10 minutes until the long bait was taken, perfect drop and the circle found the corner – hookup!
After an hour with no success we decided it was time to go and get another bait, but that was easier said than done – both because the bait was down and nowhere to be seen and when we did find it we were unlucky – pulling hooks on no less than 4 small YFT right by the boat.
At 3pm we decided to put the Konas and started heading back, but we did leave two small halcos and at 15h35 at the top end of II mile we hooked two 5-6 kg YFT and immediately bridled both.
We decided we were going to give it half an hour and started packing the boat!
But all it took was 10 minutes until the long bait was taken, perfect drop and the circle found the corner – hookup!
