Cleaned out

Howzit Guys,

I headed out to sea on the Pirogue (yeah the same pirogue which has a 15hp motor with no bolts to connect it to the transom, and only two thin frayed ropes tying it down) on Sunday full of optimism as I obtained coordinates for 8 shipwrecks to jig on in the area. The plan was to do a bit of trolling out to the drop off 12 miles out with live bait then work our way down to the wrecks.  

I found some awesome drop-offs from 80m down to 165m out in the deep and there were fish showing on the sounder, but no love on the drop.

After a good number of downs I packed it in and headed in to shallow water where the wrecks are and had some unreal readings on the sounder from the wrecks, but every one that I went to had nets and long lines all over them; so much for them being secret points!

Fished hard the whole day, but not even a touch; I am now convinced that the ocean over here is just totally cleaned out.

Well this aint no catching report, more like a general interest post. (Excuse the excessive HDR, some of you may find it offensive; the sky was so gray I had to spice them up somehow)

Pre-trip preparation

Reels..

Jigs & Lures..

Assists..

These are really cool light tackle pliers and are as sharp as hell...

On the water..

 

Off the water..

Cool nature geometry..

 

SUPERB photography!!!

Sadly, when i was in Madagascar a few years back, we stayed on Ile Aux Natte, which is just off Ile St. Marie, i was also amazed at the lack of fish closer to shore. I spearfished the shallows, 10-20m water depths, the same area's the local piroque's fished in and it was BARREN!! Just small juvenile fish.........

We had to travel quite a distance to get to the 'rough' side, where the locals don't fish. This is pretty much the only area that held good fish............

Didn't help that the local kids were catching and keeping little 5-15cm sized fish, EVERYDAY. This was with handlines as well as nets............

Really sad, but what a AWESOME place!! Would LOVE to go back!!

Awesome Pics

I like the description of your boat!

miles wrote:

SUPERB photography!!!

Sadly, when i was in Madagascar a few years back, we stayed on Ile Aux Natte, which is just off Ile St. Marie, i was also amazed at the lack of fish closer to shore. I spearfished the shallows, 10-20m water depths, the same area's the local piroque's fished in and it was BARREN!! Just small juvenile fish.........

We had to travel quite a distance to get to the 'rough' side, where the locals don't fish. This is pretty much the only area that held good fish............

Click to expand...

Howzit Miles,

Sorry man i have not changed my profile; this is in Senegal, not Madagascar.

I clapped the Blue-Fin Kingies there on the Southern end of Ille Aux Natte; there are two gaps in the reef and they come in there big time, but it isn't easy fishing and the coral is mega sharp, not to mention those foot long sea urchins.

Next time you go ask for Flourio at Okkies place he always took me to that gap in the reef.

I posted a report on my last trip there; it is somewhere on sealine.