Bazaruto Lodge in May

[royboy]

Hi All, compliments of the season to you.

Linda and I are in the process of booking 9 days at Baz Lodge from the 9th-18th May 08.

The weather looks good at this time of the year (Hope and Pray) and it's in the Low season which slightly softens the financial impact, but what of the fishing? It seems that a lot of the summer species are going off the bite, and it is a bit early for the Winter crew to move in. .....who can provide some seasonal advice to assist in preparation while we are doing our planning? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

The "plan" is currently to do 3 half days off-shore charters (blow the budget) and the rest of the time R&S and fly-fishing down the east side of the island in Dolphin Bay  Sailfish Bay etc.

I have fished from Baz Lodge in September (and had awesome catches on Fly and conventional - but that was 6 years ago.). Back then was lots of Kawa Kawa, Kingies, couta, Queenfish etc. and a Sailie briefly on a big Deceiver before he threw my fly. After 10 days my hands were finished and didn't even want to cast into the meatballs anymore.......but that was back then.

Any info will be greatly appreciated guys....thanx - RoyBoy

 

 

 

[GL]

Royboy

Baz is good in May, better still in March/April.

Will also be in Baz from 17 - 27 May. Last trip was June 2007 and caught lots . . . sadly due to inclement fishing skills we missed much more than we caught.

Species from side were nice GT's (15 - 45lb), blue fin kingies (10-25lb), green spot kingies, big eye kingies, sierra (15-30lb), mataharri's, rockcod (44lb), pickaxes barras, and plenty johnnies.

From boat got sailies (including 2 to the taxman next to the boat@#@#), wahoo, sierra, blue fin kingies, mataharris, green job fish which are pests, red snapper, etc. Average fish from boat was about 6kg up to about 35kg. Got towed out to sea for 30 mins and then broke 50lb braid as fish stayed at depth of about 30m and flicked his tail every so often . . . pity but there to catch edibles not waste fuel chasing giant sharks.

Used jigging, drop shotting and drift baiting off boat.

From side, drop shotting, plugging, slides with live baits/baits.

tight lines

 

[royboy]

Hi GL, thanks for the info: We will probably be leaving Baz on the 17th.....so will probably bump into each other at Vilanculos airport at time of transfer. This is subject to my reservation confirmation from Ricky Jacobs, so there may still be a little flexibility in the dates.

Are you staying at Baz Lodge or Indigo Bay?

I have some lovely memories of being punished on my 10wt T&T with an Abel Super 10 from the Sandspit with the pushing tide........none landed but such an adreneline rush that almost went into cardiac arrest.

Also had some big bonnies (Kawa Kawa)on fly off the ledges at Gengerame.......and lost some expensive fly-lines.

The plan is to chase the GT busses with big plugs and Poppers on my R&S gear, and keep the fly rods for the big bonnies and couta off-shore. Maybe a throw or 2 in Kingfish Alley will happen (bound to lose more Deep sinking lines here), problem is it's a long boat ride from the Lodge.

I remember losing every sierra mack to the Taxman off Sailfish Bay......7 or 8 in 1 session. Eventually we upped lines and went 2 miles before lines in again. Once the johnnies find the boat, they know the meals are free and every hookup gets eaten.

Your tow and 50lb breakoff was probably a big Zambezi....no sense of fair play.

 

[royboy]

OK - The Credit Card has now been hammered. Hammered very hard in fact, and the flights/lodge reservations etc. confirmed and paid for. Friday 9th - Sunday 18th May, and I am excited as all hell. Excited and broke!!!!!

I had considered taking my laptop for daily updates to Sealine, but with Pelican Air's 20Kg luggage limit, this is reserved for fishing (4 rods, 4 reels + tackle) and diving gear + 1 pair of Boardshorts and 1 pair flip-flops.

Phase 1: Project Bazaruto - Planning

GL, that means we will have the Saturday afternoon to throw a line off Shark Point and also to trade war stories and pics over some bevvies at the Bar in the evening.

I do have a few questions, mainly around top water Poppers and Lures. If anyone can suggest where I could find a 2008 Tide Table for Bazaruto, that would also be great. When to fish and when to dive?

I currently have 2 x Aubrey Da Gama 4oz Chizel Head Plugs, 1 x Halco Roosta Popper 195 Haymaker, 3 x Roosta Poppers 135, and 3 Halco Max 130's, and a number of spoons. Over the next few months I intend to slowly supplement these as and when Linda "loosens the purse strings". After today, not for a while methinks.........

I will probably invest in another 3 Haymakers, and a few more 135's and Max's so that if (when?) I get smashed up, I should have sufficient reserves. Are there any other "shiny fish-catching things" that I should be considering?

Due to weight constraints, I was also hoping to leave my sinkers at home and purchase at the Lodge. Does the Lodge sell sinkers in 3,4,5 oz? Grapnels for beach fishing?

Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards - RoyBoy

 

[GL]

Brilliant. leave some fish for us 

we arrive on 17 May and will be fishing on spit with u! we will have reels with plasters on . . . yup reefman's trusted daiwas!

Poppers    - selection seems to be ok. make sure Halco's and chisels have red heads & white/silver bodies. Also get some carpenters as they make big spalshes on retrieve . . . not sure if color makes such a diff here but I have black, green, pink and blue carpenters.

Jigs           - get some jigs about 80 - 140g that look like carapel (yellow/green colour). Sure catch is only brand that I have seen that have this mix and gave us best results as drop offs range from 30 - 80m.

Slides         - use slides with live bait or any big bait from any spot. Make sure u use  at least 120lb steel trace otherwise u will just get bitten off by sierra, johnnies, etc. 

Boating       - trolling take few pink & white lures and bonnie coloured X wraps for sailies, wahoo, sierra.

                    - drift baiting off reefs . . . just stick carapel on hook with trace and u'll catch plenty. we catch most fish drifting and the green job are like shad except they weigh 6 - 10kg!!!

                      - pop from boat towards/over reefs

                     - jig from boat just off reefs

Fishing time - don't worry too much about tides. Early morning from lone tree, 3 trees and sailfish bay, day time on boat from say 11h00 - 14h00 around reefs clsoe to lighthouse, afternoon from say 16h00 from end of spit . . . drift a big bait out with balloon and wait for GT, sierra, zambezi, black tips, giant guitar fish. Practise flat sticking or u will die . . . . 

Diving . . . don't do this during am or pm as this is best fishing time.

Gun bearers    - get Sicky or Giraldo. We have used them for past 8 years

Sinkers             - take yor own. none available at Baz Lodge

 

 

[royboy]

Excellent Graeme!!!! Nice fish mate?

I see the half and full day prices for boat are a bit steep + juice. Ah what the hell, have to save up a bit more I suppose.

Is that a Red Snapper? From 12 Mile Reef maybe?

Roy