Great start to September with a few Black Marlin showing up along with decent numbers of sailfish, some good king mackerel, loads of bonnies, and consistent Yellowfin Tuna action at long last. It´s always good to see these arrive in good numbers not only for the great fun they provide on the appropriate tackle but one knows the big girls will not be far behind.
Up until the 11th the boys where pretty busy on Vamizi mostly doing light tackle half days. YFT, King mackerel, bonito, kingies and the odd other game fish where the target species but they where still raising and releasing sailfish on an almost daily basis. On the 10th and 11th they found an amazing number of Yellowfin up to 20 odd kilos on the north and among them and although only puling one large lure on a #50 outfit they raised 3 and released a Black Marlin of about 250 pounds.
The wind, which was pretty scarce in July and August, finally arrived late by mid September and it’s been pretty unstable since then. It´s hard going but not a bad thing at all and despite some difficult conditions the fishing as been pretty solid for the all month and better conditions should prevail pretty soon.
By mid month I went across to the Island for a week to get boat and tackle ready for the heavy tackle season. During that time we had Malcolm and his newly wedded wife from Dubai. The first day, the 14th they went out from Vilankulos with Orlando and got some really nice cuda and YFT up to 20 kg´s. I took them out two days later but we had to cut the day short, has the wind been pumping and only ended up with a few Yellowfin.
Then we had a group from SA for three days that fished the 19th to the 21st and enjoyed some great light tackle game fishing, which included a big prodigal, cuda, kingfish, skipjack, bonitos, Yellowfin tuna and wahoo. They also lost two Black Marlin, both hooked on the light tackle sticks.
We where then away for that weekend, enjoying the Yearly Vilankulos downwind kitesurf festival, which was once again a blast.
On the 25th Vamizi had a morning half day and went 0 for 1 on sailfish and got a bunch of game fish. In the afternoon another half day and this one produced two sailfish out of four bites and again some good game fish action on YFT, wahoo, cuda and bonnies.
The next day Vamizi had once again an absolutely blast of a day on light tackle catching and releasing over 20 game fish including YFT, cuda, dorado, rainbow runner, kingfish and bonnies. They tried a few hours for Marlin but where only rewarded with some good YFT on the lures, one of which estimated at 40 kg + that open the gaff and got away boat side.
The same day IBO fished a couple hours light tackle in the morning and also got a bunch of game fish including Yellowfin, rainbow runner, cuda and bonitos and Sailfish, fishing from Vilankulos released 2 sailfish down south and a bunch of game fish especially YFT and cuda.
On the 28th we started with Carl Jankowitz and Peter Dowling aboard Vamizi. There was a good 15-knot breeze from the NE so we started pulling the light sticks and got a bunch of YFT and bonitos around VI mile area. We decided to live bait but there where to many sharks round the mayhem and after having 4 taxed baits we decided to head to 9 mile reef for a plugging / spinning session that produced little, but a nice cuda and bonito on the light spinning gear for Alex.
The next day was one of those very special days where the ocean was just alive and we where fortunate to witness not one but two bait balls.
Once again there where loads of Yellowfin tuna between 6 and 9 mile reef but once again the sharks where in among the schools providing a difficult challenge to land these on the light tackle gear. We got a few and decided to once again head to 9 mile and for a plugging session.
On the very first cast, Peter hooked up to a solid estimated 22 kg GT that he released soon after. After that we had another four good GT´s in has many drifts but only hooked three and lost them all – that´s GT fishing! The first was unstoppable and run to the shallow area and reefed us. The second pulled the hooks and the third actually bitten through the 150-pound leader, an extremely rare occurrence.
As we where fighting that last GT we spotted, about a mile away, a frigate bird and some terns over some commotion. Obviously we picked up and run for a closer inspection and upon getting them where greeted to the most astonishing display. It´s not that uncommon to see such bait balls around bazaruto, but it always is a privilege and this one was a special one. This poor tiny oceanic anchony had been cornered into a tick ball by more than 20 sharks of which we saw Blacktip´s and dusky´s. Around this there was mayhem with the bonnies ad Yellowfin working around it getting all the scraps. Underneath we saw some tropical yellowtail and prodigal son. The sharks where so tuned in and gorging on to the tiny baitfish that they hardly bothered us as we started catching the game fish on spinning and drop shot tackle around them. We did loose a few good fish but mostly because the sharks where so many that their bodies would scratch the braid and pop it. Later that day we worked north and the ocean was just alive with fish, especially YFT. We where treated to another bait ball out of Nhangoose where we caught some more tuna.
Here´s some more amazing photographs of the bait balls and that´s it for another great month and now the long awaited Heavy-Tackle season starts (rather late)…hopefully the reports for the next two and a half months will be of some big girls…
Elsewhere they’re a few really good fish caught in September;
At 1 254 lbs, the biggest fish come aboard the Habitat in the Azores, which also accounted for another three fish over the 500 pound Mark.
But with fifteen reported over #500 the Canaries produced more big blues than any other place.
Other good Blue Marlin action was reported from Tonga with 4 fish over the # 500 mark, Madeira (3), the Algarve (3) and Kona (3).
Of course with the season starting in Cairns the next two months should realistically see more granders than the rest of the year. Although it´s been a slow start there have already been a seven fish over # 500 reported including two estimated over the mark. The first a 1 100 lbs for Top Shot and the second a 1 000 + lbs for Viking II.
Frank Johnson from Moldcraft passes away…
September was also a sad months as it saw the passing away of legendary Frank Johnson from Moldcraft. As a kid dreaming of making it in the Marlin fishing World many moons ago in war thorn Mozambique, I remember fancying when I would be able to get one of those “new“ revolutionary soft lures I read about in Marlin Magazine and elsewhere! I will never forget the first time I got a Molcraft, a standard red & white Wide Range. She got me some really good fish in those light tackle game fishing days including a, then local Yellowfin Record, of 35.5 kg.
Today his lures still catch Marlin all over the World either on their own or with pitch baits. He truly revolutionized the big game fishing world with his injection-molding machine that made those first ever-soft lures.
Among thousands of billfish caught on his lures the still standing all-tackle Atlantic Blue Marlin record of 1 402 pounds caught in Brazil which inhaled a Moldcraft Super Chugger is probably the most iconic.
We have caught our share of Blacks and Blues in Bazaruto and elsewhere on Moldcraft lures, here´s a couple of pics…
Rest in Peace
Duarte A. M. Rato
Sportfishing Charters @ Vilankulos & Bazaruto Archipelago
Email: dudas7mares@gmail.com
FB: MarlinMoz Sportfishing & fishbazaruto.com
Skype: duarteamrato
Phone: 00 258 82 805 7160 / 00 258 84 639 0466
