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Bazaruto Grander Black Marlin history lesson

For the records, we have compiled a short Bazaruto Grander Black Marlin history lesson.

It begins in 1969. In Tofo. And goes back from then.

A keen and able George Coates took out to sea from Praia do Tofo, in Inhambane. Targeting big marlin, he had the gear and the crew – the legend of Alby Upton. It was a well publicised catch and to many of us, this was the first thousand pounder caught in Africa. But it’s not! I went on to ask Duarte about it….this is what he had to say;

As far as we know, except for one, all of Africa Grander Black Marlin have been caught at the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. I did not know about that one fish until, a few years ago, I stumbled on a black and white photograph hanging at a lodge bar in Tofo – a small, lovely and thrilling beach town roughly a 100 NM south of the Archipelago. However, a few weeks ago, unexpectedly I was to learn a tad more about this catch. And, it made me wonder, if anyone out there knows of any Black Marlin over a 1000 pounds caught in Africa outside the Bazaruto Archipelago (apart from the fish mentioned above)….in Kenya, Mauritius, SA, Mozambique or elsewhere?

Recently, and after reading a post about the remarkable Blue Marlin Bite off Africa´s East coast this summer on www.fishbazaruto.com, a gentleman by the name of Clive Olivier contacted me, and seeing he had fished at Bazaruto in the “old days”, we got talking´!

Clive told me he caught his first Marlin at Bazaruto in 1958 and fished the Archipelago for ten seasons, until the 1974 Mozambican independence and all that come with it. He also fished for Blacks at Lizard Island on the GBR, where he caught three fish over a 1000 pounds. But, he was so impressed with the fisheries at Bazaruto that he still reckons that, if Glassel´s legendary record is to be beaten, it will come out of Baz waters! Nonetheless, what really got my blood flowing was his mentioning of a Black Marlin over a 1000 pounds caught at Coconut Bay in the 60´s by a friend of his. It really got me going…how awesome to hear about another old timer caught 1000-pound fish off Mozambique…or in Africa for that matter! However, after a lot of emails he sent me the exact same picture I had seen, it turns out that one fish was caught at Coconut Bay, but was actually weighted in Tofo, where the boat was based out from. It was the same fish…

It was nevertheless interesting to get some (albeit little) information on this 1084-pound (492 kg) fish, caught late November of 1969. George Coates, the then chairman of the Mapelane ski boat club in Zululand, was the angler, and along with his friend Alby Upton they caught this Black from a 18ft center console Acecraft skiboat. The fish was caught on #130 line on what seems to be an old Everol.

The Bazaruto Archipelago produced a respectable number of Africa Grander Black Marlin in the old “colonial” days from 1960 to 1974. The largest, a 1139 lbs caught by Sandy Sanderson in October 1970. Then in November 1998, the late Jonhy Harrel, caught the new and still standing All Tackle Black Marlin African record at 1289 lbs on Bazaruto´s north point. Interestingly, at a time when natural bait ruled, this mammoth of a fish was caught on an artificial lure. In recent years, there have been a couple of probable 1400 lbs plus fish hooked and at least ten Blacks estimated at over the magical mark released. Three have also been weighted; a 1107 lbs in 2009 aboard Vamizi, a 1098 lbs in 2010 again, aboard Vamizi and a 1018 lbs in 2013 aboard Big Bob.

It would be really interesting to know of any other grander Blacks caught in Africa (if any) or at least the biggest Blacks caught in SA, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, any other spots in Mozambique or anywhere else in Africa for that matter?!!!
If you know…please let us know!