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Amy certainly did the most of Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite not only releasing her first Sailfish early in the morning but then getting a really nice wahoo on spinning tackle later in the day. The guys bring some of the wahoo back to the house lunch for an fishing break lunch…

Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…

Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…

We base ourselves out of Bazaruto Island during the Marlin Season, but throughout the year we normally fish out from Vilanculos. A small, picturesque mainland Mozambican town overlooking the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique´s Inhambane Province.

For the past few months, and due to the pandemic restrictions, Sport Fishing as actually not been allowed inside the Bazaruto National Park – go figure the sense in that!!!

But anyway, that has not stopped us from enjoying great fishing and as is usual this time of year we have found great action to the south around San Sebastian and the Linene pinnacles.

For the past few weeks and still going the area as just produced a real good Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…

We had some green water early in March where the order of the day was Cuta (AKA King mackerel) which were showing really good along with loads of Yellowfin Tuna. Then, after a blow, electric Blue Water moved in and with flat seas, sunny skies and perfect conditions for a great early

Sailfish & wahoo bite out of Vilanculos.

Although we do catch both species year-round, Sailfish are normally more prolific during their winter run, normally peaking between May to September. Wahoo are also normally more abundant in the winter months, starting in May and all the way early October.

Looks like they forgot to look at the calendar this year…

but, no one´s complaining!

The waters around the Bazaruto Archipelago as provided a spectacular Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite, in some gorgeous sunny flat calm conditions.

 

Amy´s Sailfish

We then had a couple of great days with Shaun McCarthy at this house at the Sanctuary, which was a pleasure. 15 minutes to the fishing grounds, come back for lunch and siesta – gentleman´s fishing!

The guys flew from Johannesburg to Mozambique, landed in Vilankulos and in no time at all we were on the boat going across to the Sanctuary….

Absolutely stunning place…

Went for a cheeky short sunset popping session at a nearby reef which produced a GT (Giant Trevally) on the first cast and a few more bites that did not stick.

Then, the first day could not have started better.

After a short and fruitless early popping session at n.1 pinnacle we decided to run to Bump.

However, very shortly we were detoured on the way when we saw some birds around a bait ball outside of n.2 pinnacle.

As we cast the small spoons and a stick bait a sailfish come around our prop wash to see what all the commotion was about 🙂

Put a bait in the water and Amy, Shaun´s 17-year-old daughter hooks up to her first ever Sailfish. It gave her a real run as we later found out it was hooked on top of the head.

She did a great job and we released that one.

Her first ever billfish!

A perfect start to the day when Amy McCarty hooked and released her first ever Sailfish. We found the fish around a bait ball and pitch a bait to it…

 

In the extremely clean water, the jigging was difficult but we did get a few bonnies and a couple other species. We then decided to troll and we had not had the baits in the water for 2 minutes and we got a wahoo triple strike…

Wahooooooooo………….

Right after that we get one take a Rappie right by the boat as we letting it out!

The next 45 minutes where chaotic with great fun on those +.20 kg´s speedsters, with a couple on the light spinning tackle which put tackle and line capacity to the test!

Got to love those speedster’s, especially when they come on such an aggressive bite!

Great fun.

Amy certainly did the most of Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite not only releasing her first Sailfish early in the morning but then getting a really nice wahoo on spinning tackle later in the day.
The guys bring some of the wahoo back to the house lunch for an fishing break lunch…

 

Boys on a double up Giant Trevally…
They were not huge but there were plenty GT´s on a small, deep pinnacle & we enjoyed a fast-paced light jigging session in between the Sailfish and Wahoo action…all in a morning´s work!

 

 

It slowed down so we moved north and tried a deeper pinnacle that had some great showings.

Awesome session on the light jigging tackle catching 6 small GT´s and a few other number plates!

I had two bites on the Bobara 100 Sinking Stick bait, one a real nice fish that unfortunately pulled the hooks.

Boys had lots of fun…

We then got back for a fresh wahoo lunch and a refreshing dip in the pool.

Again, cheeky sunset jigging and popping session where we got a few Yellowspotted Kingfish and got reefed by a nice GT!

Great day on the water releasing Amy´s first ever Sailfish and getting, some epic wahoo action and a good light tackle jigging session on GT´s.

It was great to see Vilankulos in the distance in the fading light as we enjoyed some Wahoo ceviche and a Jameson on the rocks!

To finish it off a Crab Curry and some superb red wine…

Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…
If you not popping for GT´s then this is the way your end of the day should be…

 

The next day was another pearler.

Flat seas, sunny skies…

We decided to start the day with a jigging session at Best, which normally produces “best“at the end of the high.

On the way I purposed we put the trolling lures out on the way. Remember we had no riggers so just pulling three rods (two conventional and a spinning) with the lure / ballyhoo combination and then a couple rappies.

It was not 10 minutes and we had a Sailfish Pack attack.

As it so often happens, they were picking at the baits.

It can be so frustrating to fish for them with J´s….but with all these wahoo around it was the only way to go.

Just a pity we did not have some circles to pitch.

Anyway, after some chaos we eventually hooked one.

Unfortunately, really unlucky to have the fish pull the hook right by the boat.

We trolled a bit more to no avail and then had missed the tide to jig @ best and it was slow.

However, I still had a Sailfish come and knock my Bobara Stickbait…

With the super clean water, the jigging was slow anyway.

But, despite the good Sailfish bite the guys persisted on the jigging, as we worked a number of reefs south.

Picked a few fish here and there but definitely not on fire.

We had to be back home at 11 and half an hour or so before we went back to trolling – which we should have done anyway, my motto being if you not fishing for Marlin fish for what´s bitting and the Sailfish where definitely on and the Jigging was on.

Set the baits and start working home…

15 minutes and we get a double strike and this time we hit gold on both fish.

Really good fun as we worked them towards the boat and both jumping in tandem.

We released both fish, the coolest thing being it was for father and son first ever billfish release.

Not something we normally do but being their first they wanted to take a pic so we took them out the water for a few seconds and then headed home.

Great way to finish the morning… unluckily going 2 for 5 on the hour or so that we trolled!

Not a bad´s early morning fishing session…

Another special moment when father & son hooked up on a Sailfish Double to end the second morning´s session…

 

 

The next morning was again flat calm and the boys got another 2 Sailfish releases and a bunch of wahoo.

It was a good stretch of fabulous weather and a good Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…

Everyone made the most if it and weeks after this (as I write this) it´s still going strong…

Thanks for the good times & hospitality Shaun…

Dean Taylor also getting his clients into the Sailfish action along with some other game fish, including this nice King Mackerel…

 

´Till next tide…

 

Vilanculos Sailfish & Wahoo early bite…

 

 

Duarte A. M. Rato

Fishbazaruto.com

Sportfishing Charters @ Vilankulos & Bazaruto Archipelago

Email:  dudas7mares@gmail.com

FB:                   fishbazaruto.com        &         MarlinMoz Sportfishing

Skype:              duarteamrato

Phone: 00 258 84 639 0466

www.fishbazaruto.com

https://fishbazaruto.com

Duarte Rato

Captain Duarte Rato spends his life chasing billfish of all colours and creeds - around the planet. Duarte has released more marlin than most of us dream of is possible - he grew up fishing the waters of Mozambique for billfish since he was a teenager.

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