John Brager´s Bazaruto Black and Blue Marlin
After some great fishing this past few months out of Vilankulos aboard the 38ft Game Changer we have now moved to Anantara @ Bazaruto Island where we will be based for the heavy tackle Marlin Season until mid-December.
It’s good to be back aboard our old beautiful and beloved 31ft lady….
VAMIZI
Our first charter this season was John John & Nancy Bragger joining us for 5 days of fishing. It’s probably the earliest we have ever started the Season but despite the water still being at a very low 23c. and an unusual lack of bait or surface activity for the last week, there seems to be a few fish around.
Here´s a day to day report…
Unlucky first day
We went south on our first day and where unlucky to go 0 for 2 and raised another. The bite was really happening early around the high and the only boat out there also had two bites during that time and released one.
We raised what I think was a little one on the lures while making our way south and before getting bait at Best reef.
The we had one around #400 and come on a bonito live bait. It missed the first bite, jumped and then took the bait again. This time it was on, or so we tough but it pulled close to the boat. The second fish #300 was only half an hour later at 8h30, again on a live bonito but it did not hookup and come off after the first jump.
We then live baited a couple skipjack for about three hours but had no action and pulled the lures back with only a couple bites on the bait rods.
3 – 2 – 1 – 0 on the last day of August!
We could have had better luck but good to see them anyway
Our second day was pretty slow down south so we decided to go check out lighthouse area up north.
It was a bit breezy and choppy but after yesterday´s easterly I was very happy to have a SE…. that beast from the East is no good up here at all!
We worked the lures south and at Nhangosse at a bunch of sailies come and knock our lures around, we did hook one that jumped and run for 100 yards or so and fell off.
Straight after we picked a skipjack, baited it and had a bite after an hour. The #150 fish run, jumped and also fell off…. really hard to believe we had now missed or lost 3 fish on baits.
Real unlucky or they just eating funny…
Put the dead baits out and after an hour have an unidentified bite on the swim that did not connect…no bill marks on the bait!?!
Back to lures and just after midday not sure if it was another bunch of sailfish or a few small Marlin.
We get to knockdowns, then one that runs for 100 meters and off, then another knocks down and then hookup on the short-left bonito smoker and it’s a Black Marlin that we release.
10 minutes later we raise another one on the long left.
14h30 and we hookup up again and release the second fish for the day.
A few skipjack and Yellowfin tuna for the afternoon as well.
2 for 3 for the day and raised another.
All small guys but not complaining.
Still early days, water at 23c so pretty chaffed there’s a few around and a big girl can show up anytime.
Next day we started south.
Wanted to check things out at Sailfish bay as we made our way north.
Lost a cuta by the boat at VI mile, had a blind strike on the Ilander and then missed a wahoo on the same lure.
Then around 10 started to mark a good thermocline and a lot of bait in 70 meters north of amberjack. While pinwheeling around the place had a strike on a fish that moved some good water on the Ruckus but did not find steel.
Some more donuts around the place and eventually the skipjack come up. Got one.
Bridle it and put it out. 20 minutes and 160 meters from where we had the first bait, we get a strike.
Hookup on a nice one around 550…
and after a great show we release it…
Then lures to 13h50 got bonie put it out and 20 mins later wahoo cut if off.
Some more bonnies then bull shark took riggler wile pulling a bonnie released it, got lure back and come home early.
Exciting morning
Saw three today, lost one, released one and raised one.
So, early morning we get two baits, a bonnie and a skipjack and a good solid fish takes the skipjack. Fifteen minutes into it spits the bait about 70m from the boat. As we pulling the bait in a hammerhead takes it and hookups – released that one.
We get two another two skipjack and within 10 minutes one gets taken and we hook up to another hammerhead. While fighting this thing I tell the boys to leave the other bait in the water 15 meters behind the transom as we pick line going ahead.
Once I see the double coming up on the hammer, I tell the boys to bring in the other bait and put it in the tubes while we deal with this thing.
As I say so a Marlin grabs that bait right by the transom, awesome to watch and we hook up.
Double up on a hammerhead and a Black Marlin. 😉
We change priorities and bring the #b 250 for a release and then release the hammer which was hooked on the dorsal.
Late afternoon, right on the high we get a third fish come on the long left but missed it twice.
Cool day out there…
Last day
1 for 1 on Blues
0 for 1 on Black´s and raised another one.
Another beautiful flat calm day out there and for the third day in a row we went one from two and raised a third.
Pretty sterile out there this morning and absolutely no bait so decided to go wide and before we even got to the spot hook up and release a #300 Blue on the Marlin Magnet by pulsator lures.
Spent half the day out there and then went to have a look down south where we have not been for a while. Missed one shallow of sailfish and then raised one, again shallow at Giants.
Caught some wahoo and skipjack….
All in all, and after a slow start on the first two days we ended catching them up pretty good with John in the last two days.
We raised a total of 15 fish for 11 bites, 6 hookups’ and 5 released.
4 Black Marlin to #550 and a nice Blue…
Really cool start to the heavy tackle Marlin season.
Duarte A. M. Rato
Fishbazaruto.com
Sportfishing Charters @ Vilankulos & Bazaruto Archipelago
MOZAMBIQUE
Email: dudas7mares@gmail.com
FB: fishbazaruto.com & MarlinMoz Sportfishing
Skype: duarteamrato
Phone: 00 258 84 639 0466
