2022 Marlin Season kicks off with FishBazaruto’s first scorecard posted
2022 Marlin Season kicks off with FishBazaruto’s first scorecard posted: Just in from Captain Duarte Rato on location in the Bazaruto Archipelago. As the crew completes yet another high-action trip.
Just finished with Neil & Douglas from the UK on a trip that had been postponed twice due to the pandemic.
Not the greatest weather to start with albeit the sea was pretty good considering the breezy southeasterly it was blowing as we got to V mile early morning of the 13th of September. Certainly, the slow current had something to do with it, but it did get quite messy as the day progressed.
Started light tackle trolling and we got a bunch of YFT including a triple and three nice size cuta.
We then put the lures and caught two skippies on the bait rods, live baited the second but got taxed within half an hour.
Cut the day a tad shorter as it was getting messy and green water was moving north at Giant´s and we had to make due to get back into it.
Sailfish
Not before we missed a Sailfish and released another one, really healthy-looking fish which fell prey to the infamous Green Monster vulgarly known as the Marlin Magnet by Pulsator Lures!
That cold front kept us at bay the next day but despite still being a tad messy we got on with it on the 15th starting at V mile once again and making our way north with the swell…
The Beast from the East was blowing so it was tough going but after a slow light tackle conventional start in the morning, we had a good jigging session with a few job fish.
Marlin
We then went north and in between jigging sessions trolled the lures and went 1 from 2 bites on Black Marlin with Neil releasing this one that gave us some great jumps by the boat.
Jigging was great but we got reefed too many times seeing the gear the guys brought were not heavy enough and the tax man was also on the prowl.
Peach of a day and tomorrow looks even flatter!!!!
Black Marlin release for Neil in between mixing it up between jigging, popping, spinning, light tackle conventional and some heavy tackle!
We went to 25 mile reef the next day and caught like 15 scads and a few odds & ends.
Pulled the hooks on a nice Geet, but it was not fireworks so we made our way back to the lighthouse!
Lighthouse
Got a couple YFT and skipjack on the light tackle, live baited a couple but eventually got taxed.
Finished the day with a few fish on the jigs but over all a slow day between all the fleet fishing all the way south as well.
As the northerly pushed in the fishing definitely started to slow down the next couple of days but we got some good fish here and there. However, the water definitely turned color, so not so much effort on the Marlin fishing.
.The last three days were definitely not fireworks but still a good few species on the jig and spinning to keep things interesting and some fast action early morning on the conventional light tackle before the tide changed. Our deckhand, Lourenço with a green jobfish caught on a jig and Alex with a small GT caught on a light tackle spinning stick
The 17th saw us start with a conventional light tackle session with a few bonnies and a Silky Shark which Neil very skillfully brought to the boat on the TLD 25 bait rod.
Later we put the Marlin lures and raised one about #300 outside Sailfish Bay but it faded before touching anything.
Spinning session at 9 mile produced a small GT, some cuta cut off´s and an amazing encounter with Whales as they swam right next to the boat as we were drifting.
They have been around in numbers and seeing dozens a day but that was special!
Wahoo
Trolled south and at Giants had one the bait rods go screaming!
I mean screaming!!!!
Doug was on the rod and Neil was shouting he had never seen a small reel peel line that fast!
After some very exciting moments and the TLD right into the backing all we got was heavy weight.
The nice wahoo foul hooked itself on the side halfway down the body which explained the extra lighting speed on the first run!!!
We finished with a short popping session, raised two big GT´s that did not bite and caught a queenie that was chased by a proper GT right by the boat but made it…into the bait box!
Screaming reels – Doug´s wahoo that almost emptied the TLD 25 on the first run, fouled hooked this fish took lighting run and screaming reels into a whole new dimension!
The 18th was our last day with these two gentlemen from the UK.
Such a pleasure to fish with – just chilled on the boat and appreciating every moment of it even when it went really slow.
Well, it could not have started any faster.
Within 3 minutes of setting the light tackle out with had a fish. And the next hour and a half it never really stopped with cuta (King Mackerel), Yellow Spotted Kingfish, and some Yellowfin tuna.
Then the tide changed and it went dead.
We picked up another 2 YFT.
Then Neil caught his shark for the day, this time a real whopper of a zambezi (bull shark).
We had a short last day that ended with a spinning session that produced some jobfish, trevallies and queenfish….
Enjoying a sundowner at Clube naval on the last fishing day.
Well, that´s actually exactly how we finish every single fishing day @ fishbazaruto!
Today, the 22nd September we had a short half day with a resort group and released a couple of game fish including the GT above and then went a tad deeper and raised a real Big Black that followed shoulders out the water but never touched the lure.
10 minutes after working that same area this little guy took the same lure which we released!
Forthcoming attractions
Tomorrow, we start with Johnny & Michael Velloza for the next 4 days…
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