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Marlin and sailfish fishing – Bazaruto Fishing Report – Nov ’23

Marlin and sailfish fishing – Bazaruto Fishing Report – Nov ’23: This is the time we fish for Marlin full stop – ideally no popping, jigging or light tackle, even during slow times. Marlin are what is on our mind and anything else just diverts our focus from it!

We do understand that some guests might want to go jigging a hit here and there, or through a popper on the way in and out – what they sometimes don’t understand is that we have made our game plan according to what’s been happening regarding to bait, tides, current, wind, bite times and of course our hunch’s…and any diversion can pretty much through that game plan down the drain.

Ohhh yeah, let’s just go to that reef 5.8 miles away and up current for a short jigging session!

There goes the game plan!

Altogether!

For the day!

Period!

Anyway, just rumbling about here but it can be frustrating and the numbers of sailfish that are unseasonably around at the moment could easily put us off track… bring out the light gear, teasers and ballyhoo and go shallow and catch a bunch of them!

No thanks… will take them as they come!

But the truth is they have been present in fairly good numbers and the last week has seen some pretty amazing numbers especially for this time of year, certainly not their season which runs from May to September with the peak normally being mid-May to mid-July!

Anyway, good to see some sailfish and catch a few as a by-catch on the Marlin lures.

There has been unusually high numbers of Sailfish during this year ́s Marlin Season and they have skyrocketed this last week with boats targeting Marlin by catching a few here and there but the boats fishing light tackle having great fun in the shallower grounds.

This past 5 days we had Chris Koatze, his brother Lawrence and Stoffies aboard VAMIZI.

Chris’ last trip with us was four years ago in November 2019. First day we put the baits out and caught one straight away. Put them out again and missed one, then 10 minutes later hooked and released another. The next day his 11-year-old son asked if he could have a go at the chair and caught a 500-pound fish! This we ended with 5 from 8 bites in three days!

Kid catches 500lb marlin and other stories

Christiaan on IBO had Jakob from Germany for exactly the same days.

The first day was blowing a bit so we went for a bait session at Paradise hole (which was rather successful with a few quennies – which have been so scarce this season) and then a barbecue lunch on the Island!

Our first day was a tad frustrating as we had three fish up with no conversion.

A minute after setting up a live skipjack we got a take but no follow up. We then worked the lures north and just after midday had a fish on the Marlin Magnet from #pulsatorlures take some string but no real hookup. The last fish was a little guy that came and messed around on the swim bait but never even opened the clip. IBO had the same happen on a live bait but again no take…

We could not have asked for a better start to the second day!

We set up the long lures at 06h40, while still putting the shorts in 47 meters out of the lighthouse a Marlin takes the long-left Xpress and comes tight. Stoffies gets in the chair and brings in the small fish for a release!!!

Great picture taken by #christiaankruger aboard our second boat IBO of a little guy we caught early morning for Stoffies on the Iland Express which has been on absolute fire this last week!

What a way to start the day!

We had another fish miss the same lure on the day.

IBO released a 150-pounder for Jakob on the Marlin Magnet from #pulsatorlures

The third day started exactly as the previous…

Again, only had the long lures out at exactly the same time as the previous morning and exactly on the same spot we hookup again on the same lure!

Insane!

This time it was a sailfish and Lawrence brings his first ever Billfish for a release!

Day 3 started in the exact same fashion as the previous at the same spot, time and lure except this time it was a Sailfish and Laurence’s first ever billfish!

We did not catch a Marlin on the day nor did any other boat but we did have some wicked game fish in the morning including some good wahoo and late afternoon hooked and released another sailfish, this one a crazy one that almost jumped on the boat and the first sailfish ever for Chris…

Chris first ever Sailfish went completely crazy by the boat and almost jumped on to it as you can see one the above picture…. Great had for Suzuki!!!

Our last day was insane in the morning as we raised 5 sailfish within the first hour only getting a halfhearted bite out of one. We all know the conversion ratio on Marlin lures and sailfish is terrible but the fish were just very lazy this morning!

We then got a beautiful 4 kilo YFT tuna which we live baited most of the day not to even get a buzz on it…insane! Perfect bait…

IBO got a small guy on a swim bait for Jakob´s last day and had a really nice one miss their long left!!!

As they so often do, this little Rat on Jakob´s last day also almost jumped in the boat!!!

The next day we got one out of three but that’s all it is for now for the last 4 fishing days…not hot but busy enough to keep it interesting just wish some more big fish would show up and that they would get out of their lazy mood…

Quite a dramatic picture taken by Christiaan Kruger of a small one aboard VAMIZI, just wish it was a tad bigger!!!

Chris brought me this pic of little Duarte with a dorado during their last visit 4 years ago, how time flies and how fast they grow!!!

Cheers…

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