Benn Watts first Marlin Release

Benn Watts first Marlin Released

Benn Watts first Marlin Release

Post author:Shonalanga
Post published:June 25, 2024
Post category:2024 / Captains Log / FishBazaruto
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Benn Watts first Marlin Release

Benn Watts first Marlin Release: Pretty cool and intense May and early June where we fished the Archipelago from Inhassoro, San Sebastian, Bazaruto Island and then Linene. We finally had a gap during the second week of June.

As is normally this time of year it’s been a blast with quite a lot of diversity. Starting the month catching Blues out wide, we then switched to pitching baits for sailfish, catching a few small models Black Marlin on the way and lots of wahoo in between which at times have been wild with multiple, triple and quadruple strikes being the norm. Like last year there has also been a very good size cuta around especially when we fish the live jube jube (which have been everywhere by the zillions) and some good YFT, dorado and some other odds & ends to compliment it all.

We then started again on the 16th June this time fishing aboard the 38ft Drop Your Rods out of Vilankulos.

The first couple days we had Nicolas Sheard and both his sons who unfortunately had to deal with some unseasonal nasty cold and wet weather for their two days. It was hard going, especially the first rainy day and because of the weather and tides we were limited to fishing the northern side which was fairly slow.

We did get a few good king mackerel, dorado, loads of bonnies and a few other species. But, overall, it was difficult going in hard conditions – we did have the activity and number (caught 25 odd fish on second day) but the quality was just not there!

Nicolas Sheard and his son´s with a few dorado and cuta caught in mid-June of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

It had been the first two days we had not raised or caught billfish for well over a month.

But that was all to change early the next morning.

We had Neville Watts and his sons, Benn and Luke for a day aboard Drop Your Rods.

The weather had finally settled and it looked gorgeous as we picked them up from Azura on Benguerra Island early morning on the 18th June and we made our way out with the rising sun.

The lines had not been in the water when we raised a sailfish on the long right, just then we hooked a kawa kawa on the short. As we slowed down, we had two sailfish up, despite having lost momentum with the boat just in gear we hooked one but it pulled the hook on that one.

Which was, funny enough, quite fortunate…

We had not gone another 5 minutes when another short went off and a Black Marlin started jumping off our starboard side.

Benn was on the rod, a light stick with a TLD 25 out there with a Williamson pro / daisy chain combination to catch bait!

We sure had more than we had hoped for on this one!

Really cool surface fish for the first 30 minutes with lots of jumps and chasing.

This fish was a fighter!

Benn Watts first Marlin jumping on the leader. This was after 40 minutes but the fight was still to last another half an hour after this…

Benn did a tremendous job picking up line when he could after numerous runs, we had the fish pretty close a number of times but just out of reach. Eventually after 40 minutes or so we managed to get the 100-pound mono leader but had to dump it again as the fish sky rocket out the water and started on another series of jumps.

At this stage it all changed and the fish went down deep and we could not get it to come up.

As we were to learn later during those last jumps the hook had dislodged from the mouth to the side and thus, we were now fighting this thing at a much harder angle on very light tackle.

We had to tighten the drag and slowly inch it in. It was hard going and obviously worried that the fish would get too tired in the process. We tightened as much as we could…

…and it was a miracle we did not break the thin line during the process!

Finally, after 1h10 we got the leader once again, incredible the fish still gave a couple of jumps, so it was still pretty strong, a real fighter of a fish that we let got for Benn Watts first Marlin Release

Benn Watts first Marlin Release was only a small Black which was probably just under 200 pounds, but on a light bait rod and TLD 25 combo it gave a great account of itself for just over an hour and a great experience for everyone on board.

What a start to the day!!!

It was a short one as we had planned to only fish a half day and then go and meet Paula at the north point of Benguerra for a barbecue lunch.

We still missed a cuta and Luke broke off a big shark that we hooked on the jube jube cuta trace, after a grueling fight.

We then enjoyed some steak, fish, chicken and some more delicious delights washed down by some nice chilled vinho verde on the Island to end another perfect day!!