Linene Fishing Bliss

Post author:Shonalanga
Post published:June 5, 2025
Post category:Captains Log
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Linene Fishing Bliss…

Linene Fishing Bliss…

We just finished our yearly late May trip to Linene aboard Strenue which is always, a highlight for this time of year. The whole of the Bazaruto Archipelago is a truly magical place but on its southern most corner, outside the San Sebastian peninsula, Linene as a charm of its own.

First and foremost, the extremely short runs to the fishing grounds and, once before, getting on the boat (and Strenue is a great platform to fish from), fire the engines and hookup to the first Marlin in less than twenty minutes. Then its tranquility and remoteness and outside the season we will go days without seeing another vessel. That sunset as we make our way back across the sandspit, the first drink at the bar with a fresh and delicious plate of sashimi to whisk away all the salt, the outside shower, the always delicious prepared seafood dinner by chef Torres served by the ever-smiling Armindo.

Linene is not just fishing bliss, is food delight every night! Armindo with two plates of sashimi of freshly caught wahoo and amberjack, not a bad way to start the evening when back on land. Then for dinner a firstly baked then barbecued wahoo fillet & whole rock cod accompanied by Torres delicious World famous triple fried chips, vegetable rice and green salad…and of course a very nicely chilled white! Life is good!!!

And then of course it´s the great company you share it with, this time around and as has become norm during this time with Warren, Chris and Andrew and of course Justino and Charlie!

That was one small, badly hooked green jobfish we caught on the jig which we kept for supper – honestly one of the best fish I have ever eaten in the southern hemisphere.

Here´s a few reports from the last few years fishing on Strenue @ Linene in May with Warren, Chris and Andrew…

Insane Winter Light-tackle Fishing Season at Bazaruto

2023 Blue Marlin Season with FishBazaruto.com

With such a great setup and company, the fishing almost becomes second hand and, this time around, conditions were not looking the best. It has been an unseasonal May and early June, normally the most placid time of year and which have provided such consistent fishing for the last few years. Been much windier than normal and, the previous week we had a major cold front that within 5 days brought the water down from the high´s 27c to the high 24´c. As we all know, a 3 degree decrease in water in such a low period (don’t remember seeing such a drop ever) is not conducive to a good bite!

And so, it was – difficult fishing but great times!

On the Marlin fishing side, which is always our main focus aboard Strenue, on the three full days we ended seeing 4, with three bites, two hook ups and one release – all Blacks!

Not great but not the worst given the conditions, that it’s not peak season and we did not exclusively focus on them.

The first day we were light tackle game fishing and an hour to sunset caught a prefect size bonnie and could not resist live baiting it. Within 15 minutes a Black came on it which stayed on the bait for over 20 minutes, grabbing it three times but never actually eating it.

At around 10am the next day we decided to go out wide and try pitch for a blue but never had a bite (although we did have one annihilating the dredge). But on the way back, just past 3pm in 240 meters of water, which is VERY deep for a Black here, we hooked up on the Moyes Med. Pipe Bomb and Andrew released the small but really feisty and strong fish.

The last day we had an earlier start and working a skipjack school barely half an hour after sunrise hooked up on a better Black in the middle of a massive skipjack school but the hook pulled a minute or so into it. We saw another tailing also in the middle of the skipjack but had no interest in the baits.

Justino just about to take the 10/0 Kona Cut Sta-Stuk hook rigged on an Andy Moyes Black & Green Med. Pipe Bomb and release a small Black caught by Andrew Gillepsie.

On fire – as with everyone else Justino lost a couple strong Amberjack that broke him off in the 120 meters reefs we were jigging but finally managed to get this one to the boat, his first ever!

The jigging on the normal reefs was very quiet but deep jigging was quite fun (and hard work) with some good Amberjack, although we got smashed and reefed by a good number of fish, we also brought a couple good ones. On the deep we also got a bunch of these sarda sarda looking things that we had never caught on the archipelago before.

There were a few sailfish around but very lazy – we had a few raised and on off while generally game fishing or looking for bait and then decided to give a go at them with the teasers to pitch some circle hooked baits but of course when we did that, we never raised one.

And then of course there was the usual wahoo (which should be full up now), king mackerel, bonnies and some other odd´s and end´s.