Fish behaviour studies at the Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies: The accompanying video features four species of fish and their different reactions to some of our trolled baits up here in Vilankulos waters.
Some days the water got real blue lately, but many other days have been plagued by a bit of green in the water. However, we have worked out distances from camera to fish nicely – the last clip in the sequence shows a huge blackfin shark come screaming on our marlin bait, chomping the wax thread that help the tuna to the circle hook, as they do.
The first clip, is that of a real nice sized bull dorado having a go at a paddle tail. Spectacular as the fish uses it’s prolific sail in the attack sequence. One of our best shots ever (thanks to Dr. Mario Lebrato for going to all the effort to get these clips).
Then a real interesting one comes on, revealing a noisy, ugly white hard plastic noisy lure, that just outright fails to convince the spritely little Cobia that came up from out of the depths to have a look. A very close look. Centimetres behind the clanging lure. And then, unbelievably, he gives it a nudge. When it doesn’t react like a real fish, the Cobia tries again until he convinces himself that it’s not worth it. And peels away unimpressed.
Then we were going slow for some reason, and a whole shoal of cute little yellowfin tuna come into the scene. The camera was upside down at this slow speed so the video can look a little confusing.
Enjoy the fish behaviour action…
The BCSS, on Benguerra Island, has been real busy hosting a group of whale behaviour scientists right now. More about that to follow…
BUT, Captain Duarte Rato officially started his season this week, and he will certainly be doing his homework and tagging and posting for us. His latest report can be seen here -> http://fishbazaruto.com/2018/09/18/early-september-18-fishing-update/, and is a real good one again featuring shoals of yellowfin, some wahoo, and two sailfish. All in days work for Duarte and crew once again on the good boat Vamizi. Who I saw moored at Vilankulos the other day – looking beyond spectacular in preparation for the season.
Benguerra Island: Where you have to count fish to sleep!
It’s 02h00 in the morning on Benguerra Island, and I am trying to sleep again.
But I just can’t. Every time I close my eyes, imagery from the previous day’s fishing out off Benguerra Island in Mozambique, comes smashing through my mind, in 4K Technicolour. Screaming reels, crocodile couta, gas bottle yellowfin, bus sharks, acres of bait and baitballs so intense that the fish were pushing themselves out of and onto the top of the foaming ocean. And you know what that means – marlin!
But, let’s rewind and try play the day out in words…luckily we got some great pics and some video that we will also explain with.
Yesterday (Sunday 19 August Diogo Martinez’ birthday) was one of the most mind gobbling days I’ve ever had on the water…
Here goes …
Diogo Martinez. My latest victim. This guy has lost it. Completely. He even stopped partying as hard as his reputation. 6am, I’m collected. We’re both in perfect shape. Unbelievably for a Sunday morning in Vilanchaos.
Bahia Mar is where all the cool kids work and our rendezvous with our brand new ride. Reflection. Owned and operated by Hooper and Louw, she comes with a pro skipper, Simon, and pro guide, Dean Taylor. Who came with a girlfriend, Mazerine, who has also already lost it to the fishing fairies.
The good boat Reflection coming to get us on the mainland at Vilanculos.
We collected another fishing crazy girl Lwana, from Bahia Mar, and carried our coolers and equipment down to the surreal beach out front. Dhows and Sportfishers anchored up and down.
The three of us chatted and enjoyed a thoroughly peaceful moment as the good ship Reflection, came in to get us. Soon we were at Benguerra, where we collected Keegan, of Cape Town.
There was a lively congregation gathered on the beach at Marlin where we got Keegan, on the inshore lee of Benguerra, and pro guide Dean sprang into action! Halfbeaks! And then the breakthrough idea of the day…Lula! Huge. They are called East African Squid. Or Potter’s Squid. And this one weighed in at four pounds! Since my mate in Jeffery’s Bay, Marc White, chatted with me about swimming a big squid bait down deep with a Mydo, I been very eager to swim a huge squid around here. I also have been under the heavy influence of my colleague Dr. Mario Lebrato, who says that in Europe he fishes with Lula all the time. For blue fin tuna!
We bought the squid! A few actually. And some of the biggest halfbeaks ever seen. Plus a few small ones too. Halfbeaks are the best and most hardy bait of them all.
And then…Margaruque became a reality, by about 7am. But someone told the fish there that we were coming and they were totally in hiding. But that’s Margaruque. And after a solid two hours of serious casting, we gave up, with the wind luckily. The pumping South South West had backed off and we were looking at melted plastic. But the swell was way up and the washing machine from back of Margaruque to the blue is about 10 clicks! Of bashing and bouncing.
But it’s so worth it! We got through the surf easily enough that Dean started tying the biggest squid together with wax thread. He tied the head to the body. And then stitched in a huge circle up top. Then he cunningly inserted a stinger single for wahoo. And buried it’s tip in the head so a marlin wouldn’t feel it. It’s just a 8/0 single wire hook that would rust away if left behind. Tied on with seven strand.
And here starts many stories…
One many named lure (Rapala since I was born, Halco later, and now every man and his dog makes them). One halfbeak on a Mydo. One on a pink Hawaiin eye (I am 48 and thats what they were called back when I started!) And the huge squid. No gaff. But I don’t mind fishing without a gaff, I find the fish really win, and I’m actually on their side these days.
Nothing comes along. The huge squid is skipping and slapping the water audibly from the boat. Well those brand new Suzuki 140s on Reflection, are literally silent. The huge half beak is sliding along solid. The Mydo and other thing with many brand names are down and away.
Still no fish. It’s mid-day. Mozambleak.
Then…all of a sardine…
Birds and bait. Baitballs. Action. The whales start performing. And we get close…and closer, until, spoons and dropshots away!
But the still green crew weren’t getting their range and targets right.
And then it began. The lure with many names on a TLD 25 spooled with 30lb that literally melted off the reel to the most delightful sound. After such a long morning of nothingness. I grabbed the nearest victim and she bucketed up and took over. “Put some drag, more drag!”, consented Dean, as I pushed to sunset. The lines cleared and the fight was well on. Lwana is well versed in big game fishing and she had control soon enough. Lwana has already battled a marlin! Assisted by some great driving by Simon, I thought she may have had a a chance. But what I never thought about, cost us the fish. It must have been a 30kg class animal and it had so much line out still. That, when we fought the fish with the boat, we got ourselves on one side of the 30m ledge, and the fish on the other deeper side. I saw the rod twitch and flick, I grabbed it from Lwana and started cranking. I felt the line hit the ledge again. And pop, it was gone. That’s 0 for 1 on big gamefish. And one no name R200 lure gone.
Then the next one went, a far more controlled fish this time. Skipper Simon and I, actually saw the shoal of wahoo come smashing into our wake, we were screaming. I am used to fishing without a gaff. I actually like it. I crossed the floor a long times ago. It’s risky business having no gaff. But I really release literally every fish I catch. And often, they are what I call forced releases…when the hook shakes right next to the boat. This is actually ideal scenario for me – except for getting a nice photo and measurements. But we don’t even touch the fish. It gets away scott free!
And this is exactly what happened to our second wahoo. It was green as hell and Dean hung over as far as his lanky frame could and grabbed the fish by the tail. It went mad. Shaking it’s head furiously, splashing everyone. Then the hook fell out. And the fish did a cartwheel type maneuver right out of Dean’s hands. It just twisted itself free!
0 for 2 on big gamefish.
By now people were kind of avoiding each other on the boat.
But we had found the fish, and we were on a ledge, and so the jigging sticks came out.
The first victim was Keegan. All dressed up with a 30lb braid weapon and lots of innocent intent. BANG! But it let go!
0 for 3?
But I had a beautiful rigged half beak from the mornings shopping, and it was happy to swim to the bottom in the zero wind and minimal current. And so I dropped it to the bottom. Dean suggested, “Hey man, crank that thing to the top?”
And so I started. It wasn’t five when the THING hit! And absolutely annihilated me. The first 15 seconds I had the edge of surprise, and instinctively hit the throttle. But I got pulled back down, so hard, it could have only been Ambo, GT or Garupa! The fish reefed me in less than a thrifty thirty seconds! Mydo trace gone!
0 for 4?
0 for 5 was another on off on the jigging, only lasted a few seconds.
Now Dean knows his game, and he has the drag on his huge 8000 coffee grinder as tight as it can go. It’s to stop GT’s going into the reef and cutting you off as they do. The drag is so tight that I could not pull any of the 130lb braid at all. Dean calls it GT drag.
And he had it on this setting, when all hell broke loose. I was in one back corner. Diogo in the other. Dean in the middle. Dean had the simbiri pole and 8000 with 130lb braid tied to a plastic and he was cranking it up off the bottom at hyper speed. Keegan was watching eagerly from the front and noticed a hyper huge fish come under the boat at the same hyper speed. It was going for the dropshot. And it connected with Dean, very, very hard. Right under the motors. The couta hit that lure and Dean buckled. The impact was so severe it pulled Dean a metre, almost right out of the always open tuna door between the motors. He had jammed himself between the sides for grip by the time I got to him. The fish never had a chance to turn away and run, it was trapped by the amazingly powerful drag and short line, to Dean. It just went around in hyper high speed short circles under the boat. Dean grappled over and around the starboard motor and was hanging over the gunwhale with the rod tip pointed right into the water going round and round in circles. I was hanging onto Dean. Keegan was hanging on to me.
Deans huge couta sharked
Dean eventually got the drag off a turn. And the huge fish finally it got it’s head away and tore off towards Linene. At blistering speed. Only Keegan saw the fish so I was convinced at a huge GT. So much violent and raw power. Dean was just hanging on for life. But he also said Serra (Couta).
Then the fish stopped. The sharks got it. And we got the head back from a fish that might have gone 35kgs. Or 25. We will never know.
0 for 6.
We were all stunned, even I went quiet, after all that.
But the birds came back, the fish surfaced, and I threw my Luck Shot into the fray. Bang, I got one. I gave it to Lwana to bring home, and soon I had my favourite livebait. A jube jube bonito. I had made a two treble trace just for this eventuality, earlier on during the morning. It fitted perfect, and I dropped my beautiful little bonito over the side.
Bait by Dean and Mazerine
It wasn’t one minute and I got smoked. Whoohoo! This is my game and soon I had an angry couta, another really big one, at boat side. Dean went into fish tailing mode, and luckily the cameras were rolling. On the first pass, Dean couldn’t a decent grip around the fishes real thick tail. And the second and now the fish was getting angry. Only one of the trebles was holding. The other was flailing about a foot up the line. So dangerous. So Dean couldn’t go for the gills. I brought the fish around again, and Dean grabbed hold. The fish was really big, and as usual when tailing a fish, the hook came free. I knew straight away what would happen next. The fish got it’s head back into the water, found purchase, and literally blasted off out of Deans hands. It’s impossible to hold a fish that size like that. I really like fishing without a gaff! The fish escaped in perfect shape and health! Stoked!
0 for 7? Livebaits don’t count!
I realised now that we had better get a fish for the hatch. To at least remove the theatrical mombakkies we were still wearing (South African for No Fish masks).
I set lines in a more tuna like pattern, and we moved off to find the bigger yellowfin. And man did we find a big one. Diogo got on the rod. It was a double up strike. Diogo was doing real well. Keegan on the other rod too. But Keegans fish was acting strange, and so was Diogo’s. They were coming to easy, because when I saw Diogos fish, it was huge! Well for this place anyway. It looked 30kgs.
Then the sharks hit. They smoked Keegan and soon he was watching line melt off his TLD. I went into panic mode and grabbed Diogos line. I almost got to the leader when the line snapped. But, above me. Diogo had been pulling against me so hard he snapped the 30lb. But I still had the fish on, and was winning as the sharks circled below. Then Simon ran over to help and grabbed the leader, pulled too hard, and the hooks came out?!
Zero for 8?
Nobody could believe it. And everyone was facing outwards on the boat, or looking down.
Now I really felt the need for a fish.
The yellowfin came up, I got in a real good cast, cranked the handle twice and bang. It was a small guy, maybe 5kgs, and Keegan thoroughly enjoyed the tough little fish. His first ever. And Dean grabbed it’s tail so hard he left fingerprints as he triumphantly hauled our only fish over the gunwhale. The boat erupted with life.
It was far from over as we got our groove on and forced released and released a bunch more fish. The sharks were living off our live baits though, so we were mainly jigging and sight casting. We got a another lovely yellowfin, about 10kgs or more. And were drifting merrily down the ledge.
The huge squid bait from before was still intact and lolling around having fun behind the boat. A ratchet made a noise and we all looked around confused. The TLD 2 speed has a normal sounding ratchet, not like those gold reels who gurgle and gargle. It was the big stick. I sprang up and got the rod from the rocket launchers. But, I was too late as it turned out. By the time I had gotten the 2kgs of drag off – the fish had started jumping already. It had found the stinger buried in the head for wahoo. And was not going to swallow the whole lula now, so that circle hook could do it’s work.
All I could do was hold on knowing that the trace would fail. The marlin wasn’t small, and jumped three beautiful times before breaking the seven strand that was holding the wahoo stinger! Some people on board hadn’t ever encountered a marlin before, and the looks on their faces were unforgettable.fg++
The day never even ended then. The fishing still continued for hours, but after the marlin, my memory kind of just faded away! It all became a blur of ratchets, flying spoons and jigs, and fish on. Double and triple strike action.
Until 02h00 on Monday morning! When it all came flooding back at me.
Benguerra Island is a very hard place to sleep!
If you want to fish with us like this, there are very many options you can choose from – on The Sardine News. From USD to Rands and even Mets, we can get you out into these wildest waters imaginable. We have our operations, and partner operations who have been working with us for many years, even decades. We operate anywhere we have to in Africa.
It’s totally wild down there as GoFish blows it up!
Gofish Cameras. Totally wild.
When we first reviewed a bunch of underwater recordings shot with GoFish trolling cameras – of fish attack behaviour, that we made out off of the Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies recently – some crazy sounds came booming from out of the studio.
More and more gasps and exclamations, hoots and howls from the reviewer – until he crescendoed with an almighty bellow, “COME AND SEE THIS!”
Bull shark on a Mydo trace
Myself and Callum Roberts (visiting shark scientist and the reason for us targeting Zambezi Sharks as he completes some serious scientific research work at the BCSS) bounded into his office, only to be exposed to the most eye-widening imagery ever seen by either of us. Mainly Zambezis – the particular troublesome species we have been targeting for spatial monitoring and movement tagging.
But also King Mackerel – reckless and lethal as they were hunting in packs – they operate together. Amazing to see. Even the big ones. And when your livebait starts to panic like it would after a few minutes in these waters, make no mistake your bait is being stalked and charged from all angles. What was amazing is that they turn away so often. It’s about one in ten charges – that the ‘couta actually hits the bait. The pack seems to goad one of them into eventually taking on strike duty. And they all hang around and share the spoils after the striker gets the bait off the trace! Which happened surprisingly often.
The Zambezi’s were the same, as in there was never only one of them. Up to six at a time were recorded happily sitting barely two metres below the propellers, easily keeping pace with us as we dragged a dredge and a bunch of lures around behind us, at quite some speed. Obviously, as we had a strike, it was barely a few seconds and a shark would climb on.
The Cobia acted the same. And often swam with the sharks. In amongst them. Huge fish.
As did the Talang Queenfish we were lucky enough to film off of Paradise Island. We scored an unlucky flying fish that flew onto the boat. About 5 inches long. The trace we had was too heavy for starters, but a bunch of queenfish came in and inspected, mock charged, turning away every time. A custom trace with light nylon would have gotten that strike. But we did get one on spoon, which may show a relationship between strike rate and live baits in the water.
A beautiful Talang Queenfish from the waters near Paradise .Island. Released
Yellowfin Tuna, at these initial stages of fish behaviour analyses, have been the most wary and sensible. The bonito and skipjack footage that we recorded in our wake following us – unbelievable. Like an over-stocked aquarium, there were fish everywhere, and going in all directions!
This particular application of video technology to our favorite past time of fishing has potential to completely shift the way we see and treat the ocean and it’s fish. It was far more of a thrill seeing what had happened as recorded and reviewed through the day than actually catching and fighting the fish.
The following video was compiled to study the king mackerel as they come in hot and fast onto the target. You will see that they definitely come in from the flank or rear, and that they go for the tail first. In this clip, one couta actually removes the tail completely with a lightning-fast strike. And then another of the three featuring king mackerel comes in and takes the bait right off the trace. But he hooks himself. And then, in a flash, he just shakes the trace free. All we could see from the boat, was a few dips on the rod tip. The fish never even took drag, since they were coming in for the strike in the general direction of the boat ie towards us! And for sure the camera was always deployed on a real stiff big gun. Tackle just too much for them. We lost quite a few cameras in the end. Sharks and other beeeeg fish we will never know about.
But basically, without the GoFish camera, we would have experienced none of the thrilling wildlife action going on barely a few metres behind the boat. It really has made an effect on us as we now are using this information to make new sfyle traces. But more about that in another article.
All the imagery we attained on our last three weeks of shooting underwater with GoFish cams, has been processed into data and video and is studies. Some of which you can see online at the following links:
You can study predator fish attack behaviour yourself by viewing these files, or by getting ahold of your own GoFish camera or two, at the following link:
Announcing the BCSS (Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies)
Announcing the Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies:The Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies was opened by Governor Dani Chapo of Inhambane Province in Mozambique, in December 2017.
Enjoy the following video clip…shot on site, in the Bazaruto Archipelago. By Dr. Mario Lebrato and his team.
The multi-faceted installation is a facility designed to facilitate all kinds of scientific studies and projects, including, but not limited to;
underwater observatory
sonic tagging of sharks
coral, water and plankton sampling and analysis
recycling of beach plastic
social improvement programs including swimming and ocean survival
gps mapping of sea life
PADI diving
Paying volunteers are invited to join in with these projects and the many more coming up. There are daily and weekly packages available on the newly launched BCSS website.
Prices are very reasonable from 75$/person/day including all (excluding some leisure items), and include first-class cooking and catering by local Chef Fernando. Three meals a day are served. Warm and cold drinks too. Don’t think it twice, this is a life-time experience.
Accommodation is in the real deal safari tents, or in single and double sharing rooms. The facility is built right on a beautiful beach and bay, on the north side of Benguerra Island. Views are over the channel to Bazaruto Island. A thousand shades of blue.
Volunteer activities will take up half your day, the other half you can swim, snorkel, hike, game view, fish…anything you please. There is a surcharge for activities involving boats or vehicles.
If you wanted to get on over to the very edge of the world, this is one very cool way of doing it. The prices are a fraction of what it would cost to stay on the highly exclusive Benguerra Island. And you get to do something and learn some cool things about how we can all help conserve the environment that we live in.
Activities appeal to all ages really, but it’s the get-up and go type of volunteer we are looking for!
Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies Website
The BCSS website has recently been launched. Take a look at the following link:
BCSS Underwater Obervatory Project: The first ‘croc couta comes in for a real close look but turns away right the last second. There are two of the +-20kg class fish circling the live bait with piqued interest. In a flash the hapless bonito has its tail sliced off. Blood streams out. Another fish circles and bang! The couta comes from in from below and chomps into the bait. Vas! But somehow he misses the hooks and another guy comes in and finishes off.
This action is all part of the Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies’ (BCSS) Dr. Mario Lebrato’s long-term ocean observatory project. One of only a handful worldwide, Dr. Lebrato is set to deploy a multifaceted underwater monitoring system. Cameras, sensors and a myriad of other sampling equipment will be installed all over the Bazaruto Archipelago. For long-term data recording and analysis.
Luckily, part of these underwater observations includes predator fish kill behavior. Trolling tow cams on marlin dredges and teasers, and right in front of live baits, is opening a huge new three dimensional perspective of a mostly viewed in 2D wake and prop wash. What goes on down there is gob-smacking. So many fish come in interested, but then shy away at the last minute, and move on. In fact, the plentiful and ever-present Zambezi shark is far more careful than the aggressive king mackerel. Tuna seem to be the most suspicious so far. Cobia are also wily characters. Talang queenfish get super excited about a live bait, but will not touch it! Then it grabs a lure! Amazing revelations about fish learning and behaviour.
Wait ’til you see the Zambies following the boat!!!
The hours and hours of material recorded will go back to Europe for careful analysis and processing into data.
