Category: Captain’s Blog

Catch reports with stories, photos and/or video…

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FishBazaruto take top tagging honours for 2018

Tagging marlin with FishBazaruto.com

FishBazaruto take top tagging honours for 2018

Fishing aboard Vamizi through the 2018 marlin fishing season, Captain Duarte Rato of FishBazaruto.com has won the distinction of tagging the most marlin for the African Billfish Foundation. Alongside Tarka from Kenya, and, then also got the biggest tagged black marlin for the second straight year!

Duarte has just recently compiled his latest fishing report on http://fishbazaruto.com, and it is jam-packed with news and photographs.

The table of contents reads something like this:

  • 42 kg GT off the shore
  • 1040 lb Blue Marlin
  • ABF tagging results
  • Big Blue Sailfish Competition
  • Guinjata Species Comp

And a selection of photographs from the report…

Tagging marlin with the ABF and FishBazaruto

You can follow the link below to read the full report…

Vilankulos Sailfish Comp & much more…
Another great report from Captain Duarte Rato of FishBazaruto.com

The season up at Bazaruto is about to fire up. The Sardine crew will be operating there after the Sardine Run in the Transkei. In August we will be heading northeast and will be operating in Tofo, Pomene and Vilanculos and all else in between. We are booked for September (Botswana) but back up to the marlin waters there the first week of October and will stay right through the season. And into 2020!

So get in touch if you would like us to arrange your perfect fishing, surfing or diving trip. You can browse some of our packages at the following link, but we can make up your itinerary as and how you want it.

https://thesardine.co.za/travel/

We can fetch you at the closest airport and leave the rest to us. We have places to stay or camp. We have boats up and down the coast. And a network of great guides and skippers. Each are experts in their waters and target species/activities.

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First class first cast Tigerfish on the Okavango Delta

Tigerfish caught first cast Mydo Luck Shot #1 doing the good work

First class first cast Tigerfish on the Delta

As early as the cold dawn and breakfast would allow us, we set off on the tigerfish rich waters afore us. On our maximum fun tinny named Tuni. Captained by local guide and skipper – Julius. Staffed by Joy. Powered by Mercury.
Navigator Cameron Yates conferred with Julius as to a route, to lead to Julius’ childhood village – named Jao. There, our crew were going to interview the elders about traditional land management methods of old. But along the way, Julius would stop at one or two of his favourite fishing spots for us to have a throw.
And into the bright and brisk morning, the outboard accelerated away from our lodge, deep in the Okavango Delta.
It is hard to be anything but quiet as you try to process all the wonder and thrilling beauty you experience charging down those papyrus and lily lined waterways. Which are permanently inhabited by crocodiles. Hippopotamus. And…

Tigerfish!

We had a total of 80kms mapped out for the day. We would only get back to camp late. So fishing time was limited. I was hoping for a few quiet throws whilst the Professor and crew were taking notes in the village.
I had rented two rods earlier. From a vibrant chap named Nine. One was a beautiful outfit that I would have been proud to bring out anywhere. The other was ok, squeaky, and very short. Broken a few eyes down. But Nine also gave me some new line! So hurriedly I tied up some leaders, well double lines had to do, and savaged one of my Mydo couta traces for two short lengths of wire since I have heard all about those teeth.
Then I chose a little Mydo SS Shad 650 spoon for the nice outfit. And a Mydo Luck Shot #1 with 5/0 hook, and an orange Gummy paddletail, for the handicapped outfit. They both looked good though, with their new line and double line, and two very handsome looking lures. I already knew which rod was going to operate.
After an hour of literally flying down these serpentine waterways, the main channel appeared. A few more clicks and the channel split, one way was to Maun, the other to the village Jao, our destination.
Julius stopped the boat, and quietly pointed at the fishing rods.
I surrendered the good outfit and grabbed the underdog. Cameron had the SS Spoon, and I had the Luck Shot. I went to the bow of the good tinny named Tuni. There was a bunch of papyrus that Julius had used to keep us in one place as the water flowed past at a good few knots. So, I perched on one gunwale, found some space behind me, and flicked as best I could.
The lure landed about 8 metres into the middle of the current, so I figured let it sink and go away with the drift, and then close the bail. It all looked good and soon I got a strong bite!

“I got a bite!”, I errupted…

…everyone looked, the tiny rod buckled again and this time I had a first cast fish. Julius mentioned bream casually, and everyone else cheered in absolute disbelief. Thinking bream, I was having so much when the fish started coming closer, and then ducked under the papyrus carpet. Luckily it turned and came out.

Tailwalking!

It was my first cast tigerfish. And it was not nearly in the same class as my last and only tiger, caught in Jozini on sardine. This fish had some size! The tiny rod also had no power whatsoever but finally he jumped himself dizzy and the current let him go to us.

As I pulled him on top of the papyrus carpet, he snapped and bit a papyrus stem. His teeth went right in and held vas. But he was a metre and a half away and smack bang in crocodile country. Luckily Captain Gallop was quick with a knife and cut the papyrus stem at the boat and pulled in my first cast tigerfish.

MYDO Luck Shot #1 nailed this handsome tigerfish
MYDO Luck Shot #1 nailed this handsome tigerfish
Another angle of my Okavango Delta tigerfish

If you want some calm, fun times fishing with your family and friends, then come with us to the Okavango. We fished a maximum collective time of an hour, over the next few days exploring and documenting. We caught 6 tigerfish. All on the SS Spoons and that first fish on the Luck Shot. We only used the 650 Shad spoon and the Moby – the tiny one.
It was so much fun! No bream this time though. They will have to wait for us a bit. We are back in September.
We have lined up boats, and we have Captain Julius’ number. Camping options close by and lodges up and down. Executive camping outfit is good to go. Land cruisers are loaded, and always ready for any adventure.

Contact Sean on WhatsApp +27 79 326 9671, or better still email as we work in 2G areas mainly. I am on umzimkulu@gmail.com.

Check out our Trips and Travel section in the menu at top, or follow this link…

https://thesardine.co.za/travel/
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The Tarpon of Angola

The Tarpon of Angola: Marc Lange at a secret spot nearish to Cabinda, in Angola.

The Tarpon of Angola

The Tarpon of Angola: Sardine Correspondent Marc Lange has been deployed way out on the edge – mainly Angola, for quite a few years now. Working on the rigs gives him time enough off to explore for fish to target, and this is what he found recently, near Cabinda…the Tarpon!

This Angolan Tarpon took many attempts by Marc Lange out on the edge off AngolaThe Tarpon of Angola: Marc Lange at a secret spot nearish to Cabinda, in Angola.The Tarpon of Angola: here Marc sizes up the one he finally caught, after many years of trying. Worth every cast!

It has not been an easy quest, but the following gallery features some of the super fish he has encountered along the long journey, to the Tarpon of Angola.

This Angolan Amberjack fell to a MYDO Luck Shot and skirt.The kob or salmon in ANgola are way prettier with more spots on their upper flanks and long dainty fins?!There are tarpon waters in Angola. Huge fish, 80kg class, frequent the shallows to hunt in this estuary.Craig Holtzkamp with an Angola SalmonAnother Amberjack on the MYDO Luck ShotKingfish crossed pompano? Weird species all over Angola, to target on lures.The Cuberra Snappers in Angola get huge too. The fish on the left, well it's a baby.

There is another story filled with dorado and big eye tuna, right here.

If it’s this kind of fishing and adventure you are into, get in touch with Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or WhatsApp +27 79 326 9671. Angola now gives a three week tourist visa, so it’s time to take advantage. Let’s put something together, we have the contacts and the information.

Other options

You can check out the many other options we have going (seasonal), by using the Trips and Travel menu above. Right now it’s the blue marlin of Inhaca waters, off Maputo. Captain Duarte Rato is making the most of it returning a 5-3-2 for marlin on his first day out. More about Duarte and his marlin taming antics can be found right here – http://fishbazaruto.com.

Catch us on Facebook too at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

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Fishing Mozambique: Durban to Maputo to Inhaca Island waters in no time flat

Fishing Mozambique: The easiest way to distinguish between the two is that the Blue Marlin can fold it's pectoral fins right up against the marlins body, much like a yellowfin tuna, while the Black's pectorals always stick out...(c) Duarte Rato

Fishing Mozambique: Durban to Maputo to Inhaca Island waters in no time flat

Fishing Mozambique: The new bridge over Maputo Bay is spectacular. And features all sorts of claims like being the biggest suspension bridge in the entire southern hemisphere?! But the biggest thing for us, is that from Durban, you are straight into Mozambique and into Maputo, avoiding the old Swaziland route completely.

The border at Kosi Bay is small and reasonably not busy. The tar road connects from the South African tar to the new Maputo side road now too. 2WD all the way (not to Ponto yet though). It’s another spectacular feat as the road takes you through a game park and animals are all over – just like travelling in Botswana.

The elephant reserve is well stocked with elephant. Some are known to be in a bad mood from wartime still and many encounters have been reported. So, keep your distance if you bump into one or two.

You can either turn right at this point, which will take you meandering through ancient Africa in your strictly 4WD vehicle, to the mythical Santa Maria. Another contender for best of Mozambique, Santa Maria offers it all, even surfing if you have a boat to get to the breaks with.

BUT. It’s the fishing at this time of the year that is most exciting. Blue marlin just love the deep water out behind Inhaca Island. And it’s not far at all, if you launch from Inhaca or Santa Maria. Striped marlin and black marlin also frequent the attractive underwater features out there, sailfish too, but it’s the big Blue’s that we are after in February and March each year.

Captain Duarte Rato is down there right now, preparing for the action.

The following video is kind of what started it all. This one being of a 1000lb Blue, Mozambique’s possible first, and definitely Inhaca’s first grander blue. It was caught by Duarte and crew (angler Carl Jankowitz), way back in 2015, after Duarte insisted they would find a big blue in those waters. Which he certainly did! Unfortunately the fish tail wrapped itself and the crew were unable to revive her enough for a good release.

You can get in touch with Duarte via his highly entertaining and informative website – http://fishbazaruto.com, where Duarte keeps a log of each and every trip he does.

If Duarte is busy, drop us a line…we have some very nice boats lined up and ready to go. We also can arrange accommodation on Inhaca Island or at Santa Maria.

There is a helluva lot to do between Inhaca Island and Santa Maria. Spinning from the beach is excellent. You can chuck a bait right from the beach bars. Snorkelling is world class. Fun for everyone everyday!

Pop me an email on umzimkulu@gmail.com or WhatsApp +27 79 326 9671, anytime, and we can work something out. With self-drive Durban to Maputo, now being an option, in 2wd, and a few hours lopped off the journey, one of the main barriers to fishing Mozambique has been well and truly conquered, for Durbanites!

Julio Rito with a fiesty green jobfish caught on the jig somewhere between Inhaca and Macanete about exactly.Fishing Mozambique:A really good Golden Trevally or Golden Kingfish, taken on a Gummy Squid JigA nice Inhaca GT about to be released during the Inhaca Challenge in 2014Inhaca Island waters are full of fish species

You can see more options by The Sardine at out Trips and Travel section.

Catch us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

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Bazaruto October Fishing Report by FishBazaruto

Big Fish: Bazaruto October Fishing Report by Captain Duarte Rato

Bazaruto October Fishing Report by FishBazaruto:

For October, we have Captain Duarte Rato of FishBazaruto with a marlin packed gallery featuring his marlin taming exploits recently fishing up off Vilanculos and the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Read the full story here…

Catching Bazaruto Marlin on Bait
by Captain Duarte Rato

It has NOT been an easy season up in Baz. The winds have been wreaking havoc with our charters. Luckily for the GTs and the inshore spots! This is the best thing about Bazaruto and surrounding waters – there is so much variety and so many different genres of fishing to enjoy! From the marlin out the back, to the gamefish in the channels between the islands and then all the very many inshore spots – you can fish in any reasonably bad weather for sure.

The gallery…

  • Bazaruto October Fishing
    Bazaruto October Fishing

FishBazaruto still have a few slots left for 2019. You can get in touch with Captain Duarte Rato by popping on over to his website at http://fishbazaruto.com.

We have many other options too that you can choose from to make up your dream fishing holiday. From budget all the way on up to FishBaz. And from Inhaca to Pemba. South Africa too. Get in touch if you would like us to tailor make a trip just for you and your family or friends. We don’t focus only on marlin and Bazaruto at The Sardine. We also do estuary and fly fishing experiences. Spearfishing. Light tackle boat. Spin fishing. Rock and Surf. All up and down the Southern African seaboard. Contact Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com. Or WhatsApp +27 79 326 9671 anytime really!

You can also check through the menu item Trips and Travel above or follow this link: https://thesardine.co.za/product-category/fishing-experiences/

And easily keep up with the news and our seasonal offerings by staying on top of The Sardine News’ various channels…YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

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