Peter Marriott of Casa Msika outside of Chimoio in Manica Province, Central Mozambique, has eagerly joined thesardine.co.za and starts off with these noteable Lake Chimipanda lunker bass caught yesterday.
A Lake Chimipanda lunker caught yesterday, from out of Casa Msika.
The season for these huge bass, many over 5kgs, has kicked off at Casa Msika, and more fish will be featuring on thesardine.co.za, from this amazing stretch of bassin’ water. This is a really big, healthy bass fishing dam.
Twin lunker bass taken in Lake Chimipanda yesterday. Thanks Peter!
The in thing at Casa Msika is being able to fish for a spot in the Casa Msika 5kg bass club, of which there are dozens of members already.
Check out this previous post for more Casa Msika large mouth bass and information.
Well she did it again. The Frenzy won the day today with her first ever large mouth bass. Check out the Magisto video in the previous Casa Mkisa Bass post.
A Casa Mkisa Bass by The Frenzy
She caught it on a Mydo Luck Shot #1 with a pearl white plastic minnow from McArthy.
The cute little fish falls about 4.5kgs short of the mark. Which in these waters is 5kgs!
Next stop Zimbabwe! And off to chase those Kariba tigers with the Mydo SS Spoon range. Stay tuned!
The Frenzy was determined to get the shot. A pin tailed wider, cheeky as ever, perched on a mooring pole a scant few metres away. As usual I was interfering with advice trying to get the silhouette shot against the broody grey Chimoio sky. She inadvertently listened and got a great picture. Next thing all hell broke loose. She was crouched down right next to an irate crocodile who took great exception to our blabbering and fuss. Luckily it was a baby, barely a metre, and this all went down right next to a sign warning of crocodiles!
Beware of the crocodiles, said the sign
Welcome to Casa Msika.
Chimoio. Central Mozambique.
We had just come back from our first attempt at what is unbelievably a 5kg or bigger, large mouth bass.
First attempt.
And the best thing about it, was that we had no idea where we were. We were actually having a fine time celebrating Murray Dawson’s 63rd birthday with bird blogger Paul Cook. They are old mates and this visit worked in perfectly with our medium term travel plans of crossing Africa. And so the three of us slowly realised that we were at Msika, part of the famous bass fishing hole, Lake Chicamba.
Casa Mesika is on the way to Zimbabwe from Chimoio. It is a classic fishing and holiday resort on the edge of the water. The huge hydro electrically inspired dam was created in 1954 and powers the entire area and beyond. But more importantly. It’s full of huge large mouth bass. Huge. They have a Casa Msika 5kg Bass club!!! Check the pics!!!
Casa Msika 5kg Bass Club
And so, after some true ex pat style celebration, which lasted well into the evening, we awoke to this amazing spectacle. The Frenzy hustled a canoe in no time and after some frantic tackle work, we headed down to the waters edge. Actually a great slipway that a few years ago was well underwater. The water level of the lake has been dropped whilst the power guys maintain some turbines. They will return the water level to it’s normal state when they are done working. But for now the bass must be more concentrated.
Well that was my thinking as I rigged a few sticks with Mydo Luck Shots, one with a Mydo SS Tarpon Flappa spoon, and one with a Mydo Buck Shot, especially for big bass. This lure swims amazingly life like, it looks and acts just like a baby bass or tilapia – the prevailing food stuff in the area. Change the fly to target different species.
But as of this article, it hasn’t happened yet. The locals slate the high all round air and water temperature as the problem. Traditionally these big fish feed better in the real cold. But that is not an excuse, we are out there again shortly…
RIP Murray Dawson. Murray passed away the day after his 63rd birthday, peacefully at Msika. He will be buried in Chimoio today 3pm.
Tofo has of recent been playing host to Dario, Duarte jnr and Greta – the enthusiastic young family of Captain Duarte Rato, along with Duarte, as they spend some quality time together. Each season he does up at Bazaruto, off Vilancoulos, Duarte leaves the archipilego where he has been coaching the marlin there for decades, to visit Tofo for a week.
We have been bumping into them all over town and the beach, culminating in a visit at their cabin, during feeding time in the early evening.
“He only eats fish! Give him anything else and he just looks at it?!”, exclaims Duarte as he finely chops up a juicy chunk of couta fillet.
Greta is preparing the meal of healthy beans and local vegetables. The couta fillet is to flavour it all with fresh fish. Dario who is almost one, and Duarte jnr, 3, encourage her eagerly.
Soon we’re able to talk lures, and I show him through the original Mydo range, and then the new stuff. Out of the blue, Duarte drops the biggest marketing bombshell I have ever dreamed of.
” Hey I got my first billfish on a Mydo…a sailfish, when I was 16.”
I nearly fainted as the enormity of his statement set in. Africa’s most successful marlin fishermen got his first billfish on a Mydo #2 Baitswimmer.
I piled more lures into his lucky packet. All the Baitswimmer range up to the 4.5 weighing in at a healthy 222g – gets big baits down real deep. The Luck Shots for high speed deep trolling and jigging or even just drifting. The 2 sizes in the Luck Shot Mini, for casting and cranking. And then the newly developed (from the original Mydo spoons), the SS Spoon range. For casting, cranking and jigging.
I give a lot of lures out in this way, and there are just a few things that with Duarte, I am sure of. First, I will get the photos. And second…he will use every last one of them.
Obrigado Amigo!
Waking up to the sound of waves.
A breeze breezes through the coconut fronds.
Onto the verandah with coffee.
Taking it all in.
The endless beach.
The azure ocean.
Peace and harmony.
Nordines. Praia do Tofo. Right on the beach.
Well if location counts for anything, Nordines wins. Hidden behind a tiny dune esconsed in Casuarinas trees, a swim is barely a walk away. Tofo is famous for its safe and gentle swimming beach. It’s a great place to learn to surf and you can join the local operators geo a dive or an ocean safari.
The fishing is great up here in Inhambane, and so seafood, fresh and diverse, is on the top of the menu. Eat out at one of the delightful restaurants dotted around the market, or braai out front in the warm evening.
The weather up here in Tofo is phenomenal. Summer high pressure systems keep the skies clear and the sun shining. Rain is a welcome relief up here in the tropics.
Come and join us in Tofo this new year season. Nordines has four large beach front dwellings suitable for families or groups. There are also four more honeymoon type doubles, all en suite and we’ll appointed.
And all face the sea.
