Category: Report

FishBazaruto 2020 Marlin season in full swing

FishBazaruto.com 2020 marlin season: Surviving the Batman Flu has been a full-time endeavour for the FishBazaruto squad. Home-schooling and all sorts!

BUT!

We are back!

The fleet is back on the water right now and as you can see from the following featured FishBazaruto posts by Captain Duarte Rato – they are rocking and rolling all over again.

Bazaruto´s December Marlin

The most recent posts are at the top of this list…

Wolfgang´s gang – Marlin and GT´s from Vilankulos…

Carl´s Bazaruto Marlin November ´20 trip…

Mozambique Black Marlin

Bazaruto Oct´ 20- Warren´s First Blue and biggest Black Marlin

The Captain’s Log

The collection of blog posts that Duarte has religiously kept since we started this website, is fine reading matter. Use the Captains Log menu item on the main menu of the FishBazaruto.com website, to see all of the action.

There is a helluva lot to learn and be inspired by. Especially the fact that many of those big mommas that Duarte chases for a living, also swim by here (KZN) on their way to their big date off Baz.

There is no doubt that the congregation of big fish each season in those purple waters, is for spawning purposes. Although not much data can back this up, their behavioural patterns at this spectacular bite time, are typical of a mating formation. A big momma, and a bunch of suitors chasing it as frantically as Duarte!

Actually, unbelievably, Duarte and the crew have stopped fishing for the year. They customarily do this even though nobody can believe it. Even me!

There are a few posts outstanding from Duarte so check his website soon!

However…closer to home…

The KZN marlin season 2020

Just in the last few days, fishing out off the Umzimkulu on the Niteshift, we have encountered a pair of most likely striped marlin, swimmig around the boat. Whilst we were catching dorado. FACT. Every year with the dorado, are the striped marlin, in shoals too! We have seen them 10 or more together, and we have hooked, nit caught, out fair share along the colour line over the years.

It is just quite simply that nobody targets billfish here. Nobody. If you dragged a good spread wherever this colour line materialises, you are IN with a chance. You will need about 7 to 9 knots, four konas and two daisies down the middle. Big daisies.

And hold on tight!

You want me to arrange this? No problem except one of our motors self-exploded last night, on the Niteshift! Luckily my Dad was awake, and fire-fighted the fire out. More on this bummer development later.

BUT!

In the meantime we have many backup boats to choose from…so get in touch for some colour line action.

Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or +27 79 326 9671 anytime!

Post by The Sardine News for FishBazaruto.com, with whom we have been working with over a decade!

Ox eye tarpon one of 5 species in 1 session in the Umzimkulu

Its been a helluva long weekend and we have been fishing flat out. And we, my guest Ben Scheepers and I, are so ultimately thankful, for yesterday.

Watch this!

You see, we caught nothing, the entire rest of the time!

Ok well not nothing, Cesar from Argentinia caught an Eel. Francois from Toti caught a blacktip kingfish. But otherwise, its been a long haul.

And then all this action went down!

So much adrenalin. Luckily my guest Ben has been around the block fishing and knew exactly what to do in all instances. He even grabbed the camera for when needed and shot all the tarpon footage in the video.

Ben is, as am I, well impressed by Daves Dirty Prawn Umzimkulu Special. This is the last photo taken of the one in the movie…

We are running a special promotion due to all this chaos. The lure that caused it all is now included in the MYDO Estuary Pack available online and right here on the Sardine News.

The Dirty Prawn ‘Umzimkulu Special’ is hand-made by local pro David Phillips who has been perfecting these particular bucktail designs for three decades now. Dave has recently decided to join the fight against the importers and is proudly producing super high quality lures for the right prices, right here in KZN.

Available on their own, or as part of the super fun MYDO Estuary Pack available at a cool R300, including instructions!

MYDO Estuary Pack

Please join our YouTube channel right HERE! Subscribe for FREE!

And if you would like to take your chances on some fishing like this, please do not hesitate to contact me while the going is this good. Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or +27 79 326 9671 anytime.

Illegal Jigging in Port St Johns continues

Witnesses report 15 garrick jigged out on ONE DAY! This exact weekend!

The following letter to The Sardine News is disturbing for many reasons. Firstly 15 garrick were witnessed being taken out at Port St Johns this long weekend. So imagine the ones that are getting taken that are not witnessed. This is slaughter. DAFF where the “£$%^& are you this time?

And then the guys reporting this to us – get a fish. A lekker little estuary garrick. But it was full of holes and line and hooks all over its body. When it was exactly that poor fish was jigged full of holes, we just don’t know. It could have been the day before. It could have been when they first started their immoral slaughter of the garrick back during controlovirus stage whatever.

Even more disturbing is the many different coloured lines all tangled up together. That poor garrick must have been swimming sideways dragging all of that around. He must have been a victim of multiple jigging lashes during his time in that once beautiful and pristine place.

In other words. It appears, that the illegal jigging continues.

Ok read the letter…

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Dear Sir
I recently watched your YouTube video on the illegal jigging in Port St Johns in August 2020. We are currently staying at Cremorne Estate and a pensioner from Pennington, who was also staying here, personally witnessed 15 Garrick being hauled out between two fishermen using illegal jigging. He was livid and as I did not have any proof of my own, I could not comment. Let me mention that We are avid catch and release fishermen.

Today, whilst trawling towards the mouth, I hooked a Garrick and when I brought it to the surface, I Was horrified to find a birds nest of line and trebles. (See attached images). I cut the fish loose but retrieved the lines and lures for the main reason of informing you that these practices still continue.

It is horrific and everything needs to be done to stop this. You have my utmost support.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Tarr

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So its blatantly evident that the slaughter of our closed off and endemic garrick population continues unabated in Port St. Johns.

Haven’t any of you locals got long range catties or something? Don’t kill anybody. But fire a few warning shots into the water in front of them. I promise you one thing…

DAFF won’t be coming to investigate.

When there is NO law left, what do you do?

Thank you Kevin for submitting this. It must have been heartbreaking to write all what you saw. It is unbelievable that this could be happening to the garrick. And us!

Please get in touch with me Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or +27 79 326 9671 if you have any ideas or resources to commit to this disaster left by the ANC government.

Catch us on YouTube as we document the goings-on in and around Southern Africa waters. And please don’t forget to Like and Subscribe if you like what we are doing.

The Sardine News