Captain Duarte Rato reporting in from Bazaruto Island in Southern Mozambique…
Ulrich and Frans then fished three days of excellent flat calm weather and Bazaruto´s Marlin fishing at it´s best. The first day we raised five Marlin on the lures, had four strikes and hooked three fish. Unfortunately we pulled one about 400 close to the boat but released two. The second day we raised one on the lure but did not get a bite out of it but then tagged and released two Blacks on live bait. The last day was slower and we raised 3 Blacks, had two bites but could not hook any of the fish….but I saw no one complaining and the guys left with a smile and a promise to be back next year!
EPIC MARLIN trip for Ulrich & Frans – and more incredible photography by Captain Duarte Rato
Ulrich & Frans arrived at the tail end of a really strong low-pressure system and seeing their first day was a blowout to go out for Marlin I suggested we did a half-day of light tackle inshore. The guys took this literally and the next day pitched up on the boat with bass tackle…stupid ultra light gear! We headed off and fishing spoons and drop shoot for a two hour session from the boat got various different species of rockcod, queenfish, garfish, a nice brassy kingfish, two great barracuda and then Frans hooked to the fish of the day on his bass rod which took him more than 30 minutes to land, a respectable size yellowspotted kingfish.
We then headed for another spot and fishing from the beach proceed to finish the day releasing 9 small GT´s which were an absolute blast with the light gear!!!
Fresh in from captain Duarte Rato fishing the season off Bazaruto…
“We had Mark and his two sons Matt & Tom Bishop on their first ever trip to the Archipelago and in search of their first Black Marlin and very keen to catch a couple of big sharks. Well, they started the trip on the right foot releasing a 400-pound Black Marlin on their first morning and it just got better and better. On their last day they released another Black, this one estimated at 600 pounds also on a YFT live bait. In between they caught everything else imaginable including a couple of big sharks, a big 25 kg great barracuda, lots of nice yellowfin tuna, some big wahoo and king mackerel, bonito, kingies and a sailfish!”
Black Marlin (c) Duarte Rato
Barracuda of Bazaruto! (c) Duarte Rato
Grown up Zambezi Shark off Bazaruto (c) Duarte Rato
We first met Matt & Nick in early July when they come up from Maputo for a couple of fishing days to target sailfish. Seeing the water was green on the inside we decided to head out deep on our second day and they raised a 700 pound Blue Marlin and got a 72 kg Yellowfin tuna that we believe is the biggest ever caught on Bazaruto. Anyway this time they come for Marlin and they had a great trip. On their second day they raised 3, lost a 600 pounder right by the boat and then proceed to release a fish about 300 pounds. They finished it off with a 250 pound fish on the last day.
Note that the pectoral fin doesn’t have a clear slot for it to fit away at speed. That’s the easiest way to differentiate a black and blue marlin. BAZARUTO MARLIN SEASON (c) Rato
Blue marlin have made an early and welcome appearance off the Bazaruto Archipelego (c) Rato
An amazing shot by Captain Duarte Rato (C) Rato
Fast and powerful these Blue Marlin are (c) Rato
Bazaruto has come alive nice and early, and Captain Duarte Rato is right on the scene again…
“BAZARUTO MARLIN SEASON OPENS WITH A BANG!!!
We caught some GT´s on plug and some game fish but Carl Jankowitz´s trip was about Marlin fishing and what a first charter it turned out to be. The water looked a bit milky on the edge on the first day so we opted to go out wide to 500 meters of water where we had been connecting to Blues in July and August. On the first day we got a amazing strike on the short left tube and connected to a 700 pound Blue that was one of the fastest fishes I have ever experienced. Unfortunately we lost that fish. The next day we went out wide again and this time we hooked up on the short right bait and released a Blue estimated at 600. The water looked better shallow on the last day and we decided to give it a go for the Blacks on live bait and we ended the day releasing two out of two strikes. The first fish was about 200 pounds and the second, that gave an amazing display by the boat went 250 lbs.”
