Message from John in Angoche…central Mozambique…
Weather stunning here right now. Fishermen getting out every day. Saw more than 10 large Yellow Fin Tuna at the market yesterday, as well as tonnes of GTs, queenies and one giant ray circa 500 kg. The other day more than 50 large Spanish Mackeral in the market. Awesome!
Paul Cook and Randy Stevens helped us catch about 30 livebaits which we took to Protea Reef off Shelley Beach this afternoon. Expecting everything we got nothing, until we anchored in 50metres straight off Port Shepstone.
Soon rods were buckling under the pressure of Amberjack. After boating one, my Dad hooked a monster which finally broke the trace after circling the boat for half an hour! The one that definitely got away.
Then Paul Cook, down from Inhambane, Mozambique, pulled his first ever Black Steenbras…Skomolo…Poenskop…Musselcracker… and it was home time…
Randy Stevens fed our favourite Skua bird, with live maasbanker on the way home…
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In from Captain Duarte Rato in Bazaruto waters…
On the 27 September we had a charter with a great bunch of guys from South Africa and on their first ever Marlin fishing experience they took gold not once but twice!!!
Just before noon we get a frisky Black Marlin estimated at just over 200 pounds take the long rigger lure on the #50 stand-up tackle and Tom was into a good sweat to bring his first ever billfish release.
A short while later we caught two small 5 kilo yellowfin that we quickly bridled as live bait and not even an hour later a hungry Black comes in for the kill on the short bait right at the transom. After a short drop back the 20/0 circle hook finds the corner and Douglas Gain jumps in the chair to also score his first ever billfish release on a fish we estimated at just under 200 pounds.
Keith Cooke and Jose Rungu joined me on a hunt out deep yesterday. We were searching for a yellowfin for bait when after 2 hours a rod screamed and a yellowfin it was. But a big one (for these waters) gave us the gears, tangling everything in the rough seas and strong wind. And certainly too big for bait.
But there was no sign of the 5kg bait size tuna that have been so prolific lately. And not a bird in sight. Unless you count tunny ducks (Gannets) diving into the depths after the sardines and another baitfish around the Barra mouth area.
Then on our way into the shallows to try for a couta, a dorado jumped on a black feather at the back of a daisy chain. Jose Rungu made short of work of it and as got into 5m of water, we got our couta!
