ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website
OFFSHORE ANGLING => Offshore Fishing Reports => Topic started by: strandloper on March 12, 2012, 05:57:36 PM
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Hi All,
Cannot believe it has been a week since we stepped of the boat in Malindi after three days fishing!
Since then I have had to "enjoy" the Nairobi traffic and come to grips with the back up work at the office!
Finally I can give a report on my recent trip to Kenya.
After hounding my dad (a self proclaimed land lubber) for the past few years to join me in Kenya, he finally gave in a few weeks back.
Having not spent much time off-shore, mainly limited to a Myn manne or two and no fish to show, coupled with a bit of motion sickness on previous attempts I take my hat of to him to commit to three days fishing!!
After a bit of debate and scheduling we managed to get two full days booked on Snowgoose targeting Bills and a short day on the small (very small!) Malachite for some inshore fishing.
On Friday morning (02 March) I picked him up at home and headed of to ORTIA for a reasonably long travelling day. We had to be there at least two hours before and then the 4+ hour flight to Nairobi. Fortunately I could get access for both of us to the SAA lounge and we spent a couple of hours chatting about the upcoming trip, while helping ourselves to the really nice cuppachino's and some snacks.
After an uneventfull flight to Nairobi, we had a few hours to kill, before the short flight to Malindi and at the aiport we met a nice couple from Lydenburg also heading to Malindi for a weeks fishing (fishing for the hubby and tan and spa for the wife). Chatting to them made the time fly and before long we were on short finals for Malindi.
After a short taxi ride to Watamu, we checked into Ocean Sports Resort just after 20:00 and headed straight for DINNER!! We arrived there just as the auction for the Watamu Fishing Festival started and I must say that I seriously considered entering our boat in the comp, but we decided to have a few days of fun with no issues and worries about a comp. In hind sight, entering could have been a good idea w;k
After dinner it was off to put a few leaders on the (very) light tackle we had brought along to try and target some of the smaller game fish with if we came across them and then off to bed. Sleep however was FAR away as the music from the bar went long into the night and all too soon it was time to get ready for the first days fishing.
At 06:30 we were on the beach waiting for our ferry to Snowgoose and going through the game plan with our skipper, Alfred. The decision was made to go Malindi and focus on Sailfish as the Marlin of the rips had been very hit and miss.
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We had about an hour trip from Watamu to Malindi giving us enough time to meet and greet our crew, Skipper Alfred and deckhands James and Issa (this man can cook!). We used this time to prepare the lures and both James and Issa was adament that at least two of my rods had to be part of the spread. All in all we would have 7 rods out, 5 with 30lb and two with 50lb line.
We ended up putting a purple and black Ilander on the Poseidon Offshore rod with 50SH and 30lb, while the little JM Sabre and Stradic 5000 was put on the down rigger! Not quite the way the rod was intended, but I was really hoping for sailie on that outfit!!!!
After reaching the 80ft mark of Malindi we had the spread out and you could see a few sailies jumping around. Within 20 minutes we had the first strike and my Dad was into his first Billfish!! It was agreed that the first few strikes would be his and then later on we would start rotating the strike.
Fishing with the heavier tackle and fighting chair was new to him and it took a few minutes for him to get used to the action. His fish gave a beautifull arial display, but I was way to busy clearing the other lines to get a nice picture. After about a 15-20 minute fight we had the fish on the leader, but right next to the boat she jumped and threw the lure back at him, Literally almost knocking him in the face!!
Having happend on the leader, the fish was counted, but no photo for Dad to frame, so the next one would be his as well. So I was really hoping for another one, to get a great picture for him. He was feeling a bit woozy and opted for a lie down, while I joined Alfred on the fly bridge. In the next hour we had at least 4 knock downs, but no hook-ups and all the while the Sailies where jumping all around us.
After lying down for a while my Dad's sea legs came good and for the rest of the trip there was no issue with any motion sickness!!
After about an hour and half or trolling, we had a double hook up, one on my light offshore rod and another on the conventional gear. My dad took the conventional and I was relishing a fight with what looked like a really nice fish on the light rod and reel. The fish had taken about 250 mtrs of line by the time we where ready to get down to business, but as soon as I put some pressure on it, I had slack line. Major dissapointment. But my dad was still on and after a brief fight (getting to know the equipment) he had a nice 25 -30 kg sailie alongside.
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Closer inspection of the lure that I lost the fish on revealed that one of the brand new rigs that I had made up at a tackle store in Pretoria gave way with a hook breaking clean off!! :unhap :unhap :shk!
I specifically had them rig the Ilander lures for me as my knowledge is a bit weak (OK very limited!), but I spent some time watching James and Issa carefully and I am learning!!
At least it was some consolation that I was not totally at fault for loosing the fish!
Unfortunately that was it for the day, with only another knock down or two and a few long hours in flat seas to show for the rest of the afternoon! At least this boat has some great bunks to have a snooze!
On the way back we did have some arial visitors gratefully accepting any bits of bait!
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Day two started with an early Taxi ride to Malindi and a short hop to Snowgoose.
We were once again blessed with a beautiful morning
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Shortly after setting the spread we had a few knock downs, but did not manage any hook-ups!
One of these was on the downrigger and the JM Sabre 100. Just after it was knoked out of the downrigger, I had the rod on hand and free-spooled the lure to see if we could not get a hook-up. A barely clipped over the bail and I felt a steam train hit the lure and take off at speed!! What a feeling to feel that Sailfish pick up on such light tackle!! Unfortunately all I had to show for it was a cut in my index finger from the braid screaming off at a rate and a beaten up strip bait.
We decided to change tactics a little and headed north looking for some gamefish. The downrigged rod was switched to a Rapala (Halco) and twenty minutes later we had out first hook up. Nothing big, but enough to blood the rod and reel.
A small (3-5kg) Longfin Tuna!
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Shortly after this we had another strike and my dad was on with what truned out to be the fish of the trip.
After about 20-25 minutes of huffing and puffing we could see colour and as we all guessed a nice size Wahoo made an appearance. Actually a very nice size fish of about 20 -22kg!!
Needless to say the Old Man was really chuffed!!
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After a great fish we started heading back south towards Malindi and the weather was changing rapidly. The wind had settled and a cloud bank settled it. It actually looked like some serious rain heading our way. All the time the sea was becoming calmer and flatter (not good!).
Finally I was giving the opportunity to stretch the arms a bit and the end result was a nice Sailie estimated about 33 - 35 kg. A very nice fight on the lighter 30lb gear and stand up and reason to smile!
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This fish was followed by another double hook up, that ended in my Dad's third sailfish and one more dropped one for me! At least his fish gave me the chance to take a few nice pics.
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rest to follow
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Beautifull!!
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:envy
Great report! Some beautiful photos!
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Sounds like you had an awesome trip bud!!! well done on some great catrches!! :yipee:
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Following a very intersting morning and some rushing around with the double hook up, it was time for some lunch, carefully prepared by Issa.
It consisted of some potatoes, tomatoes and very fresh Longfin Tuna! Probably the best lunch I have had in many a moon!! What was the best about lunch was the "palette cleanser"...
After my second or third bite, I was (not so) rudely interrupted by a sailfish, allowing me to release my second sailie of the trip. After getting it alongside and having the hooks removed I asked to release the fish and must say that the feeling of holding and releasing my sailfish was amazing! But on looking at the photo's I was shocked to see what a silly rookie mistatke I made that could have ended in disaster. You can see by the way that I am holding the fish that I don't yet know what I am doing, and any struggle from the fish or attempt to jump could have seen me badly hurt, so from a rookie to others, BE CAREFULL!!
After a great lunch it was once again nap time as the sea had become very flat and another 2 hours of trolling left us heading home relaxed and content!
What a privelege to spend two great days fishing with the man that taught me how to fish!!
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At the prize giving the evening, our decision not to enter the comp came back to bite us, as my Dad's Wahoo would have won biggest toothy critter!! Then again, had we entered, wemight not have gone looking for Hooos :dunno:
The third day was to be spent doing some inshore light tackle fishing, but I must say that that this was not the higlight of the trip. It is clear that they are not used to this type of fishing and running north for an our and a half to get to a "reef" was not my idea of fun. Half way there we put out a few Raps and feathers and as we neared the "reef" I managed to get about a 5kg greater Barracuda on one of the Rapala's. Unfortunately we did not get any pics of this one.
The reef turned out to be the rock ledge/reef about 40-50 from shore, similar to the one outside the Watamu bay. Not a reef in 20-30 meters of water with structure. As a matter of fact there was NO structure to be seen on the fish finder.
We kept trolling towards the San Marco oil rigs and as we approached them we stopped to bring in the rapalas. Once again the little JM Sabre was on a down rigger and as we puled in the down rigger and the skipper had the elastic in his hand to allow me to bring the last 5 meters of line in we had a Strike! Absolutely freaky, less than 5 meters from the boat on a virtually stationary rapala, this Cuta (they call them Kingfish) must have been suicidal, but it allowed me a new PB (new first!).
A cuta of about 5-6kg and I must say that the little Sabre 100 really bullied that fish. I cannot wait to really test that rod as I can uderstand why the guys are taking some really nice fish on it.
The last hour or so was spent throwing some plugs and spoons towards the "reef", but with no effect. By this time the wind had come up and turned the sea into a bit of a washing machine and we were in for a loooong 2 hour ride back to Malindi.
As I said earlier, they are not really geared for this type of fishing, and I would have much rather spent some time outside the third reef off Watamu and some of the 20 -30 meter reefs used by the dive operators to see what is swimming around there.
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We spent the last morning sleeping in a bit and then lounging around the resort waiting to catch our flight to Nairobi.
My dad took my camera and went for a stroll down the beach and took some really nice pics of the area.
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Supoerb report and :clfoto: :appr: :+ cred:
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After breakfast, there was time for a short swim and we even managed to find NEMO!
Amazingly in about 50cm of water just a meter from the edge of the second reef there was this little patch of soft coral with a family of two bar anemone fish.
Great way to end the trip!!
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Great report and what a nice time to spend with your dad. Nice fish as well (clap)
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Epilogue - :hnthnt:
I must close of by saying what an amazingly wonderfull and blessed trip this was. To have the opportunity to experience the joy my dad had at landing these big fish and seeing the excitement grow in him has been worth every penny.
Even on the first day, I had as much, if not more joy in seeing him light up when a strike came and the pure joy of holding his first sailfish!
We do a fishing trip every year as father and son and this has been the best by FAR!!
To all of you, make time to spend with your loved ones and especially your fathers and sons. These are the times where we talk about all of our issues: financial, career (retirement in his case), family, health, relationships and of course sport, religion and politics.
I count myself truly blessed and hoping that I will have many more opportunities with him and hopefully with my boy joining us soon.
Thanks for reading
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Super Report, and some great fishing, well done!! Watamu has some very special memory's for me and I enjoyed my time when I worked there. :-) :-) and watch out for those Bills next time, very close to becoming a sosatie there!! :shk :shk w;k
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Awesome fishing Hardus, & :cgrts: on making more great memories with your dad!
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Great report Hardus! What a privilege! (clap)
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Very Very Nice Report!!! strandloper
(clap) (clap) (clap) :happ: :clfoto: :clfoto: :+ cred: :+ cred: