Author Topic: John F's trek to the far north of Moz (Read 26438 times)

Spickerish · « **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2012, 07:36:17 AM »

Enjoy it out there, I know somebody that was there a while back, sent me a photo of a 50-80kg potato bass caught by the locals and some sailies on their dhows.

Gerhard · « **Reply #21 on:** October 25, 2012, 07:53:46 AM »

Have fun John,

You could have been working in down town JHB like me and only dream to take such photos you have posted.

Keep them coming with the reports.

John F · « **Reply #22 on:** October 25, 2012, 10:28:11 PM »

25 Oct 2012, Day 4 - Tecomagi Is.
We finally left Palma this afternoon. After getting green light from the client and the paperwork was sorted we got onboard the "Sarah", a Leopard 45 catamaran (the same vessel Nepps, Bluflu, fedu and Co. went to Bassas).

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The trip to the island just in front of Palma (Tecomagi ~15 nm) took about 1h 30 min. We went immediately to the island to establish contact with the people looking after a lodge that's being built there. They will provide support to our operation. Beautiful island! Hope we will have time to explore it more extensively.

Tecomagi Is.

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We took the opportunity to test the DIY contraptions I just finished today and I'm glad all work nicely!

Also, we snorkeled a bit in a very shallow area and found nothing spectacular. However, we saw a nice little reef relatively close to our anchorage! Will be nice to spend some time there.

On our way back to the yacht a nice surprise: a couple of humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) riding just in front of the dingy!

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Tommorow, we start the work at 05:00.

John F · « **Reply #23 on:** October 26, 2012, 06:22:24 PM »

26 Oct 2012, Day 6 - Tecomagi
We lifted anchor at 05:30 after the mandatory radio call to base at Palma was completed with the plans for the day etc.

Wind has picked up and we had 15-18 knots the whole day!!! Luckily, the size of the boat and the depths we are navigating keep the swells small (or should I say manageable).

We got moving and a spread of two x-rap rapalas (silver and blue/clear) went to the water on 30 Lb setups (Tyrnos 30 and a TLD25). About ten minutes later we were on +100 m of water and a skinny (2 kg?) great barracuda took the silver x-rap. Our deckie Samuel reeled the fish in on the Tyrnos with ease and I grabbed the pliers to release it. No barracudas are allowed aboard "Sarah"! "They stink too much!". Shouted the skipper with a firm tone. Our outcry for a single fillet for some sashimi and maybe some strip bait were not attended!

Oh well... We kept going and after 20 min as we just went over a nice reef (18 m deep), the Tyrnos with the silver x-rap sings again. This time it was Juley's turn (our 20 year old, blond diving instructor - shagmeister you'd love to be here!!!!). She took the rod and she fought a 4 kg blue spotted kingfish (Caranx melampygus) like a pro. The kingie was safely released, off course!

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As we were approaching Cabo Delgado with the majestic lighthouse at the point and getting close to our first seismic line, it was time to get the lines out of the water.

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The drops in this place are insane! You go from +600 m to 18 m within a mile!!! All this no more that 3-5 nm from the shore!!! Lot's of bird activity and off course turquoise blue water!!!! Big bills country indeed! This is unbearable!

We did only 3 short snorkel dives on shallow reefs and they look trashed. Recent storm and bleaching from earlier certainly caused coral death and subsequent increase of macroalgae. Geeting ready under proper supervision

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Or our way back I decided to take it a bit more serious and put out a spread or 3 rods (the previous 2 and another (TLD25). One flat short rod with a pink chrome Halco GT trembler, a purple/ black flat-face kona with a small bird (trying for a dorrie or maybe a sailie) in the center and the silver x-rap on the other flat short.

After about an hour we climbed from depths of +300 m to about 60 m and the halco was on! I took the rod and within 5 min a nice couta of about 7 kg was on board! Nice fresh fish for supper and some belly shine for my kona!!!

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Happy Dog · « **Reply #24 on:** October 27, 2012, 06:44:17 AM »

Awesome report keep it coming. Put some photo of the sailing trip and underwater if possible. Tight lines and safe diving.

shagnrelease · « **Reply #25 on:** October 27, 2012, 07:42:43 AM »

Please send some pics!!! and remember I have seen cuta, yellowfin sailfish marlin etc before so send something different......

SAfish · « **Reply #26 on:** October 27, 2012, 04:58:20 PM »

Quote from: shagnrelease on October 27, 2012, 07:42:43 AM

Please send some pics!!! and remember I have seen cuta, yellowfin sailfish marlin etc before so send something different......

Shag,

Thanks for the update, Marcos. This sounds like an epic trip!

John F · « **Reply #27 on:** October 27, 2012, 06:39:03 PM »

27 October 2012, Day 7 - Tecomagi
We left our anchorage at 06:30. Wind has died out overnight and the sea is much nicer today. We had blue sky and a hot day.

Early in the morning just as we were going around Cabo Delgado, the x-rap silver was on with a small barracuda, which was released. A few minutes later the TLD25 with the same x-rap, started screaming furiously. This was just in front of the Cabo Delgado lighthouse. The fish took lots of line on its first run, and judging by the depth (~80 m) I'd say it was a wahoo. It "was" because we never saw the fish. After a 10 min fight were I locked the drag and was gaining line, I lost the fish after one last head shake. Oh well... It was good to feel the power of proper fish at the end of the line. Because we are travelling to cover the seismic lines, we can't really waste too much time with these fishing escapades...

After some more trolling the x-rap got another hit. I took the rod and hey a nice 3 kg GT! After a few shots the kingie was released to fight another day.

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Releasing the GT...
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We visited a few shallow sites on the farthest line and found one fantastic reef from 5 to 18 m!!! If this is not even on Earth, then I'm stupid as stupid does!!!!

View from the office...

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At the office... 6 m deep...

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At the office... a bit shallower...

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At the offfice... UA bling!

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Another view from down there...

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At 14:00 the wind started to blow a bit harder and it was time to sail back to base (3 hours away). Perfect conditions for some surface fishing. I put the black/purple cona with the small bird and a strip bait from the couta I caught yesterday in the (short) shotgun position and the other two short rods (halco + x-rap). About 2 h later the shotgun rod goes bang! I kept looking for the jump expecting a dorrie or maybe a sailie... I did see something jump and it was a garfish... Damn! My strip bait wasted on a garfish! As I reeled in the damn "snake" it sounded and started to give me some fight back... That's when I realized it was a female dorado! Success! Gaffed it and immediately started with the processing: skinned, filleting, saved some nice strip baits for that elusive sailfish, and off course: ceviche!!!!

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Today was a good day!

Tally for the trip:
2 x great barracudas
1 x couta
1 x blue spotted kingfish
1 x GT
1 x dorado

John F · « **Reply #28 on:** October 27, 2012, 06:43:13 PM »

Lol shag... I knew I'd get your attention!

Been taking lot's of pics... Connection is horrible! Can hardly post text... Will try tonight... Or when I get a stronger connection I'll back post those pics... I promise you, you wanna see this diving instructor in action... She's supposed to look after us during the dives... Mama mia!

SAfish · « **Reply #29 on:** October 28, 2012, 07:01:41 AM »

Not a bad fishing tally if you think that fishing is not your primary activity.

John F · « **Reply #30 on:** October 28, 2012, 08:28:11 PM »

28 Oct 2012, Day 8 - Tecomagi

What a day!

We left anchorage relatively late at 06:00 (being Sunday and all...). The sky was blue and the sea flat.

Our typical spread was in the water and as we turned the Cabo Delgado lighthouse, the TLD20 with the silver x-rap started screaming. I took the rod and after 15 min of 2 good runs I had the fish close to the boat. we thought is was a couta but as it came closer was realised it was a nice wahoo! Measured (FL) 128 cm and estimated weight was 13.8 kg (ORI tables). Wow nice feeling. My first wahoo and a nice one too! Must have been the one that got away yesterday.

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Spread was back in the water and we were just in front of the lighthouse when the same rod went on... I thought "it must be a small couta or a barracuda"... as it was peeling line in short bursts. Asked if any one wanted to take it, but the rest of the crew was not interested. "Well, I'll take it". Five minutes later as the fish got closer to the boat it took a long, furious run! Time: 06:50. Hey this looks like a nice fish. "We want tuna now" I heard from the cabin. I then realised that I might be out gunned. The poor TLD20 was loosing line fast and I was getting spooled! I eased the drag (didn't want to part the line - thanks Reefs for the tut!) and shouted to the skipper that he needed to reverse so I could gain some line. The fish went deep and gave me a nice tussle.
Cooling off...

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Getting closer...

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We were all imagining the nice sashimi later on. About 40 min later and a few short runs with the drag in strike (and sweating like a pig) I got the fish closer to the boat. It was the biggest and fattest wahoo I've ever seen alive.

What a monster! Fork length ended up being 158 cm. The estimated weight (ORI tables) was 25.8 kg!

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My PB (excluding billfish) ... On a TLD20! I must confess I got a whole new respect for these reels... peterblace you're well served with yours my friend!

We had a busy day with our survey with a +/- 5 km long reef with some great sections of highly diverse and healthy coral, that got our heads spinning!

Trolled on our way back with feathers looking for that elusive YFT, but I guess Neptune was done with us for the day! And I'm so very grateful for his offerings today!

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Tally for the trip:
2 x great barracudas
1 x couta
1 x blue spotted kingfish
1 x GT
1 x dorado
2 x wahoo

SAfish · « **Reply #31 on:** October 28, 2012, 08:31:35 PM »

158 cm Wahoo! Awesome catch, well done!

John F · « **Reply #32 on:** October 28, 2012, 10:05:01 PM »

Thanks Hermann!

Guys, check some of the posts above... I've added the missing pics... please bear with me on this as the connection is really weak and posting pics from the top of the boat is not an easy task at the end of the day!

Happy Dog · « **Reply #33 on:** October 28, 2012, 10:32:39 PM »

Awesome fish. Well done on the PB. Great underwater pics.Please keepthemcoming

REEFMAN · « **Reply #34 on:** October 29, 2012, 07:10:01 AM »

Great Wahoo Marcos! Well done!!

Gerhard · « **Reply #35 on:** October 29, 2012, 08:00:30 AM »

Great update.

Keep them coming...

shagnrelease · « **Reply #36 on:** October 29, 2012, 08:45:04 AM »

Crap job but I suppose someone has to do it!! I love catching hoos!! Congrats on your first and your Pb in one day!!! awesome

Prego · « **Reply #37 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:52:27 AM »

Congrats on the new PB John F, hope you coping out there today don't know how you do it?!

peterblace · « **Reply #38 on:** October 29, 2012, 10:06:19 AM »

Quote from: John F on October 22, 2012, 08:19:27 AM

Unfortunately this will not be a fishing report, although I certainly hope to be able to do a bit of fishing.

We will be living and working off a 45 ft catamaran for about 10 days. There will be scuba diving and snorkeling on coral reefs and seagrass beds and also checking sandy beaches, rocky shores and mangroves.

we all know this is a fishing forum...and according to you this would not be a fishing trip (and report)...and there is the confidential agreement for not posting tecnical details of the survey...
...but you going a bit too much with all the fishing report...you are having such a good time there!!!!
I see sunny days...and here it's pooring down in rain...I see fantastic fishing...you are living a nice moment there

now it's about time to start working hein!!!!!
cheers bru...enjoy the moment

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #39 on:** October 29, 2012, 02:32:31 PM »

Awesome stuff Marcos!!!!