MPT Bay offshore - What's up

[L Hooker]

Well done, great fishing!

First submission to the UA billfish Hall of Fame 2014/15?!?!

Is Travel members Saily caught at the interprovincial not the first bill?

[John F]

Could be if he submits...

[SAfish]

  Well done on the fishing side and also for sticking around to ensure the other boat got sorted out. 

[rcoliveira84]

It was a great day at the sea, good compay, good times.. bit ruff but it did calm down later in the afternoon.
John F, I managed to finish my first chicken before 7:30am

PeterBlace was the Sailfish nightmare 
And thanks Peter but remember I lost my first jig  on that beast!!! Remember.. haha

Good fun 

[shagnrelease]

Great Fishing guys!! That saily picture is epic, makes the saily look like a grander!!! very cool.

[peterblace]

forgot to mention that before the saily strikes a flock of albatroz started flying over the spread and kept going like that for a while
we had the strikes..and the birds kept flying over the saily for quite a long time

one can think that whenever there are birds flying over the spread must been happening something more interesting underneath them

[Hammer]

Well Pedro, what a great day for you on the water. 

[REEFMAN]

Stunning fish!! 

[peterblace]

I really can't spend a quiet moment without having thoughts on that fish huge eye staring at me
I promised the team that I'll be swimming with the next billfish I catch on the release moment

[rcoliveira84]

I think that is a good idea. Never forgetting this is a wild animal..
Reminds me of this video i saw not long ago, here in Mozambique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAVDI9ry-0Y
 

[John F]

All set for tomorrow's first comp of the season. Looks like the weather is going to be perfect for a good day out in the blue.

Big guns fully locked & loaded!

[Hammer]

Good luck, Marcos. TL and keep us posted mate.

[peterblace]

Saturday took place 6th leg of clube maritimo competition
team 4play asked permission to launch from Santa Maria so we launched at 16:00 on Friday
very slow, bumpy and wet ride with strong SE wind blowing...it took us nearly 1:45 to get there...it's a 31' boat powered by 2x115hp yamaha hein
all the fleet launched at 5:00...we were allowed to launch at 5:30 and by 6:10 we had a lines in call on the radio
4play launched last weekend and went to the marlin grounds with no success...so our plan was to try and stick to shallow waters to chase some blacks and eventually when we hear some marlin call from the marlin grounds we would move there
I guess all the fleet stick to our plan as we saw them all working that same area until 11:00
getting to Jeremias we had a triple strike of rainbow runners...then just out of Jeremias another strike that produced a 7kg YFT
getting to B24 we got a 4kg dorado...and still working that area a incognito strike...fish didn't commit
we then moved to Poço bellow the 100mt mark and got another pull...saw the silver and flash...but fish got loose after a short fight
all went quiet for us...by 11:00 we wanted to be out on the marlin grounds at the tide change...and all the blanking fleet was there
we only had a marlin chasing the lure and striking...but no commit again...bad luck
at 350mts depth we had a nice show of a pack of ~50 false killer whales (tbc by JohnF) joining us...they stood approximately 10 minutes swimming around/behind/underneath us...chasing our lures and teasers...we nearly dove with them but I guess it was a good call not to after I google false filler whales images ans saw them chowing some big stuff

the moment we start listening to some marlin coming out we headed in again but nada for us
on the way back home (to Santa Maria) we had another pull that produced a 10kg wahoo
it was very nice not coming back to Maputo and staying in Santa Maria...shorter ride with the E blowing...although yesterday on the way back home we did hit a stronger E on another bumpy ride...that took us only 1h

in the end Oliver caught 2 marlin
Dafi, Mozaya, Cafufo and Bite Me caught one marlin each
Dafi had a striped marlin pack attack going on 6 rods...but unfortunately lost all
they also had a incident on the marlin they caught...marlin striked Edu on the chest

last leg will take place in 2 weeks time

[John F]

at 350mts depth we had a nice show of a pack of ~50 false killer whales (tbc by JohnF) joining us...they stood approximately 10 minutes swimming around/behind/underneath us...chasing our lures and teasers...we nearly dove with them but I guess it was a good call not to after I google false filler whales images ans saw them chowing some big stuff

False killer whale (Pseudorca  crassidens)

Last week we had reports from Ponta of a school of killer whales (aka orcas) hanging around in the area and moving south... now this one. Great stuff!

[John F]

On the fishing front... Tough luck on the marlin... Which hookset were you guys using?

[Prego]

Hard luck on the Billfish mate I'm starting to think there is  crew on board with bad juju keeping four play from landing billfish

Man 6 stripeys must of caused some serious pandemonium on board Dafi 

[peterblace]

after a long debate during the week and due to some wind forecasted for the weekend we finally decided on Saturday to launch Sunday
although wind pumped during all day on Saturday it was supposed to slow down during the night...and some easterly coming in the afternoon only
so both matabixo and maguro launched at 5:30 and by 6:00 we were heading to our chosen fishing grounds...B1 area
I took a couple of friends...Rui the ninja (crew member from last year comps) and João (second time out at sea)
we wanted to work the early hours for cuta breakfast time in that area and to head further north to target other species
wind did drop totally during the night and it was a very smooth ride...indeed easterly only start pumping in the late afternoon...we were already nearly at dock (getting to Xefina) so a smooth ride on the way back as well
matabixo soon start having some action and everytime we were speaking on the radio or getting close to them they had a fish on
maguro was jealous...I didn't treat her too well (not many outings as last year) and it was very hard to convince her to put us to the fish...but she did put us to some fishing
first cuta we landed spit a flying fish after being boated...first time I saw one so close...beautiful
too quiet on our side...too busy on matabixo side
we were working the same areas but with not great results...and due to plenty errors we did lost some fish...line prop cut, gunnel cut...bad gaffing...you name it...it's not that I don't make mistakes but it's very hard to go out with inexperience crew...in the end you can't do all and the chance of loosing fish it high (not talking about the lost gear)
we had a double strike of cuta...one striked the shotgun and it was the fist time I saw a cuta on a daisy chain (feathers)
we then moved a bit deeper and got a dorado
and all went quiet for quite long...
later in the day we got a wahoo and on the way back we got a nice YFT and another nice cuta...and lost some more cuta

at a certain stage we got a one of the most amazing sightings...a schoal of 50+ cuta cruising just under the boat...they took nada...no lures attracted them
and shame I didn't have any live/dead bait with me cause I would have staid longer working that area
the sonar turned red...eisha...beautiful
water temp went from high 24's to mid 26 during the day...beautiful calm day at sea and nice to get in the water with maguro and good fun to fish with matabixo on the side

[peterblace]

almost forgot about the wahoo (inhaca way)

[FishStyx]

I think that is a good idea. Never forgetting this is a wild animal..
Reminds me of this video i saw not long ago, here in Mozambique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAVDI9ry-0Y
 

Wow!!! Fantastic footage. Lucky the guy kept his cool. Could have ended badly.

[iNdlovu]

Great stuff mate, it is about time we heard about some action down there. Well done on the catch