MPT Bay offshore - What's up

[peterblace]

6th leg of Clube Maritimo comp took place on Saturday

only 13 boats launched...normal situation and the end of the season with top positions nearly fixed
forecast was supposed to be great with nearly no wind in the morning and some Easterly in the afternoon
that was the perfect day for my prop testing on a full fishing day...remember I had the 15 pitch 4 blades props borrowed from Miguel's Tom Tom

plan was to head North where I got some nice fish 2 weeks ago and at the end of the morning go deep
we launch at 5:20 and by 6:40 lines were out (2 rappies, 1 daisy chain, 1 HB rigged on a small kona and 1 Halco Trembler) when we spoted some bird activity close to Boia Perdida
sea was flat in the bay but 15nm out got a bit bumpy on the Baixos da Macaneta area...then smooth again the all day

we worked the birds area for quite a while but there were no takers...so we decided to head North to B1 area always following birds and fish activity
there was plenty tuna smacking at the surface but nada...they were not eating anything

changed the rappies colors and brought up the daisy chain and replaced for another HB on a small kona and we had our first strike on one of the rappie
Rui "ninja" went for the rod and I cleared the lines and not long after we gaffed a small rat cuta of 3.6kg
we were happy to have a fish aboard but we had a challenge...Anouck told us that we had to score better then her to be considered a good fishing team

we kept working the area for a while...saw some cuta flying but again no takers
so we decided to start heading out to the deep and jsut before we swapped the rappies for the bigger konas we saw some more bird activity with tuna smacking at the surface we had another strike
some missunderstanding at the deck (normally Pedro "sailor" stays on the wheel and Rui "ninja" and myself fights/clears the lines/gaff) but this time for some reason Rui was on the wheel and Pedro was at the back...
...so when the strike came I was the only one clearing the lines and Pedro looking at the birds while line was going out fast
I had to shout and give some instructions before having a second pair of hands helping me clearing the lines and start fighting the fish
after a short period I've landed a 6.7kg YFT...but with some gaffing problems as Rui has a depth visual problem...he can't really evaluate the depth and location of the fish when under the water so some missed gaffs before the "proper" one...

I told them after that we all know our roles and we need to follow them stricktly otherwise we risking to loose fish...and we need to work better on coordination and gaffing and so on

we kept working that area for a while but I guess that YFT was a lost one that we bycatch...it was wild but there were no takers at all
we went deeper and we only had 2 more strikes on the HB...they were cut in half
first was the shotgun one...I saw some motion around the lure...freespooled the reel to check if I was gona get hit...but nada...and when I was still holding that rod I had a non commited strike on the other HB
reeled in and both were cut in half...just behing the hook

getting to Poço we again followed some birds and tuna but no takers...so I decided to give it a try on the spinning kit...and first cast I was on with a kingfisher V2 silver spoon...it was a nice size YFT that I lost at gaffing distance due to too much pressure on the drag
30lb braid snapped before the knot
I only realise that I had put too much pressure when fish got close to the boat and started to dive deep and line was not going out...I even tried to loosen the drag a bit but it was too late...fast dive and head shake snapped the braid
that was my last silver spoon...we kept trying with other types of spoons but nada
by 15:00 we headed back to Naval just after the last fuel change (on my last 2 jerry)
we got to Naval on fuel vapours...eish...that was the first time I got scared on fuel consumption...91nm on 192lt and on a perfect sea day..it was a short call and yesterday first thing I did was put back my 17pitch props...I don't want to risk again being out and checking the cans every hour

while waiting at the dock for some job on my trailler to get finished my crew collapsed and had a quick nap

the rest of the fleet caught some bill
Spartan - 2 marlin
Fourplay - 1 marlin and 1 saily (both bill were caught before 8:00)
Pescador III - 1 marlin
Cafufo III - 1 marlin and 1 dead marlin (no idea on cause of death)
lucky luke - 1 marlin
Mon Ami - 1 marlin...and they fought 5 other marlin that lost at close to tagging distance

very little game fish was caught by the fleet...but Cheetah came home with 8 wahoo (7-10kg) and some other 8 dorado (5-8kg) and a big bull of 19kg

trollpro was deployed again and out of 3 1/2 h of footage I have nada showing...next time I will but some teaser just behind the camera to at least attract something for the camera

[peterblace]

1) sunrise
2) flat seas
3) bird activity

[peterblace]

4) catch of the day
5) power nap at the dock

[Prego]

14 billfish between 13 boats is amazing fishing 

Hey wena how many times I must tell you to carry small silver spoons on the boat for those YFT "queres un estalo a pai natal??" 

[Seventenths]

Great report PB.. well done and thanks...makes me miss Inhaca and surrounds!

[peterblace]

I don't want a "estalo à Pai Natal"...I want father Xmas Prego to bring me some silver spoons
I told you bru...Marcelo's kids lost my silver spoons in Sta Maria...no open bail...old braid...rocks...2 weekends there and they went trough all my bag of spoons

just sent you a mail with my father xmas order
 

[John F]

All set for tomorrow. Last comp of the year.

Weatherman says we'll have flat seas most of the day and a nice easterly to bring us back in the afternoon.

Gonna fish for the pot early in the morning and then see if we can photo shoot a pointy one from mid morning.

[Gregf]

All set for tomorrow. Last comp of the year.

Weatherman says we'll have flat seas most of the day and a nice easterly to bring us back in the afternoon.

Gonna fish for the pot early in the morning and then see if we can photo shoot a pointy one from mid morning.

Tight lines sir

[peterblace]

yesterday final leg of Clube Maritimo fishing competition took place
it was planned for Saturday but weather forecast was slightly better for a outing on Sunday...therefore organization postponed for one day...
and weatherman for once was right...we had a wonderful day at sea
like last outing 2 weeks ago, very little boats launched...comp decison was still open between 4 boats and the remaining fleet was far away from reaching the podium
so 12 boats launched at 5:00
flat seas with a light East blowing...Maguro is normally wet ride...and only water I got yesterday was from the light rain in the morning

my plan was similar to Maximvs...catching some food for the pot...and then head out to try and take some photo
well...some how my plan didn't stick according to what I've plan
1st I went straight to Boia Perdida (lost buoy) area...and I get lost trying to fish nothing cause no activity in the area...not normal...there's always plenty tuna activity but yesterday we saw nothing
lines were out at 6:40...and while we were only starting the day Yolanda was already anouncing a marlin release
then I went North to B1 area where I met Maximvs around 8:00...he already had a hatch full of cuta
he will tell you the details...but we were working the same area (he told me to follow his track) with the same rappie colors...but while he was getting 2X, 3X and even 4X srikes at the same time I was having a nice soft ride...I could even spot the cuta jumping behind his tracks...cuta was really wild on Maximvs side

I kept working the area for a while and only got 1 rat cuta of ~2kg...and a missed strike
have had some troubles with the rappies...the new williamson auto tune was auto tangling in to other rappies...and some of the x-rap were swimming badly...either going to the surface or just going sideways which gave me some work adjusting them

by 10:00 I started heading out to the famous Radio Active spot to try some jigging
it was Rui "ninja" bday on Thursday and while he was in Nelspruit with his wife sorting out some order for me at the tacke shop he looked at a jig and thought for himself that if he was a fish he would eat that lure...so ended uo buying a 300gr pink jig...without knowing how could we use it
I then explained him that jigging it's another fishing technique and that we couldn't throll with that...but we would give jigging a try on our outing

getting to Poco we took the lines out and I setup my fist jigging kit...shimano travala 5.6 paired with a daiwa seagate 6000 (loaded with 80lb braid and 130lb leader)
first drop on a squid jig and I was on...on a win win situation...sometimes I was winnig some line...some times fish was wining some line
plenty head shakes and some nice runs after I got reefed...leader was all kinked after the ~10min fight

this was how I showed Rui what was jigging about...so I setup my second kit (in fact very light one)...shimano trevala 6.6 paired with a daiwa exceler oceano 4500 (loaded with 30lb braid and 80lb leader)
we first tried some buck tail jig but had no takers...so we moved on to a williamson abyss speed jig and we start playing the cat and mouse game with some proper hook ups
after some 10min Rui landed a ~6kg bludger that gave him a nice fight on a win win similar situation as mine

we kept working the same spot for nearly 1:30...in the end fish won the competition with a total of 6 jigs lost (5 reefed and 1 straighten hook)...I have just requested my offical suplier to restock for the summer
although we didn't win my partners were happy after trying this new facet (for them) of fishing

we headed out to the deep Liberty spots and only had a strike that we lost to line slack...probably a YFT as we saw them jumping in the area
after that on the 70mt mark we had a very inquesitive big wahoo sniffing the HB but not taking it...

we were sad about not having much activity but that's fishing...you never win always

water temp ranging between 24º and 24.7º but one thing I have noticed...sonar showing showed fish all between 25 and 40mt though I guess that the warmer water was bellow 25mt

for the rest of the fleet not much gamefish but some billfish...I guess the areas they working gamefish is a bycatch

yolanda - 1 marlin
Spartan - 1 marlin
dafi - 1 marlin
nana - 1 marlin
Fourplay - 1 marlin
Pescador III - 1 marlin
Mon Ami - 1 marlin
Cafufo III - 2 marlin
lucky luke - 2 marlin

Cafufo III won the overall competition

congrats for Maximvs for a nice fishing day...you guys needed after a bad fishing year...although we still have some outings planned for 2013, 2014 is just around the corner

[peterblace]

some of the jigging action we were able to record during the outing

jigging

[Spickerish]

Nice footage and a great report, thanks for the effort!

[John F]

Yeap, as peterblace said we had a good day.

Here's the full report http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php?topic=16204.0

[peterblace]

went out yesterday with the missus for a short fishing outing and to spend some time at Portuguese island
launched at 8:00 with nearly no wind and flat seas
headed towards B24 but stopped for some spinning at B3 bonnies...2 strikes but no takers on the small s bend silver spoon
kept with the plan and lines were out at 9:30 at Bx Danae..then headed towards B24 and Jeremias and for the 90mt mark
nothing showing on the sonar...and very little bird activity..just the usual "cavalas" in Jeremias area and some YFT and bonnies out on the 90mt mark...but didn't take anything...daisy chains, konas, rappies, spoons...nada

saw plenty turtles, a couta jumping for 4 times in a row in front of the boat, some dolphins, a big bull dorado swimming under the boat and taking a sneak peak at the lures before heading back to his life...
...after 3h with no strikes we decided to head to Portuguese island for a swim at the beach...but Anouck was nearly not going for a swim...I had to bring the boat to 1m depth before seh got the courage to dive
when we were about to get to the beach and just at the tip of Portuguese island a shark jumped and spinned right next to the boat
we headed back to Maputo at 15:00 after a nice day at the beach...wind picked up a bit but nothing bad
got to Naval at 15:45

[John F]

Launching tomorrow for the first time this year. peterblace will be joining the MAXIMVS crew along with my dad and bruder....

Hoping for a bit of nice, relaxed social fishing ...

[shagnrelease]

Launching tomorrow for the first time this year. peterblace will be joining the MAXIMVS crew along with my dad and bruder....

Hoping for a bit of nice, relaxed social fishing ...

I see a  in your future!! enjoy  and best of luck!

[Shaun17]

Tight lines Marcos.... often the social trips when the interesting things happen!! 

[John F]

Cancelled the launching. Woke up to some serious, unexpected showers! 

Damn all of you weathermen! Back to bed!

[Chigger]

Cancelled the launching. Woke up to some serious, unexpected showers! 

Damn all of you weathermen! Back to bed!

Eish sorry about that, I was just typing a tight lines message and I saw your post.

[shagnrelease]

Cancelled the launching. Woke up to some serious, unexpected showers! 

Damn all of you weathermen! Back to bed!

The fish are already wet, get out of bed!

[Gregf]

Cancelled the launching. Woke up to some serious, unexpected showers! 

Damn all of you weathermen! Back to bed!

The fish are already wet, get out of bed!