The Wahoo Show for South Australian Angler Magazine

Shane Mensforth, journalist, photographer and Editor of South Australian Angler with mates Kosta, Eric and Jack turned our La Nina affected winter season around and got stuck into some good wahoo fishing. The first few days we struggled with some ordinary weather and quiet offshore fishing but still managed a couple of nice mahi mahi and a few missed wahoo crash tackles.

Eric & Jack with a nice double on Mahi mahi

The weather finally allowed us to one of my favourite wahoo pack spots and sure enough we were soon into some frantic action aboard Bite Me.

A quadruple hook-up, typical of a wahoo pack mass attack

Not monsters but plenty of fun on light tackle

Kosta with a nice Wahoo

Shane meets Wahoo... meets Shark !

Shane would have landed the largest wahoo of the trip if it wasn't for the attention of a couple of as yet unidentified sharks. This head and shoulders alone weighed in at 14kg. We got quite a bit of underwater footage (including those pesky sharks) which the experts are examining. Our new GoPro cameras are getting us some amazing footage..... I will be posting soon....

Not ideal popping weather and the GTs didn't bite but a few judicious casts landed a nice Coral Trout for the dinner table....and Matava Lodge Chef Kuki's special tomato & chilli sauce...

Bite Me Takes Fiji Sailfish Record

The Eyre rods and Avet SXs - Our ultra-light tackle Record hunting gear

Australian anglers Steve, Peter and Paul came to Matava Eco-Adventure Resort recently to fish light and ultra-light tackle on the winter wahoo and sailfish. We fished 3kg line class for wahoo and tunas and targeted Pacific Sailfish on 6kg line class.
Steve brought with him a new Cam now available from Avet. Called the South Florida Cam it modifies the Avet SX drag curve to perfectly suit our ultra light tackle record hunting.
The wahoo fishing was slow thanks to La Nina weather patterns but the guys did pick up some National Records including the M-03 Kawakawa and Yellowfin tuna. Deckie Glen was clearing rods after a multiple yellowfin hook-up when a chuky skipjack tuna jumped on. Turned out his skippie smashed the current M-03 Fiji National Record when it weighed in at 8.6kg

Deckie Glen chuffed with his M-03 Skipjack Record of 8.6kg

The boys hooked and fought several sails on 6kg but the sails continued to elude us with spectaculor leaps and jumps across the ocean (We have some great video to post when I get to a faster connection !)
On the last day we went all out for the M-06 Sailfish Record. Fishing Soso bay Paul hooked up a nice sail and we went into action....Winning back the belly of line, charging backwards after the hard fighting fish. With both Joe and Glen aboard to handle the leader and gaffs we finally had the sail aboard after about a 45 minute fight.

What a cracking Sail for Paul on 6kg line class

The sail weighed in at 34.20kg and subject to FIGFA approval and line testing is the new M-06 Fiji National Record

The new M-06 Fiji National Record

Sails Move In

Rob grabs a quick photo of his Pacific Sailfish

Continuing La Nina weather patterns have lead to the warmest winter water temperatures recorded in the past 15 years. The wahoo started moving in late May but the cooler currents failed and the wahoo fishing has been very quiet by our normal crazy winter standards. The winter run of yellowfin tuna is also pretty mediocre. The sails though are providing some fun on lighter tackle.

Deckie Glen releases and the tagged sail swims away