For the waters around Kadavu Island- Fiji Islands – South Pacific.
Charter Operator – Matava Resort Gamefishing
Boat Names – Bite Me (Offshore) and Offensive Tackle (Inshore)
Average Water Temp – 25.0
Average Sea State – 70% Wind chop to 4ft, groundswell to 6ft / 30% calm
Average Winds – 70% Breezy to 20kts ESE / 30% light Northerly
Water Clarity – Variable inshore, good offshore
Spring is in the air but the wahoo and sails continue their airborne displays. With the late season start, Fiji should continue to enjoy a good wahoo bite right through to October. The big sails are stillbeing found along the reef but usually just in twos and threes. It has been a variable winter, warmer than normal with some unusual weather patterns interrupting the typical trade winds.
In winter, the outer barrier reef slopes are often inaccessible but these weeks of calm winter days have given anglers unlimited access to the big GTs that hang out in the breakers. This has resulted in a red hot GT bite. Kadavu island’s Great Astrolabe barrier reef is producing large numbers of mid sized fish with frequent fish to 70lbs and the occasional rod snapping monster getting the best of astonished anglers. Even the narrow barred mackerel are getting into the action with many good sized fish caught on poppers right in close to the reef.
Nevertheless, with the calm summer season rapidly approaching, the sails will move on and the wahoo move out wide so thoughts are now turning to the heavier tackle. Divers from the resort have been checked out by big black marlin on several occasions as the blacks migrate past Kadavu island.
With large schools of Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna scattered all along the barrier reef, the bent butt 80s and Moldcraft wide ranges are getting dusted off and serviced as attention starts to switch to the blue marlin grounds and the coming run of big cow Yellowfin in November / December.
Summary:
Blue marlin – Lots of small to mid sized fish with the occasional 600+ pounder
Sailfish – Still here with double hook-ups common. Average size 80-90lbs
Wahoo – Big packs still being found though starting to thin out now.
Yellowfin - Here in good numbers but can be patchy as schools move through
Mackerel – Plenty of small ones inshore, some very nice fish hitting ballyhoo rigs outside the reef.
Mahi Mahi – Yes, lots to 20lbs and some bigger bulls to 50lbs around
GTs – Red hot bite at the moment but the weather sometimes limits access to the best places.
Cpt Adrian Watt
Director, Matava Resort Gamefishing,
Tel: + (679) 3337 222 or 3336 098
www.GameFishingFiji.blogspot.com
www.Matava.com
7 Oct 2007
Saltwater Fishing Report – September / October 2007
1 Oct 2007
Sport Fishing Fiji Video - From Matava Resort, Kadavu Island - Wahoo, Sailfish and Spanish Mackerel with Capt. Adrian Watts aboard the Bite Me
Sport Fishing Fiji Video - From Matava Resort, Kadavu Island - Wahoo, Sailfish and Spanish Mackerel with Capt. Adrian Watts aboard the Bite Me
IGFA Angler’s Digest brings you light-tackle fishing from Fiji with IGFA Certified Captain Adrian Watts and First Mate Joe Tucco. We target Wahoo and Sailfish and tie into a Spanish Mackerel for good measure. The area we work is up tight to the Great Astrolabe Reef where finding sailfish just a couple of hundred yards from the reef is just as common as tying into huge wahoo that run in packs. We'll finish up the episode with some underwater footage filmed on a few dives on the Great Astrolabe Reef – this reef has perhaps the healthiest coral any of us has ever seen.
If you're looking for an unspoiled place to dive, snorkel or a world-class fishery just minutes from your accomodation, you have to do yourself a favor and check out Matava Resort and the Bite Me sportfisher on Kadavu Island in Fiji.
Sport Fishing Fiji Video - From Matava Resort, Kadavu Island - Wahoo, Sailfish and Spanish Mackerel with Capt. Adrian Watts aboard the Bite Me
27 Sept 2007
Government Denies Current Longline Permits for Atlantic Closed Zone Government Chartered Longline Vessel Will Conduct Research
Future Access Still an Issue
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has denied issuing Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) to 13 pelagic longline vessels to fish within closed zones off the east coast of
The recreational fishing community expressed strong opposition to the permit application noting that the zones were closed to provide protection for critical habitat for juvenile swordfish, sailfish, blue marlin and white marlin. At the time the agency considered the permits, it was reassessing white marlin under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Longlining in the closed zone would have increased white marlin mortality, as well as that of other species, so it made no sense to approve a “federal action” that would have negatively impacted white marlin. The recreational fishing community applauds the agency for its decision to close the zones in 2000 and now for denying the EFPs.
We're not out of the woods yet...
Even so, the issue is not settled on closed zone access for longline vessels. The agency will conduct research on a chartered longline vessel that will fish within the east coast closed zone. This study, identical in purpose to the purposal put forward in the longline permit application, will assess the effectiveness of recently required circle hooks to reduce bycatch mortality on longline vessels. Agency conducted research will likely employ fewer vessels, possibly only one, with a scientist on board to collect data on bycatch caught with circle hooks. The agency then will evaluate the data and, depending upon results, may issue proposed actions relative to the closed zone.
TBF appreciates the responsiveness of our recreational fishing community to this important issue and asks that you stay in touch with us for future developments.
17 Sept 2007
Fiji forums: if any one wants to know about alternate places to... - TripAdvisor
Fiji forums: if any one wants to know about alternate places to... - TripAdvisor
"Then to the airport to fly to Kadavu. There is the smallest airport in the world there, with a stick for the security!!!
We met our boat man and took an 45min ride to the resort Kadavu has no roads, so i just kept looking at the jungle, wondering if i had pushed my limit of comfort.
After arriving at MATAVA (www.matava.com wonderful website), we just loved the place.
By far, this was the most romantic and best food that we had. No electricity, eating by lantern, snorkeling on the astroble reef, walking to the village, watching the local boys dive...i just can't tell you enough about how i feel i got the FIJIAN experience."
Fiji forums: if any one wants to know about alternate places to... - TripAdvisor
14 Sept 2007
Marlin Expert: Fisherman's Resource Information Guide for Marlin, Information about fishing for Marlin - Pacific Blue Marlin trolling lures
Another well placed article by Adrian this time on the Marlin Expert website...
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Marlin Expert: Fisherman's Resource Information Guide for Marlin, Information about fishing for Marlin - Pacific Blue Marlin trolling lures
What Went Pear Shaped # 1 - Trolling Lures For Pacific Blue Marlin
2.30pm heading away from the
Cam Sigler Flies Bite Me
The Bite Me crew recently had the pleasure of the company of world renown fly fisherman Cam Sigler Jr aboard looking for some inshore and offshore tropical flyfishing action. His visit coincided with a visit from the IGFA Anglers Digest film crew who were here with Bill Boyce presenting a couple of TV shows from Bite Me. Being wahoo season here in Kadavu, we had little trouble persuading Cam to pit his fly fishing skills against a marauding wahoo pack and put one of his Cam Sigler fly rods through its paces.
We headed out to one of the many spots where the wahoo like to pack up and withing an hour had found a large pack of some 40 fish ranging in size from 30lbs to 90lbs. Our first run through produced multiple hook-ups on lures and ballyhoo skip baits giving the anglers and film crew a healthy warm-up before the main event. We then got set for the fly attempt with just two lures out off the left rigger and corner and Cam standing ready in the right corner ready to cast a large silver flasher fly. When the two lures were duly mauled, the boat was put in neutral and Cam cast. On his first strip back to the transom a nice wahoo of about 35lbs charged in, porpoised clean into the air and came down hard on the fly. The fly rod loaded up, fly reel screamed and Cam was into his first Kadavu wahoo on fly. Judging from the grin on his face, I think it was an enjoyable experience !
If you want to see all the action, check out the IGFA Anglers Digest website for a download of the show or see the show on the Sportsman's Channel in the USA or Wild TV in Canada.
It was great fun to have you aboard Cam and Joe and I look forward to many more action packed visits.
Next time, I recommend you try one of our big GTs on fly. Then you will REALLY know what its like to be hopelessly out-gunned on a fly rod!
See the streaming video on IGFA Anglers Digest website
13 Sept 2007
Reduce overfishing, says Greenpeace - Fiji Times Online
Reduce overfishing, says Greenpeace
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Update: 10.44am
ENVIRONMENTAL group Greenpeace has accused Pacific nations of continuing to treat tuna stocks as limitless and says the level of fishing in the region has to be cut back.
Greenpeace Oceans Team Leader Nilesh Goundar who is attending this year's Tuna Forum in Papua New Guinea, says the industry still considers Pacific ocean tuna stocks as a lucrative all-you-can-take region.
He says the level of catch must be set to a sustainable precautionary level and the Pacific region must resist the push to fish more.
He says over-fishing will lead to an unsustainable harvest with huge socio-economic and environmental costs as has happened elsewhere in the world, reports Radio Australia.
Greenpeace says it will push for 50 percent less fishing across Pacific tuna fisheries at the Tuna commission meeting in December.
Copyright © 2004 - 2007, Fiji Times Limited.
12 Sept 2007
Results of The 27th IGFC Tournament, 2007
In Association with
Kania
Force Line
Highest Scoring Male Angler
Max Oyagawa - Kania
David Fiu - Kania
Phillip Tombs – Play Station
Higest Scoring Lady
Phyllis Williams – Bill Fever
Highest Scoring Junior
Matthew Cook –
Tag & Release –
Max Oyagawa - Kania
David Fiu - Kania
Phillip Tombs - Playstation
Heaviest Fish
Adrian Henington – Turaga Levu
Heaviest Wahoo
Phyllis Williams – Bill Fever
Heaviest Tuna
Matthew Cook –
Heaviest MahiMahi
Anil Kumar –
Heaviest Walu
Bruce Southwick - Kania
Hard Luck Prize
Ryan Irvine – Wai Tadra (Down Under)
Best Dressed Team
Turaga Levu
International Game Fishing Club Fiji
Best Fiji Fishing Lodge Resort - Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - IGFA Readers Digest
MATAVA RESORT KADAVU, FIJI
GETTIN’ FISHY IN FIJI
By Bill Boyce
To anyone who has traveled the world in search of fine fishing locations, an un-deniable fact we keep contending with at so many of these destinations is .. Paradise Lost.. Paradise Lost… Paradise Lost. For we have all been to places we dreamed could never exist, and once there, had the most insane adventure, vying to return as soon as humanly possible. But when we did make that much anticipated pilgrimage back to paradise.. It was indeed .. Lost.
Typically due to over development, to people who for one reason or another just don’t seem to belong there. You know the scenario, we fishy type people in our shorts, and industry related T-shirts, keep getting replaced by the dreaded “suit and tie on the beach” look. Or worse yet, the bald guy clad in Bermuda shorts, with white sox, black polished wing tips, and a big obnoxious woven hat with MEXICO sewed across the front of it. Tell tale signs that your “secret spot” is a little less a secret, and more likely the hottest new time share condo destination.
Well, I just returned from a filming expedition of a new travel / fishing series called IGFA Angler’s Digest TV on the remote Fijian island of Kadavu.
From the moment my Top Siders touched the ground, I knew I had found a special place.
A place sooooo different from any other I had ever been. One which gave me the immediate imminent feeling that I will soon be truly experiencing…
The 40 minute skiff ride from the small air strip that services Kadavu was an adventure unto itself. Passing thru stunningly clear waters where the pristine virgin coral reefs pass just a few feet under the flat bottomed hull.
Read the rest of this article at:
Best Fiji Fishing Lodge Resort - Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - Black Marlin, Barred Spanish Mackerel,Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, Roosterfish, Wahoo - Bite Me Fishing Charters
The Fishing Blog from the Lifestyle directory of Resources For Attorneys
The Fishing Blog from the Lifestyle directory of Resources For Attorneys is a collection on posts, articles and editorials about the joys, trials and tribulations of fishing.
Attorneys, more than most people lead very demanding stressful lives.
Fishing, if done properly, can help alleviate stress. This blog has been set up in order to assist attorneys and other interested parties in obtaining the most joy and benefit from fishing
http://lifestyle.resourcesforattorneys.com/fishing/index.php?d=02&m=08&y=07&category=19
