marlin on a spinner on YouTube

Capt john up in Taveuni certainly has some fun!

Kadavu GTs

We recently had a one week special charter to target black marlin and flew in a professional deckie and friend of mine, Glen Gardener to back-up Joeli, my full time deckie. Glen normally deckies aboard 'Bounty Hunter' a 35 Bertram charterboat based out of Sydney, Australia. More on that when I get a chance to sort through recent pictures of leaping marlin....

By way of thanks to Glen for all his hard work we popped out on Bite Me on his last afternoon for a bit of fun with the GTs. I recently added a couple of heavyweight popper casting outfits to Bite Me's tackle inventory and it was the perfect opportunity to Christen them. Whilst I would love to run Daiwa Saltiga Explorers or Shimano Stellas, as a charterboat, we just can't justify the cost of these Ferraris, not to mention the risk of them going overboard. Instead I went for the Daiwa Emblem Pro 5500 on Shimano T Curve GT Special rods and this combo proved to be just the job.

We upped the popper size from our usual MILs and fired out a big Halco Roosta Popper 195 rigged on an 80lb twisted leader to target the bigger fish.

The Shimano GT Special loads up beautifully on a nice GT

One of several GTs finally comes to the boat

Hooks out (we crush the barbs for easy release) and a quick shapshot

Ahhh....A face only a mother could love.

The GTs cute though.

Recent Fish

Its been a rather windy few months but that hasn't stopped us getting out aboard Bite Me and fisnding some nice fish. Thought I would post a couple of recent pics before I write the next gamefishing report.

Jason Ashman, regular BlueWater magazine reader with a Kadavu GT

Plenty of Mahi mahi around at the moment

A cracker bull Mahi mahi for Mary Migge from California

Ken & Vivian Eastwood from NZ found some nice wahoo
Sorry Ken, the ladies always catch the biggest fish...

Ken had some fun with the GTs as well

Nigel from England was sure this must be a World Record....

Sorry mate, just another nice Kadavu wahoo !

Pacific Bluefin Tuna World Record

Lynn Salvidge and her husband bruce spent a couple of days in June aboard Bite Me having some fun with the wahoo and Lynn honed her big fish fighting skills taking a W-10kg line class Fiji National Record Pacific Sailfish.
With that record under her belt and the record hunters bug firmly caught she recently decided to have a go at a fish that heavy tackle record hunters dream of landing. The Pacific Bluefin tuna (thunnus orientalis), a fishery recently discovered on the Hokitika Trench off the West side of New Zealands South Island.
Fishing for these monsters is not for the feint hearted. There are only a handful of game boats able to reach these waters. They have to cross dangerous bars outside harbours, make at least a 40 mile run offshore and he weather conditions are nearly always attrocious. Once out on the grounds, game boats find and closely follow one of the huge Hoki factory trwalers that the bluefin follow to scavenge on scraps thrown overboard.

Lyn's trip was no exception. With snow on the grounds, freezing 40-45 knot winds and 3-4 meter swells, the crew fought awful weather and skipper Lance fished within yards of a huge Russian trawler. After 27 hours of hard fishing and whilst the other anglers snoozed below decks, Lyn hooked up in the dark using a whole Hoki bait and began a 63 minute fight with a monster bluefin on 60kg tackle.

Back on the dock the fish weighed in at 223kg and should earn Lyn a New Zealand and World Record.

Awsome fish Lyn - Rather you than me though. Think i'll stick to my nice warm Fiji waters.....

USA v Australia Ultra-Light Tackle Shootout

Well, its official. Somebody up there likes to have a laugh at my expense every winter. Each year Tim Simpson, Editor of BlueWater magazine (www.bluewatermag.com.au) and I take a 'busman's holiday' and get together for a week of fishing 4kg line class. 

Each year we discuss at length, plan and meticulously prepare tackle, rods, reels and tactics to target the run of big wahoo packs that gather along Kadavu island's Great Astrolabe barrier reef and each year the powers above select a suitably sized spanner and chuck it in the works.

This year's spanner was a straight run of 30 knot winds that began the day Tim arrived and eased the day Tim left.

If we didn't have to wait another year before trying again it would almost be funny.

Fortunately this year we were joined by world renown biologist, photographer, writer and TV show presenter and producer Bill Boyce and his partner in crime Diana Woods. (See some of Bill's hugely entertaining gamefishing TV shows for free at IGFA Angler's Digest www.IgfaAnglersDigest.com).

I have to say that having such knowledgeable fishermen together in the same cockpit was more than just instructional, it was down right entertaining as West Coast USA took on East coast Australia and the ensuing realms of fishing stories that drifted up to the bridge could have filled a novel. A very funny novel, all be it with an '18 - not for sale to minors' certification !

We looked hard for the wahoo but could only find the occasional juvenile fish of about 10lbs sheltering from the rough weather. With the big wahoo packs stubbornly staying on the unfishable wild side of the barrier reef, we turned our attention to the yellowfin and sailfish.

Whilst we trolled teasers and special Bill Boyce kawakawa belly flap circle rigged baits for the sails, (forever known now aboard Bite Me as 'BB Specials') Diana took the opportunity to turn herself from beginner to pro-light tackle angler with every strike and some world class advice and encouragement from the two pros.

By day two she had taken the W-04 Kawakawa and yellowfin tuna Fiji National Records. On day 4 she set the womens 4kg wahoo record and finally, on our last day together she displayed all her new found ultra-light tackle skills by taking the W-04 Giant Trevally Fiji National record. Anyone familiar with GTs will appreciate the skill envolved in taking one of these fish on 4kg (8lb) line class.

One day we were joined by Mike Thomas, angler from California and member of the Tuna Club of Avalon for the light tackle fun. He proceeded to smash the existing M-04 Barracuda Fiji record which was previously held by....er, Tim actually. Ooops !

As to the sails, we found quite a good bite. Bill had a sail hooked up for over an hour and we were getting close to the leader when the hook pulled. Tim fought a lively sail to the transom several times after some hard backing down in nasty chop that sent spray clear over the bridge. (yes I got very wet) We could have tagged several times but the record beckoned.

Just as Bill went in for yet another possible gaff shot the circle hook pulled. We had doubles and tripples but the most entertaining moments were when Tim hooked up to a dancing sail, Bill cranked in a minnow at full drag to clear it and just before it reached the transom, another sail raced in, gobbled the lure and sped away. 'Crack' went the line. The look on his face was just priceless, not to mention the ensuing colourful Californian West Coast string of verbal observations. It was a whole lot of fun. I can't wait to do it again.

See some of Bill's awesome underwater photographs at www.boyceimage.com

Catching your own bait is economical and can be great fun

By Ron Brooks, About.com

Finding bait, other than at the tackle shop of course, is not always the easiest thing to do. We can spend the twenty or thirty dollars for a variety of live bait in a variety of bait boxes and not worry about finding any, but lots of us have a better use for that money.

That is why I carry a cast net and a good supply of Sabiki rigs on my boat. The cast net I use for the bait that is inshore in relatively shallow water. The Sabiki rigs are for the bait we catch offshore.

In the summer, baitfish normally can be found in or close to the surf break along the beaches. They include menhaden shad and mullet, and when they are present, they are easy to catch with a good eight to ten foot radius cast net. In the Intracoastal Waterway or the creeks, a smaller cast net is required, and we catch smaller mullet, mud minnows, and shrimp.

Once we head out and the water is deeper than fifteen or twenty feet, a cast net is essentially useless. It can’t sink fast enough to capture the bait before they swim out from under it. I have watched many a novice throw a five-foot cast net over a school of bait swimming in ninety feet of water. It simply will not work!

In the deeper water we use a Sabiki rig. Made by a number of companies, they consist of a six-foot length of monofilament to which is tied six to eight branches of line with a very small hook on the end. These hooks, from a number 4 to a number 10, have a small piece of tough Mylar tied to them and they do well imitating small shrimp or fish.

As I said, a number of tackle companies offer these rigs. The one I have been most successful with over the last year has been the Daiichi “Bleeding Hook” brand. It is made the same as other brands, except it uses their trademark red hooks. Even as small as they are, these hooks are extremely sharp, and the red color catches more bait than other rigs. I proved it myself several times over this past year.

While two of us catch the bait, the third and fourth angler removes the bait from the hooks and tosses them into the live well or if a bit too damaged into the bait box. It is a well-orchestrated affair that consumes less time than all four anglers catching bait. With the Daiichi Bleeding Hook rigs I would invariably come up with six or baitfish – on eon every hook – while my partner brought up two or three. We even traded rods to see if it was the Daiichi rigs or me. Much as I want to say it was me – it was not. Those red hooks won out. In fact, I have even moved to the bleeding hooks for most all of my terminal tackle. Simply put - they work.

Cast nets can run well over a hundred dollars for a large one, and around fifty for a small one. Bait rigs run around three bucks apiece. While the cast nets can be used for years if you care for them properly, the bait rigs are only good for one trip. The hassle of trying to wind up eight very small, very sharp hooks without tangling them is not worth the fight in my book. Someone needs to come up with a way to store them for use again another day!
Even with the initial costs, if you fish a lot, catching your own bait is far more cost effective in the long run. If you only fish occasionally, buying your bait is obviously cheaper. The problem is a lot of the bait we catch is unavailable in tackle shops.

Heck, it’s actually fun to catch your own bait. On a recent trip that netted only a handful of fish, my party told his wife we had caught over a hundred fish. I was puzzled until I realized he was including the bait! He had as much fun catching the bait as he did anything else!

The Right Bait By Ron Brooks, on Saltfishing.About.com

Info on Gamefishing

New Squidoo Page by Adrian...

Information on the great sport of game fishing. Including salt water fishing, fly fishing, game fishing, sport fishing and popping.

This is one place to find a good selection of info on all fishing incluiding salt water fishing, fly fishing, game fishing, sport fishing and popping.

Info on Gamefishing

Anglers ready to fish at Denarau’s first International tournament

Anglers ready to fish

The Denarau Game & Sports Fishing Club is hosting Fiji’s largest ever fishing tournament and Denarau’s first International tournament.

The tournament started yesterday with registration and captains briefing followed by a Calcutta and the fishing proper is scheduled to begin this morning and continue until Friday, August 8th with one rest day in between.

The official prize giving ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 9 at the Cardo’s Steakhouse.

The event is hosting twenty fishing boats, with at least 120 anglers (recreational fishers) participating in the tournament – local anglers will mix with competitors that are traveling from as far a field as Texas, Brisbane, Sydney, and New Zealand.

Over $30,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs, including Fishing Rods & Reels, assorted Fishing Gear, Holiday Packages with Airfares, and a host of other prizes.

The competition will be run from Denarau Marina, which was selected due to its close proximity to deepwater fishing grounds and world class facilities.

Members of the public are invited to come along to the official ‘weigh-ins’ that will be held each afternoon of the tournament. During the ‘weigh-in’ each competitor presents their catch for the day, the fish are weighed and each team is assigned its score.

The ‘weigh-ins’ are an exciting way to follow the competition and to witness the variety of fish that can be found in the waters of the Mamanucas.

The weigh-ins also have a festive atmosphere with live music and a bar. The weigh-ins will be held at 5.30pm on Monday, August 4 to Friday, August 8 (excluding Wednesday, August 6), on the deck of Cardo’s Restaurant, Denarau Marina.

The prize-giving ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 9 at 12.30pm (lunchtime) at Cardo’s restaurant. Members of the public are invited to witness the culmination of the competition for free.

Tickets to the prize-giving lunch are also available from the tournament desk at Cardo’s Restaurant Deck at Port Denarau from Sunday, August 3 onwards.

For further information log onto the Denarau Game & Sports Fishing website at www.dgsfcfiji.com or contact Marc McElrath on mobile 9997 230.

For media queries contact Craig McElrath on mobile 9997 235 or Nicky Thomson on mobile 9923 182.

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS:

The tournament’s main sponsor is Riviera Fiji.

Other significant sponsors include Air Pacific, Pacific Sun, Island Hoppers, McDonalds, Gamefish Fiji, Marine Power, Terry Allen Construction, Cardo’s Steakhouse, Mokosoi Soaps, Asco Motors, Marshall Sails, Tourist Transport of Fiji, Savusavu Hot Springs Hotel, Uprising Resort, Sofitel Resort & Spa, Awesome Adventures, Kilwell NZ, NZ Fishing News, Wellesly Tackle, Pacific Harbour Gamefishing Club, Coca Cola Amatil, Saltwater Real Estate, Demar Fishing Ltd, Imported Marine Accessories, Xtsea Fishing Charters, Biz Clothing, BP Aviation, Lawhill Wines, Fiji Daily Post, Ice Man, M Recht Accessories, SK Davey Ltd and Fiji Gas.

By NICOLA THOMSON

Fiji Daily Post News - Anglers ready to fish

Bite Me Mystery Guest of the Month

Clues:
This mystery guest hails from the sunny West Coast of California with a sunny disposition to match.

A world renown photographer, his underwater and gamefish pictures are eagerly sought by magazines around the world.

Marine bilologist, writer, expert angler and now award winning TV show presenter and producer, you have probably seen him on TV.

The one and only Bill Boyce

Check out Bill's extraordinary photographs at www.boyceimage.com (you will be blown away by his pictures). Read his entertaining ramblings in the pages of BlueWater magazine www.bluewatermag.com.au or see him in action presenting one of his award winning shows at www.igfaanglersdigest.com

The 29th Annual TELLY Awards | Press Release

Matava was the recent star on one of IGFA Angler's Digest who won a couple of Telly Awardsfor the episodes!

The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web.

29th Annual Telly Awards Winners Announced
Telly again proudly honors the very best commercials, videos, films and internet work
www.tellyawards.com

New York City, NY -- (June 24, 2008) The Winners of the 29th Annual Telly Awards have been announced. With 13,500 entries from all 50 states and around the world, this year’s competition has been one of the most competitive and successful in the long history of the Telly Awards.

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest film and video productions, and groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

This year’s Winners include companies, agencies and organizations of all sizes, from large multinational media companies to small ad agencies and local production houses. A sample of Silver Telly Winners includes AMC, American Heart Association, Chicago Tribune, Chick-fil-A, Clear Channel Creative Services Group, Comcast, Disney Destinations,LLC., Eagles Television Network, ESPN, FamilyNet, Film House, Inc., Gaiam, Inc., Golf Channel, Harpo Studios, HBO Latin American Group, JWT Team Detroit, Kohl's Department Stores, Lockheed Martin, M&C Saatchi, Macys North,

NASA Television, NBA Entertainment, NBC Universal Global Networks Italia s.r.l., Outdoor Channel, PBS, PGA Tour Productions, SCI FI Channel, Sports Illustrated, The Boeing Company, The Christian Broadcasting Network, The Weather Channel, Time Life, Time Warner Cable, TV Guide Network, and Warner Bros. To view the complete list of Silver Telly Winners for the 29th Annual competition, please visit www.tellyawards.com.

A prestigious judging panel of over 40 accomplished industry professionals, each a past Winner of a Silver Telly, the top honor, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. Judges evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work - entries do not compete against each other - rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit. Less than 10% of entries are chosen as Winners of a Silver Telly, our highest honor. Other outstanding work is awarded a Bronze Telly.

Chairman of the judging panel, Richard Friley, the Emmy and Telly Award winning President of Friley Productions noted, "As judging chairman, our judges are honored to have evaluated such an incredible body of work. The diverse pool of entries represents the best of traditional and online video and was an inspiration to us all. The quality of work exceeded our expectations, even in this challenging overall market and it is a true accomplishment for our winners”

To find out more about the Telly Awards, please visit our website at www.tellyawards.com.

The 29th Annual TELLY Awards | Press Release