It was with great pleasure that Matava Resort welcomed back a group of keen anglers from Canberra Game Fishing Club, Australia who decided to return to Kadavu island for some more serious fishing action. Seven anglers arrived in early June to give Bite Me and our inshore fishing vessel Offensive Tackle a fisho's workout. Bite Me targeted the offshore waters whilst Offensive Tackle concentrated on casting poppers for the big GTs that lurk all along the Great Astrolabe barrier reef.
The wahoo and sailfish action was a little quiet being very early in the season but the GTs were on fine form and a number of excellent fish were caught and released. The Canberra boys were keen to try out some new ideas and spots so Bite Me on a heavy tackle trip to the Kadavu seamount tried some rather deep bottom bashing down at 150 meters. The bite was immediate and some nice bream raised but the sharks soon turned up crashing everything on the way up. One huge shark even checked out the drifting boat before cruising down and nailing a hooked up fish that was being battled up from the depths. Fish caught during the week included wahoo, sailfish, Spanish mackerel, Giant Trevallys, Bluefin Trevally, rainbow runners, red bass, coral trout, bream, amberjack, sharks and emperors.
All the staff were delighted to welcome our CGFC frinds back and would like to thank them for another memorable and thoroughly enjoyable week of gamefishing and beer drinking...
See you next year !
23 Jun 2007
Canberra Game Fishing Club
18 Jun 2007
Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia
I found this book extremely useful and entertaining. It doesn't speak down to you or use terms that I wouldn't use. It's not a cheap book, but once you purchase it you find that you got what you paid for! Great for people just getting started as well as the hardcore fisherman. Buy this book for yourself or as a present and you will be glad you did.
Heftier than most trophy trout, Ken Schultz's thoroughly comprehensive reference may be too big to fit into your fly box, but it'll take you more places than a marlin fighting a hook. Schultz knows what he's talking about; a staffer at Field & Stream for more than 25 years, he's held seven world fishing records at one time or another and was recently inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame. Somewhere along the way, he put down his rod long enough to reel in more than 100 expert contributors from around the world to help compile what should be the definitive reference on all things angling for some time. More than 2,200 entries cover the whole ocean--plus rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds--of sportfishing with topics ranging from technique and equipment to the fish themselves.
You want the ABCs of sonar? It's here. Unsure what a Kirby hook looks like? Schultz'll show you. How do you drift fish? This is where to learn. Hundreds of species are present and accounted for, their entries accompanied by photographs and/or watercolors. Say, for example, you want to land an Atlantic Bonito. The Fishing Encyclopedia will tell you the fish's Latin name is Sarda sarda, it's a relative of tuna, and it has a reputation for putting up a fight and tasting good once you catch it. Schultz also adds detailed information on its markings, size, habitat, behavior, and feeding habits and even offers some counsel on how best to catch it. The Fishing Encyclopedia may not be able to physically catch something for you, but it'll tell you pretty much everything you want to know about anything--other than maybe that old shoe--you manage to land on your own. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia The most comprehensive, up-to-date fishing encyclopedia in the world today Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the new standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative, and up-to-date fishing encyclopedia available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information.
Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope,covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.
"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." —Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life
"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." —Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream
14 Jun 2007
Pacific Blue Marlin – Lures that work here in Fiji
When trolling lures for Blue marlin aboard ‘Bite Me’, we run a standard spread of four lures off bent butt chair rods and use Penn International 80STWs. We run a long and short corner from the transom rod holders and a long and short rigger from the chair. Sometimes we run a teaser such as a spreader bar or a Pakula Witchdoctor.
We never run a shotgun. We always aim to tag & release all billfish and use Billfish Foundation tags.
We generally use lures that imitate or approximate to the baitfish in the area such as skipjack & Yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi or flying fish.
Although We use wire rigs a lot because of wahoo, we don’t double the wire inside the skirt to make a stiff rig. We just use a single wire to the hook allowing some flexibility and swing. Lures are tooth-picked or hooks set with the point or points upwards. Two hook rigs have the hooks offset at about 45 degrees.
Our recommendations are for normal general fishing on a reasonably calm day in bright or slightly overcast weather when targeting fish of any size. This is what works for us. Its not necessarily what will work for you !
SHORT CORNER
We tend to use this position more as a teaser or to tempt a monster fish with a monster lure.
1. MBT custom made monster – Silver over yellow – 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
2. Pakula Smokin Jo – Blue Silver/ Green Gold – 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
3. Marlin Magic Mirror Big Dog – Purple – 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
LONG CORNER
1. Hollowpoint Goblin – silver/green/gold – 1 x 12/0 wire rig
2. Pakula Rat – Black/Red – 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
3. John Lau Good Head – Blue yellow / Redyellow – 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
4. Top Gun Ball bearing Nightmare – Clear Purple tint in water / Black Gold – 1 x 12/0 wire shackle rig
SHORT RIGGER
1. Joe Yee Apollo – Evil – 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig
2. Black Bart Hot Breakfast – Blue white / pink white (yellow stripe) – 1 x 11/0 wire rig
3. John Lau Talibung – Black/Red – 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig
4. MBT Tulip – Blue white / White – 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig
LONG RIGGER
1. Hollowpoint Cabo Killa – Purple – 1 x 10/0 wire rig
2. Mould craft Wide Range – Purple – 1 x 12/0 Wire rig
3. Pakula Sprocket – Lumo – 2 x 10/0 wire shackle rig (this lure picks up a lot of wahoo)
4. Wellseys Hypahead Large Talai – Black/Gold – 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig
Where we get our lures :
Lure Manufacturer Links :
- Pakula lures
- Hollowpoint Lures
- Marlin Magic Lures
- Wellsys Lures
- MBT Lures
- John Lau Lures – Contact John at jaslau@yahoo.com
- Black Bart Lures
If you want to know what the top Australian skippers use, check out the lead article in the Feb / Mar issue of BlueWater magazine.
11 Jun 2007
Atlantic Circle Hook Rule Postponed
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the final rule suspending the mandatory circle hook requirements for participants fishing in Atlantic billfish tournaments effective May 11, 2007 through December 31, 2007.
THE CIRCLE HOOK REQUIREMENTS WILL BE REINSTATED, UNCHANGED ON JANUARY 1, 2008. These regulations require anglers fishing from HMS permitted vessels and participating in Atlantic billfish tournaments to use only non-offset circle hooks when deploying natural baits or natural bait/artificial lure combinations. (The use of J-hooks is allowed with artificial lures.) TBF encourages all anglers to practice using circle hooks in preparation for the reinstatement of the rule.
Please note: If your US state regulations are more restrictive than federal regulations, you must abide by the more restrictive regulations. At this time, TBF is only aware of such regulations being in place in North Carolina.
The final rule can be viewed by visiting http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/fishery_rules/2007/5-08-07%20BLF%20C-Hook%20FR%20Notice%20microcomp.pdf
Join TBF or renew your membership today! Don't forget you can shop online for your tagging equipment and TBF apparel!
Please visit our website at www.billfish.org.
10 Jun 2007
Pending Fijian Record Wahoo - Fishing Video Filmed at Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - Great Astrolabe Reef Wahoo, Sailfish, Giant Trevally and Spanish M
Pending Fijian Record Wahoo - Fishing Video Filmed at Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - Great Astrolabe Reef Wahoo, Sailfish, Giant Trevally and Spanish Mackerel
KADAVU ISLAND, FIJI
FISHING THE GREAT ASTROLABE REEF FROM MATAVA RESORT
Fijian Record Wahoo, Spanish Mackerel, Giant Trevally, Sailfish
PART TWO OF TWO, FULL EPISODE - STREAMING VIDEO
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 offshore and work the reef with poppers for Giant Trevally. Dee Peralta captured a wahoo as well as some amazing footage of wahoo jumping on our spread of trolling lures. Finally, Bill Boyce works a 4kg (8lb test) outfit looking for a world record wahoo but loses a potential candidate after 90 minutes on line. One last attempt leads to a pending Fijian National record.... 17.4 kg (38 lb 4 oz) on 4kg IGFA approved line.
Check out Matava Resort and the Bite Me sportfisher on Kadavu Island in Fiji.
Pending Fijian Record Wahoo - Fishing Video Filmed at Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - Great Astrolabe Reef Wahoo, Sailfish, Giant Trevally and Spanish Mackerel
9 Jun 2007
NMFS Final Rule on Swordfish Management
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released its Final Rule today, June 7, 2007, for the U.S. swordfish fishery in an effort to provide additional opportunities for U.S. vessels to more fully harvest the domestic swordfish quota.
The rule includes:
Effective July 9, 2007
(1) An increase in retention limits for incidental swordfish permit holders to 30 fish, except for vessels participating in the squid trawl fishery, which would be limited to 15 swordfish.
(2) An increase in the bag limit per vessel to 4 in the HMS Angling category, but retains the 1 swordfish per person bag limit.
(3) An increase in retention for the HMS charter/headboat category from one swordfish per paying passenger up to a maximum of six per charter vessel and 15 per headboat.
Effective August 6, 2007
(4) Modifying vessel upgrading restrictions only for vessels that currently possess, or are eligible to renew, on August 6, 2007, Incidental or Directed Swordfish and Shark permits, as well as Atlantic Tunas Longline category permits. These vessels can be upgraded, or permits transferred, so long as the upgrade or permit transfer does not result in an increase in vessel size (LOA, GRT, and NT) of more than 35 percent, relative to the vessel first issued an HMS Limited Access Permit (baseline vessel). All horsepower upgrading restrictions for these vessels are removed.
Effective July 9, 2007
In addition, restrictions specifying that a vessel may be upgraded only once will be removed for all HMS Limited Access Permits. The agency will provide additional information to Limited Access Permit holders regarding eligibility for the modified vessel upgrading restriction in the future.
Join TBF or renew your membership today!
Don't forget you can shop online for your tagging equipment and TBF apparel!
Please visit our website at www.billfish.org.
8 Jun 2007
Pressure from within the Calderon Administration May Force Changes to Shark Norma (NOM-029)
“We are pleased to see evidence that rational minds within the administration have looked to correct this terrible rulemaking effort by Conapesca,” said TBF’s Chief Scientist Dr. Russell Nelson, “but unfortunately experience has shown that promises made by Senor Corral are to be taken with a grain of salt.”
In December of 2003, at the beginning of his tenure as Mexico’s fisheries head, Ramon Corral announced that Mexico would ban longlines, factory ships, large drift gillnets and rescind all permits allowing any taking of billfish and dorado following scientific presentations on the impacts of longline and drift gillnet gear in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. These actions never occurred. In January of this year, Corral and his senior staff met with Mexican Senator Luis Coppola, Nelson, Guillermo Alvarez of FCP, and Alejandro Robles representing a coalition of Mexican conservation groups focused on the Sea of Cortez. There he promised that the Shark Norma would not go into effect until new research was conducted to look at its biological impacts. “Corral announced the implementation of the new regulations as we were involved with scientists in La Paz developing a work plan to analyze the impacts,” said Nelson.
“We no longer can deal in good faith with Conapesca,” said TBF President Ellen Peel. "We are going to keep up the pressure on this issue until it is dealt with by Senator Coppola, Chair of the Tourism committee in the Mexican Senate, and we are still calling for a suspension of NOM-029 until all the required changes are formally in place.”
Click here for details on the Shark Norma and TBF's position.
Join TBF or renew your membership today! Don't forget you can shop online for your tagging equipment and TBF apparel! Please visit our website at www.billfish.org.
7 Jun 2007
IGFA ADOPT A BILLFISH
Tagging operations are currently underway throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, including the waters off South Florida, the Bahamas and Bermuda. In the Pacific, we are relying on a network of collaborators, especially those affiliated with the Presidential Challenge tournament series off the coast of Central America.
For more information including how you can become involved in the program, visit:
31 May 2007
Tricks Of The Trade - Belly Flap Teaser
It’s another beautiful day out fishing for Pacific sailfish along the Great Astrolabe barrier reef. You were off at dawn and now your two pink squid daisy chain teasers are skipping along in the wake, your party of anglers waiting patiently around the cockpit with their pitch baits ready for the first sailfish attack.
Suddenly a bill pokes out of the sea, right behind the left hand daisy chain and a sailfish has a couple of half hearted swipes at the teaser tail. Deckie Joe swings into action and starts to work the teaser back to the boat as the first angler pitches a bait and skips it back to the billfish…….But something is wrong…….The sail doesn’t light up and charge after the teaser. It takes one last swipe with its bill and slides away, disappearing off to the left.
It’s the New Moon and the sails are doing what they always do here around the New Moon…..Being finicky !
Here is a simple trick that we sometimes use to get them fired up and in the mood to eat:
Teaser Tail Belly Flap
Bring in the teasers and set a spread of small bullets, feathers and bibbed minnows. Head for the nearest skipjack or Yellowfin tuna.
Once you have one, cut a couple of belly flaps in a stretched diamond or ‘kite’ shape.
Take a bait needle and some waxed thread or cotton and stitch the flap in a criss-cross pattern from one end to the other. This is to hold the flap together in one piece and to stop it from tearing apart too easily.
Take the last squid or lure on your daisy chain and tie the thicker end of the belly flap to the end of your teaser line with a bit of waxed thread. Slide the lure down over the belly flap so that the belly flap is contained within the skirt. Its ok if a little bit of the thin end of the belly flap protrudes from the end of the skirt. We usually use a strip of tuna belly but Queenfish or Dolphinfish also work well. All these species have fairly tough skin that will hold up well to being trolled. Other baitfish also work but tend to break up after a short while.
When the next sailfish mouths the end of the daisy chain and gets a taste, they will almost always light up, charge the teaser and eat anything pitched back at them.
Works like a charm here in Fiji.
We had a really great time!!!
A big thankyou to Adrian for giving me such a good rate on my dives!! Cheers mate! I'll send a couple of a manta pics when I finish editing them. Don't worry I won't send a big file.
Christina,Larse and Tristan & Veetis may were our favourites. But Neil, the computer geek that spoke like Clint Eastwood. A self confessed Air-Pig, really surprised other divers by almost doubling his air consumption! Stefan and Sandra were an adventerous young couple so far from home.
Tim and Wendy were lots of fun to dive with especially as they were serious about underwater photography. Phil the IT dude whom did not arise until 11am also was good company at the dinner table.
