Algarve fishing report

[Dave Godwin]

Well the shark season has started with a bang, although its still early in the season we had a great day yesterday.
Four anglers landed six Blue shark, lost two more and another was cruising round the boat on the surface.
Hopefully we will have a great summer based on that result.
We also had a surprise visitor, a huge Turtle that tokk two of us to drag aboard to unhook.

All the shark and the turtle were released unharmed after the pics were taken.:)

[garyagreen]

weldone mate good to here youve had a good start

tight lines gary

[PanamaJack]

Hi Dave
The presence of that turtle's got to be a good sign. A sign that the warm water currents are there with, perhaps, some Marlin?

Were the Blue Sharks of any size?
Dave

[Dave Godwin]

Hi dave, yes you are spot on, the water temp is currently 18c and rising.
Last year it got to 24c in patches if you know what i mean.
I started trolling lures on the way in and out when the water got to 20c last year and had a take within 10 minutes on the first day.
They are mainly White Marlin and they are notoriously hard to get a hook into, i was tearing my hair out (and i do not have much).
I was getting then inshore as shallow as 20 metres, if we go offshore about 15 miles the depth drops right off the shelf, and there are the blue Marlin there as well as the big Tuna.
This year i am going to try the tangle rig for the marlin as i have been hearing that the success rate is very good with no damage to the fish.
I would be interested to hear any suggestions or tips you may have re the billfish.
We are getting a good influx of Blue shark at the moment, these will thin out as the water gets warmer and then the Mako move in to help make the numbers up along with Dorado.:boat:

[PanamaJack]

Hi Dave
Here's a link - http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_WhatsNewTackleFront_4.asp - to an article on our Club's web site regarding rigging a lure for White Marlin.

It's always a Catch 22 situation though rig for Whites and a Blue turns up, with the inevitable result, fish heavy and Whites start 'batting' the lure. They either, frustratingly, fail to hook up or I've even had one on an 80 rig where I'm fairly certain I must have ripped the 12/0 hook straight through its bill.

Is the 'tangle' rig you were refering to the one, without hooks, rigged with the 'velcro' type skirt material? If so, I've certainly heard of them working on Sailfish.
Dave

[Dave Godwin]

Yes thats the one, but i am making them up using a mop head.
Dismantle the mop, use the appropiate amount of the mop materia.
Then i unravel the fibres, tie in a bit of colour and away you go.
Thats the theory, and i will be trying it anger vey soon, if it works i will write a short descriptive article for your website if you wish.

Dave

[PanamaJack]

Hi Dave
Many Thanks for the offer. I'd be more than pleased to add it together with a link to your site.

The other 'no hook' method - well at least initially - you might want to try, especially if they appear in numbers, is fishing hook-less teasers. I've used it to great effect when fly fishing for Sailfish. But I know Ian Carter in the Azores similarly uses it when either fly or bait fishing for White Marlin.

Effectively just run a pattern of biggish lures - Moldcraft Softheads are great - with or without something like a 'Panama Strip, fashioned out of Dorado or Tuna. They're both particularly tough and stand up to a lot of 'batting' around. But NO hooks.

When you spot a fish in the pattern get the crewman to wind the lure in, trying to prevent it from grabbing the 'Strip'. Then just get the angler to run either a small bridle-rigged deadbait or livebait some 25 to 30' back behind the transom, and hold it there - rod high, finger on the spool with the reel in free-spool. The deadbait, if it's a deadbait, should be skipping.

The White will be focused on the teaser and when it's close to, and just beyond, the bait get the crewman to jerk it out of the water. It's important that the angler remains focused on the bait, NOT the fish. Because when the strike comes it's real quick! The great thing is that it's VERY visual.

Just one point to bear in mind if the White is attracted to one of the long teasers wind the short ones in quickly, first, to prevent them distracting it.
Dave

[Dave Godwin]

Hi dave thanks for the info, it often sounds quite logical but you don't always think of it yourself.
I would be pleased if you could put a link on your website for me.
I hope to have some results for you very soon.
Dave:boat: