Kenya - Tiger Sharks and Black Marlin

[PanamaJack]

One of our Club members has just returned from Watamu where he and a friend fished with Peter Darnborough on Alley Cat. Fishing the offshore canyons they, on their six day charter, released two Silvertip Sharks - 100 and 150lbs - and 11 Tigers. The Tigers were topped by fish estimated at 800, 900 and 1000lbs - the latter, surprisingly, a male fish. They also lost two much bigger fish, and had a big Black Marlin take a shark bait - half a tuna on a wire trace. Unfortunately that threw the hook on its first set of jumps.

What was also interesting was a report they heard over the radio whilst out there from one of the Malindi-based boats - Snark. They'd been playing a Sailfish that had been attacked by a huge Black Marlin. On cranking the Sailfish in they'd discovered that its back had literally been broken by the initial attack. And the Black, still lit up, had followed it to the transom. Whilst they tried throwing several baits at it it eventually lost interest. Patently it wanted the Sailfish!

The skipper was convinced that this fish was much, much bigger than the cast of an 1100 pounder displayed in the local Club house. Some fish!

[Happy Dude]

it's looking good for kenya at the moment dave.

i have my trip booked for the first 2 weeks in march, i would have prefered jan/feb but my mate can't make it til then

got 7 days on the kingfisher boats, canny wait.......

dying to do the jigging again, last year 2 of us had 180kg of snappers and groupers in 2 hours, fish to 25lb

also some small (10kg) amberjacks, i had one which unravelled a 100lb b/s split ring on my jig and nearly pulled my arms off in the process

got solid rings on my assist hooks now

[PanamaJack]

Hi Big-Haddie
Herbie's posted a more detailed report of that attack on the Kingfisher web site - http://www.kenyasportfishing.net/news_12_11_06.html. There's also a picture of what remained of the Sail! It's absolutely amazing how agressive they can be, and just what they will attempt to eat. (Talking to skippers in Hawaii they've had Blues attack 200lb Yellowfin Tuna they've been playing!)

That was incredible deepwater jigging you're describing - and some of those Amberjack out there grow, I understand, to over 100lbs in weight. And there's always a chance I guess of getting a big Warsaw Grouper.

I presume you're using braid. How about the rod and reel?

All the Very Best for your trip
Dave

[stonefish]

Hi Dave,
Read the link, thats an amazing story and photo. It's got my juices flowing in anticipation for my trip to the Gambia on monday. I'll mainly be beachcasting and I've been dreaming of a biggie! Anyway, I'll post a report and pics when I return.
Tony

[Happy Dude]

Hi Big-Haddie
Herbie's posted a more detailed report of that attack on the Kingfisher web site - http://www.kenyasportfishing.net/news_12_11_06.html. There's also a picture of what remained of the Sail! It's absolutely amazing how agressive they can be, and just what they will attempt to eat. (Talking to skippers in Hawaii they've had Blues attack 200lb Yellowfin Tuna they've been playing!)

That was incredible deepwater jigging you're describing - and some of those Amberjack out there grow, I understand, to over 100lbs in weight. And there's always a chance I guess of getting a big Warsaw Grouper.

I presume you're using braid. How about the rod and reel?

All the Very Best for your trip
Dave

hi dave,

i get a weekly report emailed from herbie, this weeks included the pic of the knacked sail, it's funny they didn't have the presence of mind to stick the sail back in with a couple of 20/0's in it

we don't do this kind of jigging enough to spend the big bucks on proper jigging rods and stella 20,000's so we pressed our skate gear into service.

we both used an uglystik 30-80lb standup with avet 4/0 2 speed reels, 50lb fireline and 80lb XP tuff.

knackering stuff in 500 feet of water, going to do more this year though, after i get my marlin of course

got angus on "neptune" for 5 days this time, he is the top man, best skipper i have ever fished with for sure, and "tina" for 2 days, not the greatest boat and crew, but i'm not shy in telling them what i want and expect from them....lol

les

[PanamaJack]

Hi Les
Yes, those Stellas are in another league price-wise! Have handled some of the mid-sized models though – they’re very well engineered.

But I was amazed that you can push them - the larger models - up to 65lbs of drag using, of course, those specialist rods with them. I guess with a conventional rod it would be shades of the early bath! Seriously though, friends of mine have had Yellowfin Tuna, close to 100lbs on those outfits, off places like Ascension Island.

On the subject of ‘big’ baits though I can remember once of Ascension using a 35lb Yellowfin bridle rigged on a 22/0 Circle hook for Blue Marlin. Luckily it was the crewman, sitting on the chair’s foot plate that was ‘taking the strain’ – not something I would have wanted to do for too long.

And for big Amberjacks, the first time I fished for them over the ‘Hump’ of Islamorada (Florida), though we were using the carcass of a Skipjack – the sides removed for ‘belly baits’ - on 2 hook shark traces. And to take it down a lump of rock tied with a ‘rotten bottom’ to the eye of the lead hook. Fairly crude, but it worked. Those AJs were so voracious though the skipper told use that he’d even had them on flattened ‘road kill’ ground squirrels!

Have a good trip. And hope you get your Marlin.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Following that story I couldn't resist including this one, a variation on a theme.

This time slightly different because the hunter was a Blue Marlin and the 'bait' a Spearfish. And the result was also different! The Blue having literally broken the fish in half swallowed the tail end. The crew however managed to hook the front half back onto a set of trolling gear and present it to the fish - BUT it fell off and they were able to see the 800 pounder in clear view eat it!

The full story from Hawaii's on this url on the MarlinNut forum.
Dave