Madeira 2012

[oliver]

Well, here goes, prey that we have a better season this year than last!

Not had a bad year so far, nice weather, mild temps, both on land and the water. I have pulled a few charter days in, taking people fishing for anything and everything.

Managed to find a few fish (tunas) and my best so far this year was back in mid Feb, a Big Eye going 45kg.

I was out with a friend a couple of weeks ago and we saw our first billfish of the year, a tailing Hatchet that wouldn't take the lures. Having seen the fish myself I geared up a little different for my charter last Monday and in with my normal spread of chrome straight runners and jets I use for Tuna, I made the addition of a Marlin Magic Sailfish Tube on the long right and a Baby Ruckus on the short left - just to see what happens. Paid off as both my fish hit the new additions! A 40kg Spearfish hit the Tube and a 15kg Big Eye hit the Baby Ruckus.

Dont know whats gone on since as on Tuesday I took the ferry to nearby Porto Santo for a few days R+R - my first since relocating to Maderia 2 years ago.

I will report when I get back.

Tight lines.

[MarlinNut]

<-- my face when thinking that you'd need "R & R" from Madeira ...

[oliver]

Fishing has been steady since I last reported.

The week after my Spearfish a couple of whites showed up in with the tuna run. Tunas going anything from 10 to 60 or 70kg made up most of the catches up until last week.....

Then.... one of the local charter boats picked up a 105kg big eye and a few days later followed it up with one going almost 150kg.

I am hauled out at the moment and today there was a bit of a bite going on. From what I can understand. 2 boats raised blues, one got a bite that threw the hooks after 20 mins, one boat got a spearfish and another a white. I also heard that possibly another boat raised a blue but I am not 100% sure on the details. I also heard that one of the local charter boats got a nice Mahi and an Amberjack today.

I drop back in this weekend and I start charters next Thursday. Lets hope it keeps up.

Ollie

[oliver]

Well it turned on a bit leading upto and over the weekend.

First on Wednesday Razzin Hell raised a blue that zipped some line and then let go and on Thursday Balancal had a fish of about 800 on for 20 mins before throwing the hooks.

Saturday I dropped back in the water and on my way back to the Marina we got zipped by a white or spearfish but it didn't stick. I heard that Katherine B also had 2 mystery bites - that failed to hook up. On sunday moring I got a call to go out as crew with Peter Bristow on the Katherine B and while we didn't manage to find a fish we did ride along side Lara Jade while she unhooked and released a nice Blue. I guessed it was around 5 or 6 but was reported on the dock at 700 - who knows - but a 5, 6 or 7 is a nice fish to kick the season off with.

Out Wednesday so lets see what happens.

Ollie

[oliver]

Another fish raised yesterday for Razzin Hell. Guess they are just Picking!

Katherine B also failed to get a bite out of a tailing broadbill and also reported seeing 100 kg tunas busting.

Can't wait to get out there tomorrow.

Ollie

[oliver]

Well I only managed bite from a spearfish last week but a few boats did get into the blues. maybe half a dozen fish released, the biggest going 700. Capt Jose on the Our Mary let a nice average 600 go on a lure I made for him last year. The original was beat up and bashed about and as it is no longer in production he asked me to do a repair job and make a couple of copies for him. Nice that it paid off...I heard he got another yesterday but dont know the lure....

Will try to get the low down later today or tomorrow. I have been sat at home for 5 days now in a dark room after some rather painful eye surgery. Off to the clinic later to see if my problem has been cured, lets hope so, I am out on friday and saturday

Ollie

[oliver]

Quick news update.

Today a private boat raised a 7 and a 500 that failed to stick the switch and local charter boat Lara Jade released a 650.

Yesterday one fish of 500.

Quick edit.

Tightline finished the day 2 for 4 on bait and switch, also heard that another boat got one but dont know the details.

[oliver]

We had a great day out on the water yesterday, but it didn't quite end the way I wanted it to.


Returning angler Jens Poulson managed to get in the chair twice, here's what happened.


Fishing out wide in front of town I was marking a lot of bait so thought it was worthwhile to work the area to see if we could find a fish. At 11am I see a nice Blue greyhounding across the surface behind "Katherine B", who was Just a few hundred yards away. Everyone onboard gets fired up for a bite and at about 11.30 my left short pops from the rigger and we have a fish on. Some careful coaching in the chair and half an hour later we get colour but I can see the fish is upright in the water and call it as being tail wrapped. When we get the fish to the boat we can see that she is in fact hooked in the underside of the belly and has a 12 inch hole ripped in her underside, exposing her insides. The fish was in a bad shape so we made the call to put her in the boat. The one other unusual thing was that this fish had lost her bill at some point. It wasn't a great feeling putting our first Blue of the season in the boat, but we were made to feel at ease that the fish would be donated to the local orphange and the kids would get a good feed from her.


I worked the area between the cliff and town for the rest of the day and at about 3pm the left long pops from the clip and we have another fish on. unfortunatly this one takes of about 200mtrs of line and lets go.


On the run back to the marina we see some Skipjacks busting so drop a light rod back and manage to hook something for diner tonight!


On the dock the fish we got went 385lb - the smallest Blue I have ever seen her in Maderia!


Jens booked another day on Monday so lets hope his luck stays with us.


The fleet finished the day with 5 marlin for 7 bites.


Atlantic Explorer 1 for 2 - 385

Katherine B 1 for 1 - 650
Pesca Grossa - 500
Xereu 1 for 2
Our Mary - 450


Ollie

[oliver]

Well the bite continues to be steady - I say steady because of the lack of boats fishing right now, I think if more of us were getting out then more fish would be seen for sure.

Monday I watched Balancal hook up to a nice fish of 650 or so that made some nice jumps before letting go. I managed to find another fish for my angler - his 3rd in 3 days fishing but once again after hooking up and making some nice jumps she let go. Later in the day Balancal managed to find another fish and were happy to release a 600 to open there account for the season. I also heard that Lara Jade had one of those "on" then "off" fish, again making a good run and some jumps before letting go.

Tuesday I was out and managed to find a fish, came up on the right long, popped the clip from the line and zipped a bit of line and then let go, next thing I see the fish come head and shoulders out of the water to eat the lure and come charging straight at the boat. Hit the throttles and never came tight. The thing was a very respectable 8 if not 9. Called in Tightline who were close by to let them know I had a fish up, and we both worked the area to see if we could get her back up but it wasn't to be. Managed to but a nice mahi in the boat on the ride home that comited suicide on a Hawaiian Breakfast. Cevichie for diner!!

Quite day today after a weather system moved through, looks like it should be clear tomorrow so lets see what happens.

Ollie

[oliver]

Well,

I have had 5 phone calls from Capt. Anibal on the Balancal today.

1. we just let a 950 go
2. i have another fish on nearly as big
3. it got off
4. I have another fish on
5. I just let a 500 go

Damn the bite is on.

Ollie