Still late with the fishing report, but here an highlight picture of a big GT caught by one of our regular japanese angler during a 3 days popping and jigging trip, beginning of the month.
Stay tuned full report coming soon !!!
Tight Line
Capt. Nico
Nice fishing day at sea !!
End of February, I have a day charter with Gregory and his wife from France. After they have enjoyed travelling in our beautiful island, they wanted to catch some GT's on popper and some others species.
Conditions in term of weather was absolutely stunning, glassy water and damn hot, but that not made the fish so active, but we manage to found some spots where some fish were keen to bite their popper. Gregory missed the first fish of the day, but he managed to set properly the hook on the next 2 bites during the morning. As the weather was very hot we decide to do bit of jigging but fish seems also not so keen to bite, despite some nice mark on the sonar.
Then, I propose them to do a bit of trolling and less than 10 minutes a beautiful wahoo smashed the Rapala, "dinner catch". We continue a bit but without success. I decide to have a try on the popping spots end of the day, but current was slow and sadly it doesn't make the fish active.
All in all was not a so bad day, as Gregory caught his first GT's on popper, what was the target of the day.
It was nice to meeting you and I wish you a nice bluefin tuna season in south of France next summer.
Tight Line
Capt. Nico
Nasty GT !!!
Sometimes anglers are not expecting our GT’s to be so nasty. They can pull hard !!!
Very late with the fishing reports, as I am very busy guiding clients these days. Reports will come soon, but in the meantime, here is a short video where a big GT mistreats an angler during the last week fishing trip. Look how the GT pull him. With too much adrenaline and excitement, at the end he sadly lost the fish.
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
Great popping trip for young German anglers !!
Max, Robin and Christoph from Germany had booked 3 days popping with us last week and they had a great fishing trip with some good topwater action.
Max and Christoph had already experienced GT popping by the past in Andaman Islands and it was a first for Robin which is mainly fishing for carps in Europe. The first day they had a very good day, on the first spot and the first drift Christoph caught the first GT of the trip and on the second drift it's Max who caught a GT. They caught and missed some fish during the day, and it's in the afternoon Robin caught his first ever GT. End of the day, Max caught the biggest fish of the day a GT in the 20-25 kg range.
The second day, they caught some fish in the morning and just before lunch I proposed them to do some trolling to reach the next popping spots for the afternoon. Conditions were just perfect and in less than 30 minutes, a sailfish was jumping in the air and Robin landed his first ever billfish, congratulations !!! We released this sailfish, for him to grow a bit more and give the chance at another sport fisherman to catch it. In the afternoon, we found some good activity and the boys caught some more GT's.
The third day, fish activity was less, but the guys don't give up and keep casting and that pay off, as they caught some Gt's.
All in all, it was a great 3 days fishing trip with good action, no big one this time, but they caught a sailfish ;-)
Thanks guys to came fishing with us and I wish you a great holidays in Sri Lanka !!
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
Nice fishing week end at Bolgoda Lake !!!
Last week-end, I was guiding Maeda san and Ito san, 2 Japanese anglers who work in India and have planned to come fishing at Bolgoda Lake to caught Barramundi, mangrove jack and featherback.
With the unusual rains last week of January and first week of February, fishing at Bolgoda was a bit tough due to some murky water, but we always manage to put our clients on some fish.
Hopefully for our two Japanese last week end was the first day without rain and slowly water was getting better.
Saturday morning, we try to catch some featherback, but without success, Maeda san had a nice bite but was not connected to the fish, it's only in the afternoon session we start to found some activity and Ito san caught a Barramundi and a Featherback.
Sunday, water color was much better. The morning the guys have fun with some nice mangrove jack.
Just before lunch Maeda caught his first barramundi and just after he released his fish, Ito san caught also one nice barramundi. Few minutes later, on the same spot Maeda san lost another decent barramundi. The afternoon was more tough has the current was going slower as the fish activity.
For their first fishing trip at Bolgoda Lake our 2 Japanese anglers enjoy the place, so relaxing compare to the crazy New Delhi mega city where they work in India. Definitely, they will come back at Bolgoda Lake and I have the feeling Maeda san as a GT angler will come back also to cast some big popper next time.
Guys, thanks to come fishing with us in Sri Lanka, really nice to meeting you and I am waiting to see you again soon.
Tight Lines
Nico - Head Fishing Guide
Successful GT popping day charter
Few days after the trip with the Japanese, I have a popping day charter with Alex from France and Sergii from Ukraine, both of them were traveling in Sri Lanka for holidays and who planned a day fishing to target GT's on popper.
I met the guys at the harbour, Alex had already experienced Gt fishing in Andaman Island some years ago and it was the first time for Sergii. I spent a couple of minute to give good advice to the guys to put them in the best situation to catch a GT. We start the day in some of good spots, but as I don't see any good activity, I decide to try some others spots I don't fish often but I know they can produce good fish. On the first spot Alex have a nice bite, the GT bust his popper 3 times but Alex don't set the hook properly and miss the fish. On the second spot Alex invite me to join them and end of the drift I also missed a GT as I was not focus on my lure (beginner mistake...) On the other spot, I missed another one very close to the boat (not my day...) and Alex caught a decent fish who gave him an epic fight on his light tackle (PE 5).
Sergii was not feeling so well with the sun heat and start to have an headache, certainly due to beginning of a dehydration, I advice him to take a rest and to drink a lot of water and I gave him some rehydration powder to help. Despite his headache, Sergii keep casting and his efforts were rewarded by a big GT who grab his popper. As Sergii told us, he was definitely not ready for that fish as this GT fight so hard, but all in all Sergii found some enough stamina to landed the fish. Congratulations Sergii !!! You deserve that fish.
As Sergii was not feeling better we decide to finish the day with a bit of trolling with the hope to catch a nice king mackerel or a sailfish as the sea conditions were good, but sadly fish were not keen to play with us. Never mind, as the target of the day was to catch some Gt's and mission was accomplished with a big bonus fish for Sergii.
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
Hot popping and jigging action for Japanese anglers !!!
With some delay, here is the full report of a great 3 days popping and jigging trip with Japanese anglers Nakamura san and Hayato san beginning of February.
The first day, we mainly go for popping and despite some slight green water due to some unusual heavy rain days before, the guys have 5 bites and caught 3 GT in the 15 kg range and Nakamura caught a nice 20kg + end of the day.
As we have bites early morning and end of day, the second day we do a mix of popping and jigging. The morning, Hayato san caught 2 small GT and miss a bigger one. Just before lunch, I decide as planned to reach some of our jigging spots. Good move, as the sonar show me some nice marks and the guys were immediately tight with fish. They caught some amberjacks, black tip trevally, Gt's and a nice long nose emperor for Nakamura.
On the way back, I stopped on a couple of popping spots and on the second spot, I spotted a bait school in surface. Nakamura san, cast his Carpenter Gamma and a big GT came and smashed his lure very close to the boat. The GT missed his stickbait and on the second bite it grab it properly. Nakamura strike, but sadly the hook were not set properly and he lost the fish... Tomorrow is another day...
Last day, we discover a very nice water color on the first spot and I told the guy, that will make the fish more active, especially the big ones. And it's what happen, on the second spot Hayato san had a big bite, the fish goes on a powerful rush and straight in direction of the rock. I started the engine, and followed the fish to make sure the line don't touch the rock. After some epic boat maneuver to keep the fish far from the rock, Hayato san can finally fight his fish safely. After, a hard fight, it's a cracking big GT and we landed on the deck. Not the biggest GT of Hayato san as it's a regular GT angler onboard Big Dipper with Fukui san in Japan. But Hayato san told me this GT was the most tough fish he has fight.
On the next spot, it's Nakamura san who had also a big bite and again very close to the boat. This time Nakamura san set properly the hooks and start an epic battle with a healthy GT who gave him a hard time. And it's another nice big GT we landed, that fish was a bit heavier than the one of Hayato san. We try a couple of others spots without success, than we decide to reach the jigging spots. As the previews day, the sonar show us a lot of big mark and we are expecting some good action. But the most frustrating scenario happening, they don't have a single bite !!! We try different jig action, slow, fast, short shape jigs, long shape jigs, colors etc... but nothing decide these fish. We back a bit earlier as the guys have a flight early in the night, I just stopped on the couple of popping spots, but like I was expected we don't have bite as it was a bit too early.
All in all, these 3 days fishing were great and for their first trip in Sri Lanka Nakamura san and Hayato san enjoyed a lot their trip and they have already plan to come back soon. I am waiting to see you again guys !!!
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
Another Big GT on popping !!!
A little bit late with the full report of the last trip, but to make you wait, here is another cracking GT caught on popping by Sergii at the beginning of this week !!!
Full report coming soon.
Stay tuned !!
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
Big GT for Japanese angler !!!
I just finished a nice 3 days popping trip with 2 japanese anglers.
Here is one of the good size GT caught.
Gt's bites getting hot on popping !!!
Full report coming soon.
Stay tuned !!
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico
2 nice fishing days with french customers from Maï Globe Travel
Last week, I have guided Franck and Jean Claude from France. These two friends were traveling in Sri Lanka with their wives and as they are good anglers in France for bluefin tuna in Mediterranean sea, they booked 2 sea fishing days to target GT's on popper and have a try on trolling for tuna, wahoo or marlin.
First day, we have a great weather, but the water color was green on the shore and on our popping spots, which is not so good. Anyway we start the day with some popping, but quickly I discover that will be useless to spend all day to cast the poppers. Then after a couple of hours without any activity and decided to reach the drop off to found better quality of water to do some trolling.
Good move, as when we reach the continental shelf, water color was much better and we saw lot of birds. We put the lures in the water and in less then an hour we had a strike, but sadly the fish came off. I continued to fish the area as many birds are there and we can spot some bonito and skipjack in surface. And it paid off, we have another strike and Franck caught a nice wahoo. Few minutes later we have another wahoo on board caught by Jean Claude.
As I spotted some nice big marks on the sonar, who look like big tunas, I stay in this area. I change the lure to fish a bit deeper, but sadly we don't have the big bite excepted. Before to back to the harbour we spent an hour to do some jigging, not a crazy activity, but the guys have fun landing some colourful rocky fish. On the way back we stop to take a chance on 2 popping spots, but the Gt's were definitely not keen to bite their popper. Tomorrow is another day
Second day, as I found on my weather forecast a nice north current was coming during the night and I was expecting better condition for popping. And as expected, on the first spot we discover a slight green water and a nice line of current. On the second spot, Jean Claude has the first GT bite of the day and it was a big fish, but sadly he missed the fish as he doesn't set the hook properly. Next spot Franck landed the first GT and a couple of minutes later, it's a nice sailfish who was following his popper till it saw the boat.
The guys asked me to join them to cast and I caught 2 small GT with my floating stickbait. As the conditions looks good and fish were active I decided to fish some other spots little bit more far. On the first spot, a huge King Mackerel jump with the popper of Franck in his mouth, but as usual the fish doesn't hooked. Next spot, Franck had another bite, the kind of bite you are dreaming when you cast a big popper for Gt's. That Gt was a monster !!! We all saw this beast in surface coming from the side to smashed the Rapala Xplode. The swirl was huge !! Franck set perfectly the hook and the fish goes in a long and powerful rush. It was a long time I haven't heard a Shimano Stella screaming like this. I started the engines and moved the boat to help Franck and mainly make sure his line will stayed far from the rock. Franck handle it perfectly and when the fish and the boat were enough far from the rock, Franck started to fight his GT. This fish was damn heavy as I can see the bent of Franck's rod, the tip was close to touch the surface of the water. Everything was fine, but suddenly the line broke. Not on any rock or reef, the line just broke under the high pressure. This braided line was from a good brand, but Franck confesses to me that he has been fishing with that line for bluefin tuna since 2 seasons... No comment ! Just a quick parentheses for all the anglers who plan to come fishing with us, please come with new line, you never know what will be the size of the GT you will caught
Anyway, after this misadventure, the guys continued to cast their popper but I feel their heart was broken, like the braided line of Franck. And as the activity was slow down, I decided to do a bit of trolling and try to catch a sailfish or a mahi mahi. But the bad luck follow us as we don't have a single strike despite good conditions. On the way back to the harbour I stopped on few popping spots and on the last one Franck caught another recent GT to end the day.
All in all these two days fishing was great, but the missed and the lost of the beast leaves us a little bitter taste. Franck and Jean Claude were so funny on board, we had great time talking and joking, hope to see you again somedays in Sri Lanka !!!
Tight Lines
Capt. Nico