BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing – April 01, 2018

North Equatorial Current

Pacific Equatorial

Countercurrent

South Equatorial Current

East Australia Current

South Equatorial

Current

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INTERNATIONAL| HOT BITES

6 VAVA’U, TONGA: Foaming yellowfin

Current temperature has remined stable at

28.7°C, with a strong south-west current

and a roll from the north bringing loads of

bait into the middle grounds.

Yellowfin tuna are still running, with

regular catches of 50 to 65kg fish and big

busts-ups of smaller tuna around 15kg.

There have been lots of 100 to 150kg blue

marlin around the yellowfin, with some in

the 200kg range. Sailfish and dolphinfish

have been slow, but we’ve had plenty of

wahoo in the 15 to 18kg range.

The yellowfin bite will slow into April and

the bigger tuna will have moved on, but the blue marlin should

remain consistent throughout April and May, with dogtooth tuna

around the outer islands.

Capt Steve Campbell – Blue Marlin Magic

http://www.bluemarlinmagic.fishing

7 FIJI: Big GTs and yellowfin tuna

Hot currents have continued

to spread throughout the

group, with good numbers of

solid yellowfin tuna taken off

both the southern and western

side of the island. The annual

Tuna Levu comp was run from

Nadi in February and produced

several yellowfin to 60kg, plus the winning fish of 73.4kg. Anglers

have also been treated to calm seas and plenty of GT action around

the inshore breaks, with many fish nudging the 40kg mark (as

pictured).

The coming months will see the last run of bigger yellowfin and

blue marlin before the waters begin to cool and packs of large wahoo

and sailfish begin schooling up in the predominant hotspots around

the offshore reefs and seamounts.

Capt Jaga Crossingham – Freedive Fiji

Email: [email protected]

8 NEW ZEALAND:A strange season

This has been an unusual

summer on many different

levels.The weather has been

exceptionally hot and humid,

and the sea conditions have

been at both extremes: either

glassy calm or rough with

cyclone-driven storms. While

there have been some great fish caught along the North Island’s

East Coast, the offshore gamefish have definitely favoured the

West Coast thus far. Although striped marlin fishing has been lean,

the number of blues has been much higher than normal, perhaps

because of the ultra-warm water.

We’ve enjoyed a smattering of other gamefish, including wahoo

and bigeye tuna (as pictured), and with abundant baitfish in all

areas we have high hopes for our autumn season ahead.

Capt Rick Pollock – Pursuit

Email: [email protected]

Warm ocean currents (approx.only) Cool ocean currents (approx.only)

5 SAMOA: Yellowfin tuna time

Big yellowfin finally arrived and

boats running out of Apia have

experienced terrific fishing

with tuna to 50kg, including

some double and triple hook-

ups that kept the anglers very

busy! Most yellowfin, as well

as dolphinfish to 15kg, have

been hooked on the troll to the north of Tarpini Reef, between the

1000 and 3000m drop-offs. On the inshore grounds the action has

continued with big Spanish mackerel schooling just outside the

harbour entrance. The odd sailfish is still being landed, but blue

marlin were unusually quiet during early February.

The yellowfin should continue until June, and the numbers of

blue marlin, dolphinfish, sailfish and wahoo will continue to increase

as we head towards the SIGFA International Tournament in April.

Capt Greg Hopping – Pure Indulgence

http://www.fishsamoa.com