al Current
Pacific Equatorial
CountercurrentSouth Equatorial Current5
California CurrentGulf StreamPeru Current
(Humboldt Current)8
7
bluewatermag.com.au 43HOT BITES|INTERNATIONAL
6 KONA, HAWAII:Ramping up to summer
March was a terrific month for
large blue marlin, with at least
four releases around 320kg
and almost everyone getting
shots at blues of 250kg.
Yellowfin tuna of more than
50kg – known locally as `ahi- have started showing up
slowly and the boats putting in the time and targeting them are
being rewarded.
The spring wahoo have also showed up and should get even
thicker as we head into summer. Spearfish have yet to make a
strong showing, but this should change soon.
May and June will bring even better fishing with multiple bites
daily from blue marlin, and increased catches of large yellowfin on
lures. Things seem set for a great summer ahead.
Capt Chris Donato – Grander Marlin Sportfishing
http://www.grandermarlin.com
7 PANAMA:Inshore goes off
All the action has been inshore
over recent weeks. The water
has cooled, bringing in large
schools of goggle-eyes and
sardines for full-on feeding
frenzies of smaller yellowfin
tuna, roosterfish (as pictured),
snappers and various species
of trevally. Offshore, we have been hooking into occasional black
and blue marlin, and the larger yellowfin tuna have been putting
anglers to work.
The inshore action will continue to improve as more baitfish
move into the cooler water. Sailfish should fire up around the end
of May and continue well into June, at which time the blue marlin
and dolphinfish will make their way back to the area following the
warmer current, which indicates the end of our dry season.
Richard White – Tropic Star Lodge
Email: [email protected]5 SAMOA:Yellowfin and blue marlin
Large blue marlin, yellowfin
tuna, dolphinfish, GTs and
Spanish mackerel have been
recently caught off the north
coast of Upolu. Trolling wide
of Apia, an angler with Team
Troppo released a marlin
estimated at more than 250kg
on 24kg stand-up tackle. Yellowfin are hanging around the FADs,
but the bigger fish are found over the third drop-off. Inshore reefs
are producing GTs to 30kg and Spaniards to 15kg.
Now that the blue marlin have arrived they will patrol the deeper
drop-offs right through winter, with black marlin found closer to
shore. Yellowfin tuna will stay strong through to July, while the
numbers of dolphinfish and wahoo will steadily increase to a peak
in September.
Capt Greg Hopping – Troppo Fishing Adventures
http://www.fishsamoa.com8 CALIFORNIA/BAJA:Big tuna
The San Diego fleet recently
scored double-digit numbers
of bluefin tuna to 27kg,
overshadowing their recent
‘lunker’ yellowtail catches.
Meanwhile, famed long-ranger
Royal Polarismade its final
trip, returning with near limit
catches of wahoo and yellowfin tuna to 108kg. As spring weather
sets in, some private boaters are catching large white sea bass as
others venture below the border in pursuit of bluefin. It already
appears to be shaping up as a ‘three-peat’ season for bluefin tuna.
As the fleet wraps up their winter maintenance, private boaters
will begin an early quest for exotics including dolphinfish, yellowfin
and striped marlin that are likely to arrive early if sea temperatures
continue to climb.
Gary Graham