Kingfisher Boats
P.O. Box 29
Malindi
Kenya
Tel: +254-42-20123
Email: kingfisher@swiftmalindi.com
Subject: Fishing Report week ending 7th March 2004
The weather this week has been calm in the morning with an
offshore breeze. The North East to Easterly winds start around 10 in
the morning getting stronger and gusty by evening, then dying down before
midnight. The exception was Monday when quite strong winds blew all
day and all night. Tuesday morning was again calm nice weather. Full
moon was on Friday and the water temp. 79 to 80 deg. In the last 2 days
the ambient temp - taken at 7 in the morning - dropped from around 80
deg to 75 deg. Quite a drop.
Another amazing weeks fishing with Marlin stealing the show.
On Monday Eclare fished out of Watamu up to Ngomeni trying for Marlin.
No Marlin seen and ended up with some kingfish and longtail tuna. Neptune
out of Ngomeni had a sailfish, 7 kingfish (one of 24 kgs) some tuna,
dorado, kolikoli. No other Kingfisher boats out on this day. Tarka fishing
on the Rips got a black marlin. Simba and OlJogi spent the night in
Ngomeni.
On Tuesday Neptune had a black marlin, a sailfish plus kingfish, dorado,
wahoo and 2 nice yellowfin of 20 kgs each. Eclare got a striped marlin
plus wahoo and yellowfin. Tina fished out of Malindi. They saw quite
a few sailfish, missed five and ended up with a wahoo and kawakawa.
Alleycat got a black marlin on the Rips and lost a stripey. Ol Jogi
& Simba left for Lamu where they will start the 2 day "Friends
of Kenya" comp. Unfortunately Ol Jogi broke a shaft and came back
to Ngomeni where another shaft was fitted.
Wednesday Neptune had a black marlin estimated at 180 kgs plus 2 sailfish.
"Friends of Kenya" comp started today. Eclare, Ol Jogi started
from Ngomeni. Simba from Lamu, all fishing on the North Kenya Banks.
Early reports from these 3 boats indicated some incredible fishing with
marlin and sailfish everywhere and big shoals of shark with some big
individuals amongst them. By the evening Simba had a one black, one
stripey, and one sailfish. Ol Jogi had a black, 2 stripeys and a sailfish,
Eclare had a stripey and a sailfish. Eclare I know had 5 marlin strikes
and lost them all. I imagine the other two boats had similar experiences.
Any smaller fish. kinfish, wahoo etc that got hooked was devoured by
sharks. Rob said he hooked a barracuda which spent most of its time
in the air trying to avoid the sharks below. And so into the night which
proved very disappointing. No broadbill for any of the three boats.
The next day was also not so good only 1 stripey on Ol Jogi. Is it not
most strange how everything can change so suddenly. Perhaps it was the
full moon, in any event that's fishing. Eclare finished with 1 stripey,
3 sailfish, 9 wahoo and smaller fish. Ol Jogi won the event with 1 black
marlin, 3 stripeys, and sailfish. Neptune on Thursday had 2 sailfish,
5 kingfish, 3 wahoo.
Friday was full moon and another fantastic day for Neptune with 1 black
marlin, 1 striped marlin, 1 sailfsih, 4 nice grey sharks and smaller
fish. Eclare went back to Watamu from Ngomeni and got a sailfish en
route. Snark had a sailfish fishing out of Malindi plus a number of
smaller fish.
Saturday was the 1st day of the Watamu comp. Tega started from Ngomeni
and early in the morning hooked and lost a big marlin. Mark said it
was the most exciting experiance, everyone saw the fish come in fast
and take the bait, but after some spectacular jumps the fish threw the
bait and that was that. They saw another soon after but this one did
not like the menu. First reports from Neptune and Eclare indicate green
water on NKB, windy and rough with a southerly current of about 6 knots.
This is not good news, all wrong if you are drifting for broadbill out
there, in one hour you will be a long way south of your starting point
and it will take you many hours to get back against the current and
wind, unless of course you can fly. A Cyclone has hit Madagascar with
winds gusting to 340 kph. Nasty, and I believe it is responsible for
the strong winds and this southerly current.
Sunday last day of the Watamu comp, and Neptune and Eclare return form
overnight on NKB.
In the Watamu comp Pussycat caught a blue marlin - I think the first
this season in our area - Alleycat had a striped marlin, and White Bear
and Tarka both got a black marlin. Quite a few marlin were seen, hooked
up and lost.
Eclare and Neputne returned from overnight on NKB and inspite of a strong
southerly current and strong winds during the evening and night they
had a boat load of fish. Neptune had 1 black marlin, 11 sailfish, 1
mako shark (all released) 19 wahoo, 3 sharks, dorado, tuna, bonito.
On their way back form NKB they had a pack of sailfish up hooked 5 and
got them all. Not bad going. So another great weeks fishing particularly
on the NKB and the Rips. Eclare got 1 stripey and 4 sailfish, 9 sharks,
2 good yellowfin of 68 and 57 kgs, 10 wahoo, barracuda, dorado, &
bonito.
The commercial nets are still getting longtail tuna and the beach seines
are still working Malindi Bay in increasing numbers. The other morning
I counted 14 of these nets working in the bay arount the jetty area,
and they have now extended their area of operation to include Silversands
reef. I saw tafi caught by this method i inch in length, 40 to a kilo,
very small juveniles. This method of fishing I believe was recently
banned, but it does not seem to have made much difference. The trawlers
are not operating at this time, but will be starting sometime this month.
More news next week.
HP
Kingfisher Boats
P.O. Box 29
Malindi
Kenya
Tel: +254-42-20123
Email: kingfisher@swiftmalindi.com
Website: www.kenyasportfishing.net
 |
