Far Offshore Fishing Report - Fiji

[Dogman76]

Just a quick report from the last week of fishing in Fiji out of Port Denarau with Adrenalin Charters Fiji.

Things were going quite well at the start of last week before the rain started coming down with a tropical depression which was just under cyclone standard. This passed to the south of the group, but brought with it a LOT of rain.

Our charters on our 3700 Kevlacat - Synergy - were catching good quantities of Yellowfin Tuna as they migrate past the North West waters of the Fiji Islands Group, and congregate just near the world famous Cloudbreak and Wilkes reef - home of numerous professional surfing tournaments around the world. The sizes ranged from 20kg to 40kg, and put on great fights as they always do. With water temperatures well above 32 degrees, there were distinct bite times for the Tuna, which allowed for time to focus on other species like Mahi Mahi and Spanish Mackeral.

With a fair bit of structure in the water from previous storms, finding good sized Mahi Mahi was reasonably easy, and this species provides us with one of our staple fish. We regularly get 16kg plus and these are well received to the Flying Fish seafood restaurant at the Sheraton Denarau Island, which turns a magnificent fish into a brilliant meal. We always pick up Spanish Mackeral or Waloo (not to be confused with Wahoo - but Waloo in Fijian) on the inshore reefs trolling deep divers - particularly red/black combinations...

Mid week the rain came and came and came. Torrential tropical rain has caused some flooding in Nadi, and rough conditions have prevented any fishing to be done. It also gave people an extended holiday as the road to the airport was blocked and people got to stay another night!!

The water is subsiding at the moment but with the debris in the water it will be another couple of days before we can get back out on the water again. I hope no one has holidays planned for Fiji arriving in the next day or so, but conditions should improve...

Late Jan/Feb is always a chance for rain in the South Pacific, but it is also considered the best bite time, with thousands of tune bringing along with them Marlin and Sailfish.

I will drop a report in a week or so after we have dried everything out.

Vinaka from Fiji

Ben Doggett
www.adrenalinfiji.com

[Pete62]

Nice one Ben, always good to see a report from other areas. So you live and work over there?

Cheer's Pete.

[lethal098]

nice catch there Ben and a great report, thats an interesting colour of the dolphin fish at the back. cheers lethal

[capt]

Good report there Ben,
I,m sorry to say I dropped a mate and his family at the airport to fly over there on Friday. They were picking my brain about the place and I forgot to tell them to pack the wet weather gear .............LOL

cheers Jimmy

[Dogman76]

Hi Pete - yes we run Adrenaln South Pacific based out of Fiji but spend plenty of time in Vanuatu and on the Gold Coast as well. We do all the watersports for Denarau Island and have a few charter boats as well... Plenty to do, but a great place.

[Benno1]

nice catch there Ben and a great report, thats an interesting colour of the dolphin fish at the back. cheers lethal

i thought they all went that colour after death???...anyone???

o/t...great pics...even with the crappy weather...you guys would have had a ball!!!...cheers for the piccies and info

Mrs Benno1
Sunny

[Pete62]

Ben, ah the penny drops, mate my family has been hassling me to take them over for ages, now I have a fishing reference............................

Report on the news last night about the flooding, really bad timing but the only people complaining r the tourists, local still smiling.

Cheer's Pete

[backlash08]

good dollies!

[lethal098]

[quote=Benno1;953798]i thought they all went that colour after death???...anyone???

MRS benno, i have caught quite a few dollies and never seen one change to that colour but maybe they might depending on how they are looked after, maybe female???? not sure but if anyone can answer that question would be great, cheers Lee

[Pistol_P]

[quote=lethal098;955228]

i thought they all went that colour after death???...anyone???

MRS benno, i have caught quite a few dollies and never seen one change to that colour but maybe they might depending on how they are looked after, maybe female???? not sure but if anyone can answer that question would be great, cheers Lee

Dollies lose their colour very quickly.
They come to the boat that brilliant yellow & blue but unless you take a photo immediately they change colour fast.

Pete

[Nic]

Would the colour come back if you gave them a bit of a swim, maybe? Or would they still be too stressed?

[disorderly]

Report on the news last night about the flooding, really bad timing but the only people complaining r the tourists, local still smiling.

Cheer's Pete

ya really think the locals are still smiling.........

many homes flooded and widespread destruction...crops destroyed...jobs and some lives lost.....

Dont believe everything you see on a news report...

poor bugga's ....but of course the tourists complain about their annual holiday being ruined but at least they can fly outta there back to their cosy lives...

Scott

[capt]

Good report there Ben,
I,m sorry to say I dropped a mate and his family at the airport to fly over there on Friday. They were picking my brain about the place and I forgot to tell them to pack the wet weather gear .............LOL

cheers Jimmy

Here is an update on the mates........couldn't land in Nandi, so off to Vanawatu for a day or so ..........presently at the Nandi Hilton, rained in and board shitless...........Good luck for next week buds..............not LOL...........

over Jimmy

[Dogman76]

ya really think the locals are still smiling.........

many homes flooded and widespread destruction...crops destroyed...jobs and some lives lost.....

Dont believe everything you see on a news report...

poor bugga's ....but of course the tourists complain about their annual holiday being ruined but at least they can fly outta there back to their cosy lives...

Scott

Yes I agree Scott, its funny the reports on Australian TV focusing on the tourists, not the dozen people that have died or the hundreds homeless!! Also disappinting seeing the Australian government giving $200,000 donation which is the less than what the Kingdom of Tonga donated!!

Anyway the worst thing that can happen is for tourists to cancel their holidays and not come over - the weather is clear now and after the last major flooding the fishing tourned out to be awesome!! Cant wait to get out over the next couple of days, will do a new report afterwards!!

By the way the second Mahi Mahi in the photo was caught a couple of minutes before the other, they loose colour really quickly. They also go beserk once landed, so make sure you get organised for photos before all hell breaks loose!!

Also keep the lures in the water after striking a Mahi Mahi as you normally will always pick up a friends of theirs!!

With the amount of logs, etc washed out to sea with the floods I think Mahi Mahi will be on the menu!!


We are looking for a good mechanic in Fiji, someone who knows diesels and big boat operations as well as a bit about outboards and jet ski's. good pay and conditions, any interested parties please email me at ben@adrenalinfiji.com