BRIEF HISTORY
The Bazaruto Archipelago is by far, Mozambique´s 2500 km off coastline most well know Big Game Fishing destination. The area first gained notoriety amongst the offshore fraternity in the late 50´s, when pioneer anglers discovered an exceptionally healthy population of giant Black Marlin.
Until the mid seventies, before the country erupted into a 20 year civil war, the area was considered, along with Australia´s GBR and Peru´s Cabo Blanco, one of the world´s top Giant Black Marlin fisheries. During that era various fish of biblical proportions were caught by the small and basic fleet fishing out of Paradise Island, including over twenty above the magical 1000 pound barrier.
With the end of the war in the early 90´s anglers were once again lured to these waters, but due to a lack of infrastructures, accessibility, suitable marlin boats and an amazing variety of lesser game fish, anglers focused on the extraordinary light tackle sailfish, game fish and fly fishing opportunities, rather than the majestic Marlin of yesteryears. Still, the very few who ventured out to target those experienced exceptional results.
In the last few years however, with the opening and upgrading of a number of resorts
and professional Big Game Operations, the Marlin fishing potential has been rediscovered and an ever increasing number of anglers are, between September and January of every year visiting the archipelago to specifically target these. Those lucky enough to have done so have found that the Mozambican war years have left the resource virtually untouched, with giant fish being commonly caught every season.
The archipelago waters are still to date the only in Africa to have produced Black Marlin in excess of a 1000 pounds and the current All-African record for the species was caught off the northern tip of Bazaruto Island in November 1998, an incredible fish of 1298 pounds (incidentally to date the biggest Black ever caught on a lure worldwide).
BLUE MARLIN are also present in the area but seldom caught as they patrol much deeper waters than the customary Black Marlin grounds. Their potential is still relatively unknown but in recent years, when things get slow off the reef´s edge, boats have ventured out wide with lures with encouraging results with fish over 800 pounds being released. STRIPED MARLIN are also present and sporadically seen fining, but catches are scarce as they also roam much deeper water than the traditional grounds.
SEASON
Large females accompanied by smaller males start to make an appearance offshore from late August to early September. Although the season can stretch to April and fish have been caught on all calendar months, peak season normally runs from mid September to mid December.
TECHNIQUES
Traditionally the Marlin off Bazaruto were mainly targeted either with live or skip/swim baits, but in the last few years the I.B boats experimented with lures and have had tremendous success. This is certainly one of the most alluring, educational and interesting aspects of Marlin fishing on the archipelago, as depending on conditions all techniques work well and on any given day one is likely to use all three methods as well as bait & switch.
FISHING AREAS
The most consistent Black Marlin fishing are at the reef´s edge in between 45 and 120 meters (130 to 360 ft) of water, a mere three to five miles from shore. This of course provides relatively short runs to the fishing grounds (20 to 40 minutes) and fishing in sight of the breathtaking scenery of the deserted beaches and exquisite sand dunes that make up Bazaruto´s windward coastline. Another exceptional aspect of fishing these waters is that as there are a limited number of resorts in the area and therefore very few boats and one will rarely see more than a handful of fishing vessels stretched over the fishing grounds - actually most times you are likely to be fishing on your own.
OTHER Fishing Opportunities
The Bazaruto archipelago is not only known for its big game fishing, but for its 
diversity and never ending fish species. Be it plugging the reef´s for GT´s, fly fishing, vertical jigging, drop shot or any other method we are always willing to cater for every angler´s specific requirements.
Light tackle conventional trolling - Being a productive but still relatively easy method of fishing for skilled and inexperienced anglers alike, light tackle trolling is probably Bazaruto´s most common way of angling used by deep-sea fisherman. Most game fish are caught with this method including smaller Marlin, Sailfish, wahoo, Dorado, kingfish, tuna, king and queen mackerel and a kaleidoscope of other species.
Light tackle (drop shot & spinning) - Working jigs, spoons or drop shoot on light to ultra light tackle in the archipelago´s various reefs can produce a vast array of big and small game fish species. Some reefs such as 25 mile and lighthouse/III trees have produced over 15 species in a single day and the chance to hook one of the various species of kingfish, that will test your angling skills to the limit, is almost guaranteed.
Plugging / popper fishing - Being the visual and active way of fishing that it is, working poppers and other kinds of surface plugs is undoubted one of the most exciting ways to target the toughest fish that swims the reefs. Giant Kingfish (GT) fishing is almost a religion on the archipelago and various spots are known to regularly produce extremely large fish. Other species such as king mackerel, snappers, queenfish, all members of the kingfish family, sharks and other´s are also regularly caught using this technique.
Vertical jigging - Because of its ability to cover all the water columns, vertical jigging opens untapped doors to fishermen by producing an endless variety of species. These techniques as only recently been used extensively in this area but the results are taking it by storm.
Fly Fishing - Be it teasing billfish on the fly, chasing surface feeding schools of game fish, using fast sinking line on deep reefs for GT´s, casting over shallow reefs from the boat or beach or working the flats the diverse Bazaruto coastline and reef structure offers exceptional fly fishing opportunities. On last season´s best day in November we caught a total of 17 different species, including 5 species of kingfish, green and rosy jobfish, king and queen mackerel, largemouth and needle scale queenfish, torpedo scads, rainbow runner, pinkhandle barracuda, salad fish, bonito and garfish.
Featured Fish Species
SAILFISH - Caught year round, sailfish are more prolific between mid-April to mid-October, normally peaking around May and June and again in September. With the right conditions one can expect anywhere between 10 to 30 shoots a day on fish averaging around 70 pounds, with the area´s record being 118.5 lbs. They are regularly caught as a by catch when targeting Marlin with lures, especially at the beginning of the season.
WAHOO - Wahoo are present in bigger numbers between September and January, normally with a second run in April and May. 30 to 50 pound fish are the norm although fish in excess of 80 pounds have been caught. Also regularly caught as a by catch when targeting Marlin.
DORADO - A summer species that is primarily caught between September and March, with October to January being the best months. The resort´s record stands at 64 pounds. The biggest bulls are normally taken when pulling fast trolled marlin lures in deep water.
YELLOWFIN TUNA - Although more associated with the warm water summer months, these species does not seem to look at the calendar and makes sporadic appearances throughout the year, and the resort´s record of 52 in a day was actually made in the winter month of July. Close in most are football size fish of around 10 to 50 pounds, but fish in excess of a 100 lbs have been caught out wide.
KING MACKEREL - Probably the most prolific game fish species in southern Mozambique, they are caught year round with all sorts of methods. The biggest crocodiles that can attain in excess of 80 pounds are mostly caught on downrigger rigged live baits.
GIANT KINGFISH - These kings of the reef´s are also present year round and an exceptional sought after species on the archipelago. They are mainly caught by plugging along the numerous shallow reefs along the island´s eastern coastline and in the strong current gaps between the Islands. . Fish between 30 and 60 pounds are regularly caught, with the resort´s record being a brute estimated at over 90 pounds. We have an exclusive T&R practice for this species.
ADDITIONAL SPECIES
Amongst the most common game fish species are:
o 10 species of Kingfish (caranx & carangoides family) bluefin, yellowtail, longfin, big eye, brassy, yellow spotted, bludger, short fin and ferdy
" 4 SPECIES OF TUNA - Yellowfin, Skipjack, bonito and kawa kawa
" SHARKS - world record size Zambezi (bull), hammerhead, Tiger, dusky, blacktip, silvertip, etc
o BARRACUDA - Great & Sea Pike
o Queen Mackerel (Natal Snoek)
o Queenfish - Largemouth (talang) & needle scale (five spotted)
" Snapper´s
o African Pompano, Mirrorfish, lady fish, milkfish and bone fish.
" Rainbow runner.
o Prodigal Son
" Tropedo Scads & garfish.
o Green & Rosy Jobfish.
Duarte A. Moreira Rato
Mail:
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Mobile: + 258 82 805 7160 (Mozambique)
+ 351 96 959 3317 (Portugal - July/August)
