Big Game Fishing - Jigging - Popping worldwide

Peter Gurd, with former Club member Harry Marshall, fished with Zak Conde aboard Amelia for effectively six days starting on 29th April. (The bite, and the whole of their charter, was focussed on Sao Nicholau so Peter didn't include the half days transiting between the islands.) They released 19 Blues - Peter had 12, the best estimated at 650 plus and Harry 7 up to a 700 pounder.

Peter's fished there every year since Zak and Ian Carter brought Andromeda up from Ascension Island, that was back in 2004 (or was it 2005?) and, other than that first year, this was his most enjoyable trip to date. In part very much contributed to by the fact that virtually the whole of the fleet were based in Sao Nicholau away from what is, unfortunately, becoming an increasingly 'seedy' Mindelo. Accommodation and food was also much better. That said Peter mentioned that they've now opened a small bar on a pontoon at the new marina in Mindelo - cheaper and a better atmosphere than some of the other establishments in town.

Peter and Harry were followed by Chris Flower and Roger Bradbury. Unfortunately their arrival corresponded with a slowdown in the fishing. In their six days fishing they released five fish, the largest estimated at 650lbs, from nine strikes.

'Hot' news though was Stephan Kreupl's first day, Sunday 15th May, - the first of a 12 day charter - and what has proved to be Amelia's first GRANDER. Stephan weighed a fish of 1150lbs. Gongratulations Stephan! He's now had 'grander' Blues from both the Atlantic and Pacific. Although I've just picked up the note from Zak's blog - http://www.marlincapeverde.com/Latest_from_the_Captain.html - I suspect pictures will be posted over the next few days.

At this stage I'm uncertain whether Stephan's fish was taken from Sao Vicente or Sao Nicholau but, given the weigh-in at 11:30 at night perhaps they'd had to run back from Sao Nicholau?

Just a few more observations regarding Stephan's 'grander' - and Cape Verde in general - initially from an e-mail I receieved from Stephan

Quoted

Gentlemen,
back from the cape verdes after a 13-days fishing trip we caught 16 blue marlin out of 25 strikes including a grander.

We fished with our BluewaterFishinglures and caught the grander with our lure “Superjekt” in the colours black/yellow/green.

2 weeks later caught Berno Niebuhr a grander with our lure “Big Smoker” in the colours Farben purple/silver/black – well done Berno.

You will find the the movie and the trip report under www.bluewaterfishing.eu
Go to “Movies & Clips” or “Trip Reports”.

Also you find us on Facebook under www.facebook.com/BWF.eu

And then a post from Berno that I picked up on this site on another thread.

Quoted

Our customer MARTIN FUCHS from Germany went out yesterday to catch his first marlin ever. He and his friend are booked on HAPPY HOOKER for 5 days fishing with capt. JOSE who is on the helm since April.

After catching a wahoo early they had another bite in shallow water which was that Marlin. Only less than 5 minutes after hookup the fish came alongside the boat and was leadered by TUTU. now they saw the size of that fish very well and decided to bring it in as a 1000 lbs +, but the gaffs were (luckily) not prepared.............having that fish on the leader and at the surface of HAPPY HOOKER's cockpit, TUTU gave the leader to KAPAI, jumped inside the boat and came back with the flying gaff. That fish was still easy to hold as it was completely calm and relaxed swimming with the boat !!! just that moment the gaff was ready to put it in its shoulder, it must have decided that something was wrong and exploded to get away from the boat !!

Only now she was starting to fight and it took the angler another ~ 2 1/2 hours to get the fish back to the leader !

Imagine what would have happened if they would have stuck the gaff in its shoulder after a few minutes without the fish having done nothing so far !!!!!

Anyhow, the fish weighted in at 483 kg or 1065 lbs. that is already the 9th grander caught on HAPPY HOOKER in the past 14 years here in Cape Verde, which proves her to be the boat with probably the most grander blues caught in the Atlantic and Pacific !

Big congratulation's to Capt. JOSE, our local crew TUTU and KAPAI, the angler MARTIN FUCHS and of course to good old HAPPY HOOKER !!!!!

tight lines to all,
berno

That certainly speaks volumes regarding the quality of the Cape Verdean fishery over time. Well done Berno!