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Yellowfin and the samoan squirts

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Destinations
Forum Name: Samoa
Forum Description: Destination Samoa info here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=66120
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 6:33pm


Topic: Yellowfin and the samoan squirts
Posted By: riga
Subject: Yellowfin and the samoan squirts
Date Posted: 17 May 2011 at 10:24pm
We ventured over to Samoa for the recent SIGFA tournament and fished with Mike off B-caus alongside other NZ crews mostly White Pointers but also a Kingfisher in the mix this year.

It began with a shotgun start

These guys had their posies sorted for later in the day


Gamekeeper and Girlfriend




We had a jump start on the field but it wasn't long till the Girlfriend put an end to that.  For those that saw the 840 pro sportsman at the boatshow this is its sister but with a Volvo D6 and 997 litres of diesel, it is a beast of a trailer boat.


We finally got on the board on the second day with a t&r small blue

It was the 49th marlin for the boat and also the quickest as well coming to the boat, tagged, hook removed and swimming away within 5 mins.  Hopes were high for cracking the half tonne.

The next day started quietly with a small mahi and then mid arvo the shotgun, connected to a custom trophy lure dubbed the Samoan slayer, starts screaming.

Initial thoughts were a better marlin and number 50 was looking hopeful, midway through the fight things went deep, we started circling while trying to pump hard and get the fish up with thoughts now on a good yellowfin, after 10mins of hard pumping trying to get some line back the big yellow sickles could be seen coming up from the depths.

This fella wasn't finished though and tried to be a handful on the leader but some good work was put in and the gaff sunk home and over the side it came.



Awesome colours


Back at the weighstation it went a solid 130lbs and we were stoked.

After that fish, the tagged blue and a few smaller fish we went into the last day in the lead and looking good for the prize money.

We started off well hooking another marlin but dropping it after 15mins not far from the boat and had another shot in the arvo that didn't stick.  The last day was a big day on fish.  Gamekeeper tagged two and lost a double right at the end of the day otherwise they would have been in the money, Mawhai was up there, Rodfather had a hard time dropping over 5 marlin for the day, Girlfriend after tagging a blue on the first day sunk a gaff into one with it going just on 100kg and taking out the heaviest marlin section as well as first tagged marlin, a good comp for them.

But the victors were a local boat, Black Pearl, with 3 marlin and other smaller fish to push them over the line, two other local boats rounding out the top three, with one of them tagging 3 marlin on the final day to rocket up the board.  

All up on the last day there were over 15 marlin tagged or weighed for 20 boats, considering some of the local boats were only 13ft that is pretty good fishing.

The locals did have a secret weapon though, they were immune to the squirts, with all the kiwi crews suffering the butt clenching experience.  We were lucky, at least we had a duck-board unlike the Girlfriend. 

While we didn't get the prize money it was pretty hard to complain seeing as we had scored a sweet fin which took out second place and the conditions weren't too bad either with 31 degree days and the water the same temp.

 













Replies:
Posted By: markallan
Date Posted: 17 May 2011 at 10:29pm
Originally posted by riga riga wrote:


The locals did have a secret weapon though, they were immune to the squirts, with all the kiwi crews suffering the butt clenching experience.  
 



Its the Vailema that causes that hahaha


Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 17 May 2011 at 10:34pm
That is awesome looking water. Ya gotta love the tropics, eh. I really like the way you have all your leader rigs so nicely and tidily stowed away in your boat. Way better than my chaos! :-)


Posted By: fish food
Date Posted: 17 May 2011 at 10:47pm
Hey Riga, could you tell me what sort of costs are involved with shipping your boat up the tropics, and how you went about it, im dreaming about taking a 7m aly up there some time


Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 7:06am
Great report Ryan, seems the fishing was a lot better than when i fished it on Gamekeeper last year.
What did the YF weigh? nice sashimiThumbs Up


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www.kavemantackle.co.nz


Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 8:29am
Originally posted by fish food fish food wrote:

Hey Riga, could you tell me what sort of costs are involved with shipping your boat up the tropics, and how you went about it, im dreaming about taking a 7m aly up there some time
 
Hey there, we were on a mates boat so don't know the exact details, but the cost is heavily subsidised by PFL, which is one of the shipping lines who sponsors the comp, the cost I believe was around $4,000 but it might pay to check with Angus, Gamekeeper off here as to the actual costs.
 
I do know the tournament is going to be heavily sponsored again next year as it will form part of the celebrations of 50 years of Samoan independence and they are looking for as many NZ boats to head up there as possible, so would likely be a good time to head up.


Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 8:33am
Originally posted by kaveman kaveman wrote:

Great report Ryan, seems the fishing was a lot better than when i fished it on Gamekeeper last year.
What did the YF weigh? nice sashimiThumbs Up
 
The fin went 130lbs or 58.6kg.  130lbs sounds better though.  It was the first fin for Alex so he was stoked.  Some serious sweating was happening in the heat too.


Posted By: OffTheHook
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 9:03am
Awesome trip fellas ... Seen Girlfriend around the shore dwarfing a huge dodge.. What a boat


Posted By: Damo
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 9:51am
Nice fat Y/finClap

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Posted By: YeeHaa
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 10:10am
that is a beautiful looking Yellow FIN

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Posted By: skidder
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 11:52am
Great report and pics....nice to see the fish to boat ratio was healthy.

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Knockers - need I say more.....


Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 7:00pm
great y fin, long sickles on it. good stuff!


Posted By: seawolf
Date Posted: 18 May 2011 at 10:20pm
awesomeThumbs Up


Posted By: gp125_racer
Date Posted: 19 May 2011 at 7:05am
that's a nice yellowfin. Gotta to love those 100-150 tuna they fight way harder than the cows.


Posted By: Bonavista
Date Posted: 19 May 2011 at 10:18am
Hi Riga,
 
Good meeting up with you in Samoa. A lot of vistors had the squirts but being from Pago one gets imune to it. The tournament in Samoa was great and enjoyed the fishing on "Wild Bill".
Great Yellow Fin and they fight like crazy.
 
We had great weather for a change for the 12th Steinlager I'a Lapo'a in American Samoa the week after. I hope next year you can make it over for our tournament.
 
 
Well done.
 
Peter


Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 19 May 2011 at 1:15pm
Originally posted by Bonavista Bonavista wrote:

Hi Riga,
 
Good meeting up with you in Samoa. A lot of vistors had the squirts but being from Pago one gets imune to it. The tournament in Samoa was great and enjoyed the fishing on "Wild Bill".
Great Yellow Fin and they fight like crazy.
 
We had great weather for a change for the 12th Steinlager I'a Lapo'a in American Samoa the week after. I hope next year you can make it over for our tournament.
 
 
Well done.
 
Peter
 
Cheers Peter
 
Yeh would like to get over to pago and hit the south bank, it sounds mint there.
 
Caught a bit of info from Mike for the pago comp, I think they got 4 marlin and the girlfriend got 8, didn't hear any other details though, you might be able to fill me in.
 
I'm sure Gamekeeper will put a report up at some point too.


Posted By: RH580ikanui
Date Posted: 19 May 2011 at 8:17pm
Great report & pics'. Who do I contact for more info.. dates, how to.. etc. I would love to take the 5.5 up there next year.

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Posted By: Dark Horse
Date Posted: 19 May 2011 at 8:28pm
Thats a choice sounding trip if you don't mind me asking what do you think the the trip would have cost you including transporting the boat ect?. looks like it would be great fun!!! cheers Willie


Posted By: MMM
Date Posted: 20 May 2011 at 9:01am
Girlfriend won the Pago Comp, look at the Pago Pago Game Fishing Association's facebook for the results. Went to South bank last year on B-caus it was great, caught alot of fish. Dark Horse, Mike from B-caus is back from Samoa next week he could help you about the cost of getting your boat over to Samoa.


Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 20 May 2011 at 4:51pm
Cheers MMM, just had a look at it now.
 
Supermodel and Dark Horse, as MMM said get hold of Mike or send a PM to Gamekeeper as he has taken his white pointer up for the last few years and may also be able to help out with exact details of costs etc.
 
 


Posted By: Dark Horse
Date Posted: 20 May 2011 at 5:52pm
Cheers for that MMM and riga ill give that a try it looks like you had an amazing time over their, Pretty jealous haha


Posted By: Tikigirl
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2018 at 9:30am





http://www.samoaob.ws/en/27_04_2017/local/19379/Soraya-hooks-monster-marlin.htm - http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/27_04_2017/local/19379/Soraya-hooks-monster-marlin.htm


Posted By: NZTurtle
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2018 at 5:13pm
That's one hell of  defibrillator to bring this puppy back to life...

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