Vanuatu Yellowfin
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Destinations
Forum Name: Vanuatu
Forum Description: Vanuatu destination and travel info, advice and trip reports here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34616
Printed Date: 03 Feb 2026 at 12:02am
Topic: Vanuatu Yellowfin
Posted By: carlostairua
Subject: Vanuatu Yellowfin
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:15pm
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Hey All
Just returned from our annual epic adventure to fish Vanuatu, with Pete on Shogun. We struck some awesome weather, the usual trade winds weren't blowing which bode well for smooth seas, but after a cool winter in New Zealand it was straight into the water and a few beers to avoid deyhdration.... 
Pete gave the crew Bill Collector1, Bushpig, Euan and Bill a good run down on the gear while the supplies were loaded for our five day trip to Epi Island, just the essentials.... 
The next morning it was up at first light and it didn't take long before the first mahimahi jumped into the spead 
Bill had dinner in the bin - mmm, fresh mahimahi sashimi doesn't get much better! 
And a few minutes later the next one was on 
Bonze gave me a new prototype to take to the islands to see how it ran - The Grimmel Didn't take long before a nice 20kg Yellowfin pounced on it. A nice fin to the Bill Collector 
A bit further on we got on to a nice patch of birds and there were fins slicing through the water everywhere, birds sqwuaking and bait being busted up, the perfect yellowfin work up. The first reel went off......Pete kept the boat going.....the second reel went off.....Pete kept the boat going.....the third reel went off......still going.....and we had the fourth on!!!! 
Four nice yellowfin over 20kg joined the rest of the fish in the bin and we were assured a very warm welcome at the village that night!! To round a pretty special first day off, a billfish decided to jump into the spread, knocking down the rigger. Pete gunned Shogun and turned hard to port and this got the response we wanted as the 50W Tiagra howled. Euan was in the chair and got stuck into the fish What we thought was going to be a small marlin, turned out to be a very respectable sail over 50kg 
A quick pat on the head and we sent him off 
We arrived at Epi, settled into our bunkhouse and the catch of the day was divided up amongst the village before the ladies put on an awesome spread for us 
You don't go hungry on these trips, plenty of fresh fish and local fruit and veges! 
The weather stayed pretty settled while we were away and we were greeted with mornings like this every day 
We took plenty of metal with us this year and some bling jigging kit (just a pity that Air New Zealand stuffed up and ran over my rod tube, then decided to send it via Australia and Fiji to turn up as we were about to leave!!) we made by putting our Ocea Jiggers on some of Pete's popping rods. Bill Collector got into a nice tasty jobbie, which was cooked in a coconut currry that night 
A Bushie nailed a nice GT on a pink spear 
Over the reefs livies turned up the best fish, and Busie nailed this primo 25kg GT on a live rainbow runner 
The rest of the trip saw plenty of mahi's and yellowin pouncing on the lures 
And we hit another big yellowfun workup that had Euan sweating on this BIG fin, a typical November yellowfin for Vanuatu, weighing in at 62kg 
ahhh, it felt nice to stick a flying gaff into something substantial after the long winter We had plenty of fish to swap for pineapples on the way back to Epi that night..... 
And if we already hadn't eaten like kings, the last night on the island the village put on a pig for us and we got to see the whole process from it being cleaned up, marinated, wrapped in coals and leaves and put on the fire.... 
The billfish didn't really play ball but thats fishing, we had one up in the lures on the last day but he didn't seem hungry. We still saw some pretty awesome action, had some superb weather and saw some amazing sights. Big thanks to Pete and Leanne for once again being great hosts. There was also a fair bit of banter on this trip as you can probably imagine....what goes on tour stays on tour, although .....the quote of the trip has to be "It is really hard to get pissed on this beer" quote from Bill Collector  about to keel over after his tenth MARGARITA on our last night.....
Sweet Carl ------------- http://theprovider.co.nz" rel="nofollow - theprovider.co.nz |
Replies:
Posted By: Dirty Oar
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:23pm
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Awesome story Epic chur chur !!! that water looks bloody awesome .........Karp will be dribbling on his keyboard |
Posted By: Torpedo
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:26pm
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cheers for another inspiring report carl . Looks like a mean trip and the quadruple hookup must of got the adrenlin flowing |
Posted By: Kezza
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:26pm
| simply primo mate.....well done!! |
Posted By: Bender
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:30pm
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I think the villagers really brought that animal along for Bushpig to marry... bit of a language difficulty there eh?
------------- Nobody has ever come up with a great idea after a second bottle of water. |
Posted By: [email protected]
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:36pm
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Wicked looking trip and fish there lads, awesome area to go to and I am most envious , but, also inspired :) ! ------------- http://www.blackbillsportfishing.co.nz/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Karlosnz
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:42pm
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Sweet report and trip |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:54pm
Damn that looks hot, man those GT's look mean and all power 
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Posted By: KeenAs
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 3:58pm
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Geez, bet you lot were glad to get home...... NOT!
Thats a mean ass trip!!!!!!
 Nice GT Bushie, and i reckon them YFT are one of the best llokin fish in the sea!!!
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Posted By: Uhunter
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 4:44pm
| Well done guys, some excellent fish, weather looked pretty good as well. |
Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 5:04pm
That 1st photo got me going for sure ...I can understand the dehydration part...especially with H20 that looks like GIN...And some nice fish...Well done ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
Posted By: Bill Collector 1
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 5:27pm
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very well run trip thanks Carltop bunch of blokes and skipper,an eye opener destination for sure
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Posted By: phantomdeviant
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 5:57pm
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Awesome report Carl, looks wicked. Great photo's. The water looks beautiful ------------- Skirt Pulla |
Posted By: scullapint
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 6:12pm
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That is one hell of a Vanuatu trip!!!!!....After 5 days you would have to be fluent in Bishlama! ------------- Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn. |
Posted By: jerry69
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 7:36pm
| What a mint trip, great weather and good variety of fish, i'm jealous!! |
Posted By: viking...
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 7:51pm
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Awesome adventure and report ... nothing like the tropics.
Those GT's would've given you a decent scrap I would imagine.
and the yellowfin, hopefully they'll be on there way to NZ very soon.
On ya guys
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Posted By: Smith 2
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 8:08pm
 nice trip awsome fishing
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Posted By: billpears
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 8:22pm
| Looks like an awesome trip Carl, well done, hope you brought me back some pamphlets mate. |
Posted By: The Gremlin
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 8:34pm
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Great read. What an awesome trip.
------------- Nothing else to life but fishing and beer!. |
Posted By: brown
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 8:45pm
Fan bluudy tastic
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Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 9:01pm
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great read Carl..... cool photos as well...... excellent looking GT Bushie well done....... how long did it take to land the awesome Tuna????????? |
Posted By: dragwasher
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 9:50pm
| Great photos Carl! Are the tuna already around the Aldies? Time to go cubing? |
Posted By: mozz
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2008 at 9:50pm
| Great report epic. very very jealous |
Posted By: Memorymaker
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 3:43am
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Awesome Carl great report mate, shame about air NZ never mind looks like you did fine without that gear ------------- Fish don't make mistakes |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 7:30am
Cheers Lethal. ------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Lethal wrote:Posted By: biggear
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 7:51am
| Great report Carl. Some nice fish there. Good to see Glen is still able to handle his piss. Looking forward to catching up with the bill collector this summer. |
Posted By: Espresso
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 9:01am
 Fantastic - how cool that fishing must've been, and the food 'n all. Champion!
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Posted By: Phats
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 9:20am
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Awesome guys Jealous Bushie - A GT is on my want to catch list ------------- A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. |
Posted By: wetdream
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 10:02am
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To meke lads sure looks like a wicked trip. ------------- Like us on: facebook/stanleysigns.com |
Posted By: Fishy Fingers
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 12:26pm
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WICKED TRIP, WEATHER LOOKS PRIMO IN SOME OF THOSE PICS. ------------- Fresh kahawai that's where it's at!!! |
Posted By: Mr Bean
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 1:40pm
| Nice mate...awesome............nice GT Mr Pig |
Posted By: Bushpig
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 3:23pm
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I would advise anyone interested in doing a trip like this to jump on the next one if Epic has a space going. I would be going again next year if i hadn't already committed to doing a trip to Samoa
------------- I would rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints |
Posted By: Finatic
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2008 at 3:57pm
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That's a tour from hell! Well done guys ------------- What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck. |